Tesla now offers car insurance to Texas residents, just a few years after it launched the product in California. Electrek claims that Texas has a different insurance policy than California's. It calculates a customer's insurance premium based on their driving habits. Tesla apparently doesn't care about customers' credit, age, and gender. Tesla claims it will not even consider customers' driving records or claim history.
Tesla will instead look at drivers' safety scores. This feature was introduced in the Full Self-Driving Beta version that was released in September. This could be a problem as the premium that must be paid can change based on what the driver experiences on the road. Their score will be affected by every forced collision warning and disengagement of Autopilot. Their score could be affected by following other vehicles at an unsafe distance, excessive braking, and aggressive cornering. Tesla stated that safety score is still in beta and will improve over time.
Owners may now request a quote. The automaker will require a 90 safety score in order to begin their policy. Prices will vary depending on how clients perform after that. They may be higher or lower than what traditional providers charge. Elon Musk stated that Tesla plans to improve its offering in California based on real time driving behavior. This was revealed during Tesla's shareholder meeting. Although the company is not permitted to implement this change, it is currently trying to get permission from regulators.
Editor's Note: This article first appeared on Engadget.
