One thing we learned from the call is that Tesla Insurance is at version 0.9, and they are working on its first version of telematics. Another thing is that coverage will be provided to all vehicles that become part of the Tesla ride-sharing network. There’s a lot to unpack in these two simple sentences.

In the insurance industry, telematics is used to collect data about your driving habits. It could also come into play if your provider offers usage-based insurance policies (pay-per-mile, for example). One way to capture telematics data is through a mobile app. Another way is through a small device — such as a black box that you can plug into your vehicle’s onboard diagnostic port. This is usually located under your dashboard in regular gasoline cars.

Tesla is developing its own telematics, and it could be either a device or a separate app. Knowing Tesla and it’s an approach to ease of driving and minimal design, my money is on an app instead of a device that you plug in somewhere.

Johnna Crider Clean Technica July 20th 2020

Elon Musk certainly laying down a challenge.