Tesla car insurance: How to avoid the sticker shock
You'll save money on gas as a Tesla owner, but you might get sticker shock when it's time to buy car insurance.
Auto insurance for electric vehicles like Teslas generally costs more than for gas-powered cars because EVs are often more expensive to repair and replace. The higher repair and replacement costs drive up the cost of insurance claims, which then leads to higher car insurance rates for those models.
Choosing an insurance company is not the time to go on autopilot. Comparison shopping is critical, and in some states, shopping around includes getting a car insurance quote from Tesla. Here's how to navigate the options.
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Learn more: The reasons electric car insurance will cost you more, and how to save
Tesla started offering car insurance in California in 2019 and has since expanded to 11 other states.
Tesla Insurance offers a full menu of standard coverage, including liability, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, medical payment, personal injury protection, and collision and comprehensive insurance. Additional options include rental reimbursement, roadside assistance coverage, and auto loan/lease gap coverage.
Learn more: Most common types of car insurance explained
You can get quotes for Tesla Insurance, purchase and manage a policy, and make a claim through the Tesla app. Just ordered a new Tesla? While waiting for the vehicle, you can get a quote as soon as you have a vehicle identification number (VIN) and a delivery date.
In some states, owners of other vehicles can also buy Tesla Insurance.
Learn more: How much car insurance do I need?
Tesla offers car insurance in the following states:
Arizona
California
Colorado
Illinois
Maryland
Minnesota
Nevada
Ohio
Oregon
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Learn more: How does your ZIP code affect your car insurance?
In most states where it's operating, the company offers 'Tesla Real-Time Insurance,' which uses driving behavior data from the vehicle you're driving to help price your policy. Each month, the company calculates a 'Safety Score' based on your previous 30 days of driving habits, and your premium is adjusted depending on the score and number of miles driven. Higher scores and lower mileage mean a lower monthly car insurance premium. In the first month of a policy, the company assumes a Safety Score of 90 out of 100.
Learn more: How does car insurance work? The basics explained.
Tesla vehicles are equipped with sensors and software to track driving behavior, so no plug-in equipment is required, as with some other usage-based insurance programs.
Policies in California are not based on real-time driving behavior. California Tesla owners can see their Safety Scores in the Tesla app, but the scores do not affect their car insurance rates.
Other basic factors that affect the cost of Tesla Insurance are:
The vehicle make, model, trim, and year. The higher the cost to repair or replace a vehicle, the more it costs to insure it.
Where the vehicle is garaged. Car insurance rates tend to be lower in safer neighborhoods.
The amount and type of coverage. Buying full coverage car insurance, which includes liability, collision, and comprehensive insurance, costs more than purchasing only the state-required minimum of liability insurance.
Learn more: How your vehicle's make and model affect car insurance costs
A variety of driving habits can lower your Safety Score, including:
Hard braking
Aggressive turning
Following another vehicle too closely
Excessive speeding
Driving between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Driving without fastening your seatbelt
Forced Autopilot Disengagement
Forced Autopilot Disengagement happens after the vehicle's technology determines that you haven't applied enough resistance to the steering wheel or are inattentive. The vehicle gives three warnings before disengaging the Autopilot system.
More details on these factors and how they influence the score are available on the Tesla website.
Learn more: What is a car insurance premium, and how is it calculated?
Tesla Insurance offers a variety of car insurance discounts, but not all of them are available in every state. They include:
An airbag discount is available in Nevada if the vehicle is equipped with a driver's side front airbag or airbags on both front sides.
An anti-theft device discount, available in Illinois and Minnesota, applies to vehicles equipped with approved anti-theft devices. The discount is automatically applied for Tesla vehicles and requires confirmation of the equipment for vehicles other than Teslas.
Drivers over age 55 (60 in Ohio) can get a defensive-driving-course discount after completing an approved defensive-driving class in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia. In California, the discount is called the Mature Driver Improvement Course discount.
The Full Self-Driving (FSD) (Supervised) discount is available in Arizona and Texas for driving more than 50 percent of miles with the FSD (Supervised) technology enabled. The technology provides automatic emergency braking, collision warnings, lane departure avoidance, and other features, but still requires a fully attentive driver.
Good driver and elite driver discounts are available only in California. The good driver discount is for having no major violations and no more than one minor violation or accident in the last three years. The elite discount is for having no at-fault accidents or any violations in the last five years. The discounts are applied automatically to qualified drivers.
Group discounts for Tesla employees are available in every state where Tesla Insurance operates.
Multi-car discounts — for insuring more than one vehicle with the company — are available in every state where Tesla Insurance operates.
A non-stacking discount is available in Nevada for having more than one vehicle insured with Tesla Insurance and purchasing uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Like most insurance providers, Tesla Insurance draws mixed reviews from consumers on Reddit and other sites.
Happy customers like the convenience of buying and managing the policy and claims through the app and say they're paying less for coverage than with other companies.
A common theme among unhappy customers centers around the Safety Score and its impact on premiums. Some customers say that in urban areas, it's challenging to avoid the kinds of driving behavior that lowers the score and results in higher car insurance rates.
The cost is low when conditions are perfect, one customer posted two years ago, but the potential to get penalized and pay more for coverage 'makes you paranoid to drive the car.'
Pros:
Lower premiums for good driving habits and low mileage
Easy to buy and manage the policy through the app
Variety of discounts available
Cons:
Available in only 12 states
Monthly premium fluctuations may make budgeting for car insurance challenging
Common discounts, like bundling home and auto insurance, may not be available
Many insurers offer coverage for Teslas, including big players like Allstate, GEICO, Progressive, State Farm, and others.
And if you like Tesla's approach to pricing based on your actual driving, consider usage-based insurance programs from other companies, such as State Farm's Drive Safe & Save. Similar to Tesla's Real-Time Insurance, usage-based programs track your driving and give discounts for good habits and low mileage. Be careful, though, because some usage-based programs can result in a higher rate if your driving doesn't score well.
Take these steps to find the best deal on car insurance for a Tesla:
Decide how much coverage you need. Most states require a minimum amount of liability insurance, but it's a good idea to buy enough to cover your assets. Purchase collision and comprehensive insurance to cover your vehicle; liability insurance only covers the damage and injuries you cause others.
Shop around. Get quotes for the coverage you need from at least three insurance companies, including Tesla Insurance if you live in one of the states where it's offered.
Consider bundling, or the lack thereof. Own a home? Take into account the cost of forfeiting a discount for bundling home and auto insurance because Tesla doesn't offer home insurance. If you're thinking about buying Tesla Insurance, compare the cost of buying Tesla auto insurance and another company's home insurance with the cost of home and auto insurance bundles from other insurers.
Consider customer service. Talk to other Tesla owners about their experiences with Tesla Insurance. How well did it respond to claims? How challenging was it to achieve a high Safety Score and maintain low monthly premiums? Would you prefer working with an agent or primarily through an app?
Select a company that makes the most sense for you. Choose the insurance company that offers a low cost and the kind of service you want.
Amy Danise and Tim Manni edited this article.
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