[sliken]

I've heard this before, but when I dig in it seems like it's not true. Newer cars (gas or EV) are more complicated, more crowded, more sensors, more cables, etc. Even replacing a bumper is labor intensive, often requires messing with sensors, wiring harnesses, repainting, integrating new sensors into the car, debugging resulting problems, etc.

As a result that it's becoming increasingly easy to "total" a car in collisions that would have been repaired a decade ago. If you damage a major part of the chassis you get totaled, regardless if it was 25 welded pieces or 1 cast piece.