Tesla has now officially launched its insurance product using “real-time driving behavior”.
The product is only available in Texas for now.
The automaker has already introduced its own insurance product in California, but it doesn’t utilize real-time driving data and its “safety score”.
At Tesla’s shareholders meeting last week, CEO Elon Musk announced that Tesla would expand its insurance product to Texas and add the real-time driving behavior aspect next week.
Today, Electrek was able to confirm that the product is now live in Texas and Tesla owners can apply for quotes.
Unlike the product offered by Tesla in California, this new policy in Texas includes the real-time data:
“Tesla offers insurance using real-time driving behavior. This is currently available to all Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y owners in Texas.”
The automaker wrote about the policy’s differentiating factor:
“Unlike other telematics or usage-based insurance products, Tesla does not require an additional device to be installed in your vehicle. Tesla uses specific features within the vehicle to evaluate your premium based on your actual driving. You will make monthly payments based on your driving behavior instead of traditional factors like credit, age, gender, claim history and driving records used by other insurance providers.”
In the fine print, Tesla insists that it will not use age or gender to calculate your insurance premium nor even the fact that you ever had car accidents.
The automaker says that the “safety score”, which was first introduced for Full Self-Driving Beta testers last month, will be the main factor.
As we previously reported, Tesla’s safety score is based on 5 metrics:
- Forward Collision Warnings per 1,000 Miles
- Hard Braking
- Aggressive Turning
- Unsafe following distance
- Forced Autopilot disengagement
The automaker says that it expects those deemed “average” drivers by the safety score should save 20% to 40% on their premium compared to competitors and those with the safest scores could save between 30% to 60%.
Tesla released an example that shows how the premium can change month to month depending on your score:
| Month | Safety Score From Trips* |
Safety Score for Rating |
Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 95 | 90 | $121.00 |
| 2 | 88 | 90 | $121.00 |
| 3 | 92 | 95 | $97.00 |
| 4 | 98 | 88 | $130.00 |
| 5 | 96 | 92 | $111.00 |
| 6 | 93 | 98 | $83.00 |
When first quoting and starting a policy, Tesla assumes a 90 safety score.
The automaker notes that the “safety score” system is still in “beta” and it should improve over time.
If you apply for Tesla Insurance in Texas, let us know in the comment section below or via email (fred@electrek.co) how your quote compares with your current insurance.
Update:
A 9to5 staffer in Texas received a quote for $141.57 per month for his Model Y:
It’s about $16 more expensive than his current State Farm policy, but again, that’s with an assumed 90 safety score.
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Author: Fred Lambert
Source: Electrek
