Electric generator , in particular an alternator for a motor vehicle, with a rotor and a stator, - wherein the rotor is non-rotatably fixed on a shaft that is rotatable about an axis of rotation and wherein one shaft end of the shaft protrudes out of the rotor , - wherein an excitation coil is arranged inside the rotor and can be brought into electrical contact with the outside by means of two slip rings , - wherein the slip rings are fixed on the shaft end of the shaft next to one another and spaced apart from one another, - wherein two electrical coil conductors lead from the excitation coil towards the slip rings and two electrical conductors lead from the slip rings towards the excitation coil , - wherein the coil conductors are in electrical contact with the conductors at two radially outwardly protruding contact points , - wherein the electric generator contains an electrically insulating insulating element , which electrically insulates the slip rings and the conductors from the shaft , - wherein the insulating element contains an insulating disc , which extends transverse to the axis of rotation and lies on one side against the rotor and isolates the contact points from the rotor , characterized - in that an electrically insulating protective cover is non-rotatably fixed on the shaft end of the shaft , wherein the protective cover lies against the insulating disc while facing away from the rotor , - in that two receiving spaces are formed in the protective cover , wherein the receiving spaces are open towards the insulating disc and are closed on one side by the insulating disc , and - in that the contact points are received in the receiving spaces , so that the respective contact points are protected from the outside in the respective receiving spaces . - wherein the rotor is non-rotatably fixed on a shaft that is rotatable about an axis of rotation and wherein one shaft end of the shaft protrudes out of the rotor , - wherein an excitation coil is arranged inside the rotor and can be brought into electrical contact with the outside by means of two slip rings , - wherein the slip rings are fixed on the shaft end of the shaft next to one another and spaced apart from one another, - wherein two electrical coil conductors lead from the excitation coil towards the slip rings and two electrical conductors lead from the slip rings towards the excitation coil , - wherein the coil conductors are in electrical contact with the conductors at two radially outwardly protruding contact points , - wherein the electric generator contains an electrically insulating insulating element , which electrically insulates the slip rings and the conductors from the shaft , - wherein the insulating element contains an insulating disc , which extends transverse to the axis of rotation and lies on one side against the rotor and isolates the contact points from the rotor , - in that an electrically insulating protective cover is non-rotatably fixed on the shaft end of the shaft , wherein the protective cover lies against the insulating disc while facing away from the rotor , - in that two receiving spaces are formed in the protective cover , wherein the receiving spaces are open towards the insulating disc and are closed on one side by the insulating disc , and - in that the contact points are received in the receiving spaces , so that the respective contact points are protected from the outside in the respective receiving spaces . <EOS>