Tesla insurance is now available in five states, with rates based on analysis of real-time driving behavior in four of them.
An expansion to Arizona and Ohio was first reported by Electrek Thursday. It was previously available in California, Illinois, and Texas as well.
Tesla's website notes that insurance based on real-time driving behavior is available in Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, and Texas, but not California, likely due to regulatory issues. Tesla has said drivers with an "average" safety score should save 20% to 40% on their premiums compared to other insurance products, while the safest drivers can save 30% to 60%, Electrek reported.
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Tesla insurance has been slow to roll out. It was originally revealed in 2019, and promised to offer insurance at a lower cost to reflect Tesla's driver-assistance features. It didn't add real-time driving behavior to the program until last fall, though. It was originally offered only in California.
Tesla isn't the only automaker launching insurance products for its vehicles. Porsche has experimented with its own program for Taycan owners, but that was only initially offered for Illinois and Oregon residents. Rivian announced an insurance program in 2021, saying it would be offered in 40 states. Like Tesla, Rivian said it would offer discounts to customers who agreed to let the company monitor their driving behavior.
Why is this? The claim frequency varies widely for EVs—although in some respects the differences are predictable. Some of the disparity might have been due to early EVs, like the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, aimed primarily at low-speed urban driving skewing averages. Let's hope by now the insurance establishment is catching up and can tailor policies accordingly.
