According to Gabi Personal Insurance Agency, the average cost of insuring the Model 3 across 150 ZIP codes is $2,814 (from $1,958 to $3,644) per year. A Porsche 911 is just $35 more expensive.
“According to Gabi CEO Hanno Fichtner, the high cost of replacement parts and Tesla-specific body shops are major contributors to the high insurance costs. Collision insurance accounted for 49 percent of the insurance quotes collected in the Gabi analysis, and in some cases as much as 59 percent. Collision insurance accounts for only 40 percent of the cost of Gabi’s Porsche insurance quotes, on average.”
Tesla Model 3 buyers need to realize that over the course of several years of owning a car they will spend considerably more on insurance than in case of most other comparable conventional cars (in terms of size, class or price).
Here are a couple more examples of average insurance costs cited in the Automotive News article:
In 2017, AAA announced an increase in insurance prices for Tesla cars and it seems that not much has changed since then, despite Tesla launching its InsureMyTesla program.
“Tesla subsequently partnered with Liberty Mutual to create a product called InsureMyTesla, which Jon McNeill, then president of sales and service for Tesla, said “takes into account not only the Autopilot safety features but also the maintenance cost of the car.”
“Tesla owners have posted on a number of forum threads that InsureMyTesla’s costs are consistently higher than the competition. This summer, Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to a tweet about the high cost of the product, saying, “Looking into this. Will fix if so.”
Even though insurance costs may be on the high side, one should take into account other savings associated with the Model 3, like gas costs (lack thereof, actually) and lower maintenance costs.
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150 Comments on "Tesla Model 3 Almost As Expensive As Porsche 911 To Insure"
Did Tesla’s “InsureMyTesla” insurance program ever get off the ground here in the USA and Canada?
If not, what happened?
https://electrek.co/2017/10/13/tesla-insuremytesla-insurance-program-us-canada/
Yes, I was told you can get info on the program at the same place you can find the info on how Elon solved the water crisis in Michigan.
Thanks for the laugh.
‘Elon Musk pledges to fix Flint’s water contamination crisis
Tesla CEO says he will speak to Flint’s mayor on Friday while leading activist said she has been working with his team for over a week’
He seems to have a need to insert himself into so many public discussion – although at the same time it is clear that he already has too much on his plate.
No, people constantly *ask* him to get involved in all kind of things — and he is not always able to resist…
“Thanks for the laugh.”
I was trying to start a meaningful discussion.
No thanks for yet another serial Tesla basher attempt to drag real dialogue off into the weeds, or the gutter.
My insurance for the 3 is almost exactly the same as the MB C-Class it replaced.
Me too it went up about $40 for six months.
My Model 3 cost less than my Toyota Tundra to insure.
My State Farm insurance for the BMW i3 was just a little higher then a 2010 Honda Insight.
-Your personal loss experience, and your age play a bigger role.
-Also, the loss experience of the vehicle population, not just it’s repair cost factor in.
So, I’d go with “Price Gouging” for 100.
Ouch, that Model 3 pole impact, absolutely vaporized the Front License Plate into smithereens.
Nailed it. (Posted in the wrong spot earlier , oopppps)
Strange comparisons!
How the numbers for BMW 3 series and Mercedes C series
That would be good comparisons… Audi R8 is strange, that is a 200K car..
Not even paying 1000$ for my brand new model S 75D. I live in Montreal. I guess age makes a difference also. But these numbers above are just outrageously high!
I’m 33yo, fully loaded dual motor model 3 in SF. Excellent coverage at $1400. I suspect the extra 400-500 on the year due to being 33, and living in an extremely high vandalism area. Surprising with both my age and location my rate is half the average listed in the article, as were 4 other quotes out of 6 total.
Something is wrong in USA, I know someone (he lives north of Montreal) who is only 30 and he pay 600$ for a model S
The province of Québec have the SAAQ which insure peoples in an accident, the insurance company is only for the car itself, so it’s normal the insurance seems to cost less. We pay SAAQ on plates 222$, and driving licence 85$ which are probably more expansive than in USA. My 2013 Volt cost me 607$/year fully insured with a business part.
Age is a big part of the insurance rate.
But, also Accident Experience with the model, which should be LOWER than the average car population. So, yes, there’s a scam going on here.
Lack of early data is also a problem in that regard, so insurance companies are forced to estimate. They all overestimate when this happens, but some more than others. Eventually the data will catch up, so renewals in 6 months should go down, everything else remaining the same.
Lack of readily available spare parts and qualified body shops are the other concerns, and both of these drive up costs. The spare parts supply will improve, but that too is on Musk. Some degree it’s understandable – but it’s easily remedied quickly and should be resolved as soon as they can.
$160 a month for me for 2 drivers in our 30’s, $1 million liability, mostly maxed out coverage including rental coverage, new car replacement and accident forgiveness. That’s about 20% more than my old 12 year old Hyundai. This article smells like FUD. I don’t care what one insurance company I’ve never heard of charges for their mispriced coverage. Normal cost insurance is available.
All of this hinges on the availability of parts. As long as only Tesla certified body shops are allowed to carry out repairs those certified shops are going to use this license to print money.
On a similar note: Insurance companies are already stating that the driving aid tech is reducing the number of crashes but even minor parking incidences are causing huge repairs because of all the sensors that get destroyed. This has nothing to do with Tesla, it is the same for all of the high tech cars.
In Europe it is illegal for car manufacturers to require certified shops to carry out maintenance and fixes in order to keep warranty. As long as the fix is OK, the warranty is kept. In case of issues, the manufacturer has to prove the the fix was not properly done.
That is one of the things I’m waiting for. As soon as there are enough Tesla in the used car market someone will sue Tesla for full access to parts, tools and manuals.
Yes it’s quite different there. In US it’s more complicated, in general manufacturers don’t require this, but as we know Tesla has not been a traditional car manufacturer in most ways.
Here, it’s more likely your insurance company will direct you to a body shop that meets their quality and cost standards in your area. And here’s the kicker, which has experience or certification repairing specific makes, Tesla, Ferrari, Bentley, Porsche, etc
Having taken Tesla bumpers off, having fitted and priced parking sensors, what you say doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Neither do the quotes, above.
Teslas total-out easier. Their refusal to service salvaged cars supports the bid for damaged ones, as guys like “Rich Rebuilds” learn how to swap bad for good. It’s an abuse of the system, but leads to more new Teslas, if your old one doesn’t go back to you. This is where costs go up. Repairs end up not being legitimate, regardless of how replaceable many cheap parts are.
It isn’t what I say it is what insurance companies say. Since parking sensors have been introduced crashes have declined but a bumper with sensors is simply a lot more expensive than one without so premiums are not going down. Parts are not the whole story. Depending on where you live one hour in a workshop easily costs you 200 and more for labour and blocking a bay. As I said that isn’t Tesla specific. In case of Tesla you are on many parts better of than with competitors. The side mirrors for example, there is far less technology in the Tesla ones than in some others.
“As long as only Tesla certified body shops are allowed to carry out repairs those certified shops are going to use this license to print money.”
WOW! it’s amazing how you serial Tesla bashers try to twist everything around so completely backwards!
Tesla is the only auto maker which tries to make its service shops revenue-neutral. Not only no “printing money”, but not even making a profit on service!
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/07/11/tesla-adding-100-service-centers-1-000-technicians-model-3-goes-sale/467423001/
Wow, I heard the Model 3 is expensive to fix even minor damage due to parts availability? Has anyone here had experience with body repairs?
I asked my auto mechanics and he said Tesla void the vehicle warranty all together if not fixed by Tesla thus he cannot even do anything about it.
I see… Elon trying to control the eco system?
So illegal or unamerican
Normally a mechanic doesn’t do body and paint repairs. No warranties have been voided by the repairs we have done to Tesla vehicles.
Sure, but the serial Tesla bashers posting here aren’t interested in Truth or honest discussion. They just want to spread FÜD.
I had a deep scratch and took it to the best shop I know of, which is not Tesla approved. Took care of it perfectly, at reasonable cost.
Perfectly reasonable question gets downvoted. Why?
Because there are quite a few here(not me) that view him as a Tesla troll. He has a more negative take on Tesla than I think is warranted but don’t feel he is really here simply to trash as much as give a more cynical take. At least that is the conclusion I have come to.
The author is here to make noise. MO seems more industry, than investor, IMO.
If trolls don’t say something half-true every now and then, they risk moderation while we see the rest.
Time for DIsqus?
It’s not a real question — it’s FUD disguised as a question.
Right, it’s a “concern troll” comment. Pretending to be concerned as part of an FÜD campaign.
Because virtually everything he says about Tesla or its cars is part of a deliberate and ongoing smear campaign, that’s why.
I work at a body shop. Haven’t done any 3 repairs yet but plenty of S repairs. No problem getting parts and bumper covers are 1/3 the cost of Mercedes. Maybe some shops take advantage of Tesla owners. Repairs are much cheaper than BMW, Mercedes, and very much cheaper than Lexus. The 3 should be even cheaper than the S because it is made of mixed metals. Maybe the insurance companies are taking advantage of Tesla owners.
With autopilot hardware 3.0, your Tesla will avoid accidents. Insurance becomes cheaper as autopilot becomes smarter.
I guarantee cheaper auto insurance every year you drive your Tesla.
*Fine Print – based on autopilot version 9.0 being available in 3 to 6 months. Insurance could be cheaper because the car’s depreciation. Assumed hardware 3.0 being secured.
I guess this Tesla last night did not have AP 3.0
https://twitter.com/SJFirefighters
Wow. Brand new Tesla that doesn’t even have it’s plates yet hits yet another fire truck. Yep, Tesla stock is going to $4000 really soon because of autonomous driving tech…
There still seems to be no shortage of people who are drunk on Tesla and think they can just switch on this “autopilot” and then do something else the whole time. I think it’s a large part of why people buy Teslas. If they dropped “autopilot” and only offered all the Tesla models with ordinary cruise control, how many would still buy them? I suspect sales would fall off a cliff.
@Dav8or said: “… Tesla stock…$4000…”
———-
The $4,000 is a top range point and future (5 years) dollar based…
The news media has sensationalized the $4,000.
In Cathie Woods’s interview video “I’LL TELL THE BOARD HOW TESLA’S STOCK COULD GO TO $4,000” she explains that on a NPV (net present value) basis discounted @15%/yr she puts a today *top range* value of TSLA at $2000. Meaning that if today someone purchased TSLA at *top range* $2,000 as an investment they would get an average of 15% ROI over five years. source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZhrZJ-rdBo&feature=youtu.be
Further… The value range in Cathie’s Woods’s report for TSLA is “somewhere between $700 and $4,000 per share in five years: source:
https://ark-invest.com/research/tesla-private
Distilled on a non-sensationalized basis:
Cathie Woods is saying she places a today NPV value of TSLA somewhere between $350-$2,000… the midpoint value would therefore be TSLA $1,174. And that according to Wood’s report excludes placing value on several existing Tesla value lines such as Tesla Energy.
On the other hand:
The anti-Tesla Jim Chanos Wolfpack thesis is that that Tesla “is not a leader” in EV tech and as a company is “worthless” and has “zero” value (Chanos’s words).
So:
Cathie Woods’s TSLA $1,174 (midpoint) vs. Jim Chanos TSLA $0
*** Catherine Woods vs. James Chanos ***
Laughable dumb comment there.
If Tesla’s only had cruise control they would be cheaper as a result of less content and sales would go up in the real world.
Yeah, totally the technology’s fault when a drunk who “thought Autopilot was active” crashes into a fire truck.
We can tell how very low Tesla cars’ accident rates are, because every bad accident is still being reported as news.
For every other auto maker’s cars, accidents are so common that they are never reported as news unless there is something highly unusual about the accident.
So thanks, David “Green”, for reminding us how very safe Tesla cars are, and how are it is for one to have a bad accident.
Go Tesla!
Mine is $1400/Yr for a fully loaded dual motor model 3 in San Francisco.
Excellent coverage also…checked 6 insurers, 5 of which were all within $100 on the year for identical coverage, 1 was almost double and given the sample group a certain outlier.
How much for you to insure a Toyota Camry there?
What insurance company?
Ridiculous! Never going to buy a Tesla! I had an 20mpg SUV which I drove 70 miles round trip every day for commuting when the gasoline price was $4.00 a gallon. It cost me $300 per month to refuel it. My insurance was $550 per year. So there’s no savings whatsoever when fuel cost and insurance cost are combined. #delete Tesla
Not a volt either!
It is ridiculous considering that my Model 3 insurance is less than for an Elantra. So there’s tons of savings to be had!
Who are you with?
I’d echo the same question. On what planet is any insurance company insuring a $50-80K vehicle for less than they charge to insure a $15-25K vehicle?
We happen to have both a 2018 Model 3 and a 2009 Elantra in our family. The Model 3 costs about $1100/year to insure, and the Elantra costs about $700/year to insure with State Farm. And that’s for a pretty high-coverage policy (I made the mistake of once asking GEICO for a quote, and their *best* coverage was inferior to mine… and cost twice as much. And of course, they haven’t stopped harrassing me in the 10 years since!)
Merely stating the facts from economics point of view! Apparently many Tesla owners here afraid to lose value on their Tesla! Pathetic selfish bunch! Hey I like EVs! But this insurance is way out of control! I am all for you guys to buy it so I can breathe better! Yup! Maybe many insurance agents too! What a crazy world that everybody just tries to con everybody as long as it’s not in my back yard.
Is this the same “Dan”?
Inside EVs is becoming a house of mirrors.
Keep in mind that replies end up under the wrong post when an intermediate post gets deleted by moderators.
Don’t know whether that’s the case here — but it is often causing strange-looking replies in general…
“Hey I like EVs!”
No, your comments very clearly show the opposite.
You’re driving an SUV? and you’re even beginning to compare that to a Tesla.
FAIL on many levels.
He probably drives a 1989 ford explorer that smells of cat urine lol
Without knowing your coverage, age, and other discounts, your $550 per year doesn’t mean much.
Right. Older, retired drivers usually drive considerably fewer miles per year, so that’s a major factor; it’s not necessarily just age itself.
And those who live in areas insurance companies consider “rural” may have rates half that of those who in large cities… or even less.
So comparing one person’s rates to another’s is pretty pointless unless you know all the factors the insurance company is using to set rates. Nobody here has given that much detail about themselves… and I’m not suggesting anyone should.
Well if you’re driving a 1989 ford explorer with no a/c, no power windows, torn headliner, squeaky brakes, rusted doors, that smells of cat urine then I would expect a low insurance rate LOL CONNECT THE DOTS ON CLEAN AIR WAKE UP
According to Wikipedia, there are over 42000 ZIP codes in the United States. I don’t think 150 codes represents the USA.
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZIP_Code
That’s not how statistics work. A representative sample does not need to be all-inclusive. It only needs to be sampled in a representative manner.
However, their claimed results suggests they chose their sample VERY poorly.
More likely they chose it VERY selectively.
Nothing in the article states that it was a random sample. I have heard of many M3 owners in the 1K to 1500$ for insurance so my suspicion is that this was not a random survey. I pay $1400 Canadian so…
I know statistics as well (degrees of freedom, distributions, ect). I also know that by cherry picking your data you can make pretty much anything look “true”
hitting a lamp post in dry good weather conditions means your an idiot behind more car than you can handle. Insurance should cost you more than most average sensible drivers, Tesla or not.
My mind is blown there are down votes here. Maybe people who live in the fantasy land where you aren’t responsible for your own actions and believe they shouldn’t have consequences.
Comments with negative tone (like that one) can be expected to get down-votes every time, no matter how good or thoughtful or insightful the content.
Down-votes are more an indication of tone than content.
$1200/yr. $500 ded. 🍊 county, CA. Ameriprise through Costco. AAA is expensive, but hardly representative of all insurance companies.
My m3 at allstate is 1,481
My Model 3 cost me 1451 with Liberty Mutual. I live NJ one of the more expensive states for insurance so I find this report odd.
My 3 insurance was about the same as my 8 year old Solara
Nailed it.
This is completely untrue. I drive a 2017 Model S 100D. Full maximum limits coverage is exactly the same as my 2015 F250, $75/mo which equates to $900/yr. My car cost twice as much as Model 3. I have Esurance which as most of you may know is a web based version of Allstate
Not sure where this information came from. I replaced my 2015 Hyundai Veloster with a model 3, and my insurance went up $15 per month.
My model 3 policy costs me less than my Mercedes C class. It is a 6 month policy and $1M/$500,000 with a $250 deductible and costs $645 for the 3 and $879 for the C class.
I got quotes for my Model 3 in a range from $1500/year (StateFarm, Esurance) to $3000/year (Liberty Mutual, GEICO) for the very same (and really good) policy. I have never seen such a price span between companies and GEICO usually is on the lower end of the spectrum. I ended up with StateFarm and the price for the coverage I got is really good.
This is very misleading article, my fully loaded model 3 insurance in north CA is $4 less per 6 month then the 2016 Rav 4 XLE it replaced. My 6 month full coverage with $500 deductible is less than $450. like everything else you need to shop around.
With AAA Missouri I’m paying $480 every 6 months for dual motor non performance Model 3, upgraded and added replacement cost option for total of $522 every 6 months.
These numbers are complete b.s. and I’m in SoCal where insurance is not cheap. I’m paying under $1,800/year.
Thanks for keep us insurance shoppers in socal posted!
Hmm. I’m a little concerned that this article appears to be nothing more than passing on either a hit piece or an attempt to use Tesla popularity to get clicks. Looking at so many responses here claiming significantly lower actual costs it appears the zip codes chosen were cherry picked to make it look as bad as possible. The data may be true and accurate but probably very deceiving. Why was there no journalistic pressure put on this before posting here?
That’s a large pole.
Poor Model 3.
Yeah… This is nonsense. My model 3 is under $800/year to insure. Ironically that’s through AAA. The socal group is the one who threw a fit about Teslas. Northern California AAA gives good discounts with all the safety features.
Surprise….just look at the YouTube videos of Model S repairs for fender benders: $30,000. Yikes. The electronics are super pricey.
Body shop people must br crooks. Likely out of business now.
If it was just a fender-bender, then they wouldn’t need to replace electronics.
But “thanks” for that example 🙄 of why we should be skeptical of any claim made in social media post — or a YouTube video — from a random source.
Are maintenance costs lower? What does Tesla charge for the periodic maintenance that must be done by them to keep the warranty valid? Not a dis of Tesla, just a question.
No requirement to do maintenance. I went in at 49,500 and they were happy to do a warranty repair and my first service at the same visit.
It depends on what you’re comparing to, for maintenance costs. From various discussions on the Tesla Motors Club forum, the consensus of Model S and Model X owners is that maintenance on Tesla cars is significantly less expensive than comparably priced gasmobiles from most (but not all) legacy auto makers.
However, Tesla cars are “premium” cars, and premium cars in general cost more to maintain. So average maintenance cost for a Tesla car is higher than for, say, a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry. More expensive cars are more complex, with more things in them that can go wrong; and the parts cost more. Tesla cars are no exception to those rules.
These quotes are plain crazy!
No one is paying that! I’m in SoCal and i know no one that pay $2k+ for a Volt. The TM3 quotes i saw were way lower than the one posted. $2k for Civic?!
WTF?
Model S body repairs might be expensive due to the aluminum body. Model 3 should be cheaper (steel-based), but as they are very quick, there is still the issue of more likelyhood of accidents. Also, I am unsure if Autopilot on average reduces risk or not at this stage. To some drivers it offers a further opportunity to misuse a car.
The Model 3 uses a lot of high-strength and “ultra high strength” steel in its body construction. Unfortunately, ultra high strength steel sections of the body cannot be fixed if bent or otherwise damaged; they have to be cut out and replaced. That does mean body work is on average more expensive than on the average car.
https://insideevs.com/tesla-model-3-aluminum-steel-high-strength-steel-mix-revealed/
The insurance prices mentioned (all) seems very high, compared to prices I’ve paid for car insurance in Norway.
What’s up with the zip codes? Are you not insured all over the US and for example Canada for the same price?
My insurance covers all of Europe except maybe a few countries that is highly theft/accident prone.
They are all very high (as in they are not what we pay for the most part). Not having government run health plan insurance adds some to the cost. Bad drivers doesn’t help either. You have to remember, we are allowed to drink and drive as well as text and drive….. kidding of course but we have significantly higher DWI than most of Europe. We probably have more teens driving more. We put significantly more miles on than average Europeans. There are really lots of factors that play into it.
Also, we are less civic, politically, which is to say we don’t adequately educate civics or other self-preserving things, like driving.
As many people who actually own this car noticed this article is nonsense, insurance is at normal rates. Higher insurance rates make sense for all aluminum vehicles like S and X but Model 3 is mostly plain steel so not particularly hard to fix. Also Tesla vehicles tend not to be stolen as much as comparable vehicles since they are easy to trace unless special measures are taken to prevent that.
My S was $50 every 6 months more than my Leaf. The Leaf was about the same as the Accord. 2013 Leaf so it wasn’t aluminum but even the body shop estimating manual thought it was.
Had the joy of hitting a deer – the front bumper cover was like $800 I think. Not cheap but reasonable.
Lol… Americans…in my country that would be something like $500
Just got a quote back for my 3D (Not performance) for full coverage and it is $640/year.
Just checked here in Austria:
Starting at 1360 € for full coverage for Model S75, since M3 is not jet configurable.
But a lot depending on age, your crash history etc.
Huh. My Model 3 insurance is about $950 a year for $300k in property and $100k body. I’m also paying for a 25% premium in case of a total loss ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Sucks to live in the US then… doesn’t cost nearly as much to insure my S 90D.
I disagree. I’m an agent and my customers insurance on his new Tesla 3 only went up $90 over 6mos from a 2006 Toyota Avalon. Any 12yr newer car would have gone up. I’m actually quite impressed.
What the what?? I only pay $476 every 6mo on my model 3. Y’all getting ripped off!
Mine is $1120 per year
Elon doesn’t have to look far to fix the crazy high insurance for Tesla’s, Looking into his own backyard he will find the crazy delay /wait times at Tesla repair shops, parts delays and higher costs.
With Telsa’s tiny network of crash repairers people are surprised at the blowing out insurance premiums? Hello!
Elon needs to free up third party repair, review availability and price of spares so customers and insurance companies can quickly turn damaged cars around – only then will the insurance premiums drop like a rock.
Elon’s has to underestimated the consequences of Tesla’s current policies – which has been reflected in Insurance premiums.
Ball is in Tesla’s court, the insurance companies are only the messenger and it is no good trying to shoot them as they are just number cruncher’s.
Why would delays affect insurance rates?
It wouldn’t. Obviously that basher post was aimed at those who don’t practice critical reading.
My Tesla Model 3 LR State Farm in Virginia taxes this year are about $1700.
Suspect these numbers are based on the car’s high performance potential at this point. Real world claims history will change things, I expect for the better. Fewer hyper-aggressive model 3 drivers than the 911.
Another opportunity for Musk. Steal insurance premiums business . A closed loop like Apple’s appleCare+.
Not at all in my case! My Model 3 replaced a Hyundai Elantra 2016 and my 6 month premium (esurance) just went up by $100. I live in South Florida.
My insurance from Audi A4 to Tesla 3 went down.
Each of brand new Model 3 costs $150 more than my 8 year old Audi A4. $1200 a year. State Farm.
The first car they didn’t quote and the rep said that they didn’t have it in the system so it’s have to be done manually and later I got a bill for $1200. However when I called in about adding second car last month a different rep on the phone said $2400. Upon querying them, and having her tell me what she had quoted she said Model S. I had to explain to her that it’s not a Model S. Systems might not have the Model 3 still.
Could it be that the person quoting for this article might have selected the Model S?
Cosco/Ameriprise gave me more or less the same rate as my Mazda3. Next best quote was about $2000 but bundled home and umbrella policy. So shop around, it doesn’t have to be that bad.
Two things wrong with this article:
1) From Automotive News.
2) Cherry picked data.
Statistically, a non-representative sample.
— Lessons in Bias 101.
I only pay $80/month with great coverage on my Model 3.
i drive a porsche, and one of the underlying reasons for picking a porsche, was that its insurance was much cheaper than other sports cars. So I don’t really understand the premise of this article.