We've all kicked around the issue of insurance for
our rigs; the hassle of many companies not covering
them, and the concern that if we were hit, the company
might pony up a paltry $200-500 market value for a
Rabbit like mine with $7900 in electronic components
in it.
While I've solved mine by getting a cash value
policy via Allstate, I think time and thought would be
well spent considering & comparing potential outcome
of accidents and the value of the pack. Consider:
Glider $200--> whatever
Electronics $7900 (typical components)
Batteries $1100 (Flooded) $2000-3000 (Optima),
$5000-7000 (NiCad), etc.
_Accidents will usually be frontal offset or rear-end
collisions; ie, your pack is toast._ Now consider the
ratio of what you might get back in insurance
compensation. Example:
If your rig is a Civic with a value of $3K with
floodeds, you're hit... Let's say all other damage is
reparable. The pack is worth $1K, or 1/3 the value of
the vehicle.
Let's say you stuffed NiCads into it. Now the
batteries are worth _twice as much as the market value
of the vehicle_! Think about what you're asking the
ins. co. to do...
Need I even go into LiIon Polys, where the ratio could
get as high as 6-10x or more?
Are we all so cheap that we refuse to pony up for
longer range/life batteries? Or is it that some of us
have the cash, but also the queasy feeling that there
is something unwise in packing batteries in a vehicle
that is worth many times less money than the
batteries?
Is it wise to drive our rigs without cash value
policies? Or are we all convinced that we can yank
intact controllers, motors, batts, and e-meters right
out, and plop them in the next glider in a matter of
hours? I don't think so.
We read the reports of another factory in Asia
coming on-line to ramp up production for NiMH or LiP
by the week and month. Yet the prices haven't
dropped, they haven't hit the markets, and we still
have exotic metals, and fairly demanding temp.
regulation. If these issues _do_ fall into place, at
what ratio do we plop them in? Price of Optimas?
Price of Floodeds?
Let's keep the dialogue going...
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