Tesla’s New Insurance Guru Aims to Lower EV Costs, Boost Adoption

Former GEICO executive says high insurance costs stand in the way of broader EV adoption.

Katie Powers
Written byKatie Powers
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Katie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor
  • Licensed auto and home insurance agent

  • 3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing

Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.

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Chris Schafer
Edited byChris Schafer
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferSenior Editor
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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MacKenzie Korris
Reviewed byMacKenzie Korris
MacKenzie Korris
MacKenzie KorrisInsurance Copy Editor

MacKenzie Korris is an insurance copy editor with years of experience in print and digital media. He strives to craft actionable, inclusive copy that fosters smart decision-making through reader autonomy. He has a journalism degree from Saint Louis University.

Published June 26, 2024 at 12:00 PM PDT | Reading time: 2 minutes

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Tesla has hired former GEICO executive Allen Laben as its head of strategic insurance partnerships, a new position at Tesla. Laben says his goal in joining the company is to make owning and insuring Tesla vehicles “easy and economical.”

“By partnering with insurance companies, teams across Tesla, and collision shops in the USA and Canada, we’ll lower the total cost of Tesla ownership and accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy,” Laben wrote on LinkedIn.

Before starting his role at Tesla, Laben served as GEICO’s director of claims specialty operations. Laben spent nearly 20 years working for the company.

Will lower premiums mean more EV ownership?

Tesla’s goal to decrease repair and insurance costs is part of a larger effort to speed up America’s transition to electric vehicle (EV) usage. So far, broader EV adoption has been an uphill climb.

Demand for electric vehicles is declining, according to the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study. In 2022, 26% of shoppers said they were “very likely” to consider purchasing an electric vehicle. In 2023, only 24% were likely to consider buying an EV. 

“High insurance premiums on electric vehicles will slow this transition,” says Laben in his LinkedIn post. “That’s where the ‘Insurance Partnerships’ part of the job comes in. Through better communication, processes, and partnerships, we will reduce repair costs and lower insurance prices across the industry.”

The average cost to insure a Tesla is $126 per month for liability insurance and $268 for full-coverage insurance, according to Insurify data. By comparison, national averages for all vehicles are $103 for liability and $210 for full coverage.

What’s next? Tesla’s insurance product keeps growing

Tesla first launched its own insurance product in 2019. Two years later, it introduced a telematics insurance solution using real-time driving behavior instead of driving and claims history to determine insurance premiums. Tesla says its Safety Score determines how safely policyholders drive.

The company now offers its telematics product in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. It continues to use real-time driving behavior in California, since the state bans the use of telematics.

The company has seen dramatic premium growth since it first started selling insurance. Tesla’s insurance outsourcing partners produced $111.7 million in total direct premiums in 2021, and total premiums more than doubled to $255.5 million in 2022. The 2022 number includes policies directly written by Tesla ($12.7 million) and those of its outsourced relationships ($242.9 million). 

In 2023, the company wrote $109.9 million in direct premiums, and, combined with its affiliates, total premiums rose to $517.6 million.

Katie Powers
Katie PowersAuto and Life Insurance Editor

Katie Powers is an insurance writer at Insurify with a producer’s license for property and casualty insurance in Massachusetts and expertise in personal finance and auto insurance topics. She strives to help consumers make better financial decisions. Prior to joining Insurify, she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Emerson College. Her work has been published in St. Louis Magazine, the Boston Globe, and elsewhere. Connect with Katie on LinkedIn.

Chris Schafer
Edited byChris SchaferSenior Editor
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferSenior Editor
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

Featured in

media logomedia logomedia logomedia logo
MacKenzie Korris
Reviewed byMacKenzie KorrisInsurance Copy Editor
MacKenzie Korris
MacKenzie KorrisInsurance Copy Editor

MacKenzie Korris is an insurance copy editor with years of experience in print and digital media. He strives to craft actionable, inclusive copy that fosters smart decision-making through reader autonomy. He has a journalism degree from Saint Louis University.