Self-Driving Car Insurance

Name: Average Self-Driving Car Insurance Rates by U.S. State for Full Coverage
Creator: The Zebra
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Fully self-driving cars aren't available at a consumer level just yet.
Vehicles with autonomous driving features cost an average $1,768 to insure for a 6-month policy, about 52% more than the typical rate of $1,163.
Getting quotes and comparing insurers is still the best way to save money for most owners of driverless vehicles.

Enter your ZIP code to save on car insurance for your autonomous vehicle!

By Drew Pitt

Reviewed By Renata Balasco

Edited By Meredith Gulledge

Jump to

Self-driving car insurance cost
Do autonomous vehicles need special insurance?
Lemonade vs Tesla FSD Insurance
Coverage basics for self-driving cars
Is telematics best for self-driving cars?
FAQs

Self-Driving Car Insurance Quick Facts

$1,768

Cost for a 6-month auto insurance policy for cars with autonomous driving features

Travelers

The cheapest car insurance company for self-driving cars

Chevy Bolt EV

The most affordable vehicle with self-driving features to insure

How much does autonomous vehicle insurance cost?

On average, self-driving cars cost $1,768 to insure for a 6-month period^[1]. This is $605 more than the national average of $1,162^[2], but will vary based on the car you own and where you live. The reason for this higher than average cost of insurance is due to the overall higher price of cars with self-driving features.

📝 A Quick Note: Fully autonomous vehicles aren't available just yet. For the time being, we'll cover vehicles with advanced features like Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised and Mercedes-Benz's Drive PILOT.

Are cars with self-driving features cheaper to insure?

Despite self-driving cars having a lower accident rate than manually operated vehicles^[3], insurance for self-driving cars tends to be more expensive than the national average. Why? Because insurance covers the value of your vehicle, and, for the moment, autonomous driving is a high-end feature that is typically reserved for luxury vehicles with high list prices.

Below, you can see the average cost of insurance for popular vehicles with autopilot features.

Average 6-month Car Insurance Premiums for Cars with Self-Driving Features

Vehicle	Average 6-month Premium
BMW 5 Series	$1,959
BMW 7 Series	$2,773
BMW iX	$2,560
BMW X5	$1,828
BMW X6	$2,077
BMW X7	$2,460
Buick Enclave	$1,375
Cadillac CT5	$1,516
Cadillac CT6	$1,427
Cadillac Escalade	$1,658
Cadillac Escalade ESV	$1,767
Cadillac XT6	$1,348
Chevrolet Bolt EV	$1,120
Chevrolet Silverado 1500	$1,313
Chevrolet Suburban	$1,313
Chevrolet Tahoe	$1,227
Ford Expedition	$1,486
Ford Explorer	$1,218
Ford F-150	$1,418
Ford Mustang Mach	$1,635
Gmc Acadia	$1,337
Gmc Sierra 1500	$1,407
Mercedes-Benz S	$1,361
Tesla Cybertruck	$3,336
Tesla Cybertruck	$2,210
Tesla Model 3	$1,644
Tesla Model S	$2,561
Tesla Model X	$2,553
Tesla Model Y	$1,751

Who has the cheapest driverless car insurance?

Currently, Travelers offers the most affordable self-driving car insurance, charging an average of $2,093 for a 6-month policy. Auto-Owners insurance also offers an affordable rate but are only available in certain states.

If you're not able to enroll in Auto-Owners or find that Travelers isn't the most affordable in your area, explore the following table to see the average cost of autopilot insurance from other companies.

Average 6-month Self-Driving Car Insurance Premiums by Insurance Company

Company	Average 6-month Premium
Allstate	$2,352
American Family	$1,624
Amica Mutual	$1,986
Auto-Owners Insurance Co	$1,283
Erie	$1,461
Farmers	$1,453
GEICO	$2,108
Hartford	$1,499
Liberty Mutual	$2,512
Nationwide	$1,463
Progressive	$1,366
State Farm	$1,561
Travelers	$1,047
USAA	$1,658

Where you live has a major impact on the cost of auto insurance. Check the following map to see what the average price of driverless car insurance is in your state.

Source: Quadrant Information Services

State	Average 6-month Premium
AK	$2,060
AL	$1,681
AR	$2,056
AZ	$1,944
CA	$1,961
CO	$2,067
CT	$2,221
DC	$2,289
DE	$2,796
FL	$1,955
GA	$1,894
HI	$1,476
IA	$1,455
ID	$1,325
IL	$2,023
IN	$1,371
KS	$1,817
KY	$1,923
LA	$2,585
MA	$1,238
MD	$1,879
ME	$1,242
MI	$1,844
MN	$1,834
MO	$1,989
MS	$1,505
MT	$1,723
NC	$1,329
ND	$1,810
NE	$1,691
NH	$1,368
NJ	$1,763
NM	$1,600
NV	$1,763
NY	$1,878
OH	$1,236
OK	$2,050
OR	$1,619
PA	$1,712
RI	$2,677
SC	$1,723
SD	$1,710
TN	$1,604
TX	$1,824
UT	$1,519
VA	$1,514
VT	$1,218
WA	$1,490
WI	$1,582
WV	$1,758
WY	$1,570

Best self-driving car insurance companies

Tesla Insurance

Tesla owners can take advantage of in-house insurance provided by Tesla. Their insurance plan uses driving safety scores collected in real time to determine your premium. Using FSD is automatically treated as safe driving, and can help lower your premiums. Available in select states.

Lemonade

Lemonade's mileage-based model is often beneficial to drivers of green vehicles — which includes most self-driving cars. Plus, the company offers extra coverage for home chargers and emergency charging, as well as specialized coverage for FSD use.

Travelers

Travelers offers the most affordable rate for drivers of luxury vehicles with autonomous driving features, averaging around $1,205 for a 6-month policy. Travelers also offers safe driving and EV ownership discounts that owners of self-driving cars can use.

Find insurance for your self-driving car now!

Do self-driving cars need special insurance?

Right now, a majority of self-driving cars use standard insurance policies. Most consumer vehicles are not fully autonomous, including Teslas with FSD, so insurance companies operate under the assumption that a human driver will control the vehicle most of the time.

In fact, on the five level vehicle automation scale, only one consumer vehicle feature reaches a level 3, and most cars with autopilot features only offer level 2 driving automation. Due to these limitations, a standard auto-insurance policy is still the best option for most drivers who own these vehicles.

Driving automation levels

Level	Name	Driver	Who Monitors?	Features	Vehicles at this level
Level 0	No Automation	Human	Human	Driver performs all maneuvers	Almost all older cars and some baseline models
Level 1	Driver Assistance	Shared — system assists with one task	Human	System assists with specific steering and acceleration/deceleration tasks	Most contemporary vehicles
Level 2	Partial Automation	System controls speed and steering simultaneously	Human	System handles acceleration, braking and steering while driver actively supervises.	Tesla Autopilot / Full Self-Driving Supervised, GM Super Cruise, Ford BlueCruise, BMW Highway Assistant
Level 3	Conditional Automation	System	System, with driver takeover when requested	Car handles all aspects of driving under certain conditions while driver remains available to intervene if alerted.	Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT
Level 4	High Automation	System	System	Fully autonomous within restricted areas, conditions, or geofenced zones.	Commercial fleets such as Waymo One robotaxis, Zoox and Cruise
Level 5	Full Automation	System	System	Fully autonomous under all conditions and on all roadways. Human input is never required.	None currently exist.

Lemonade FSD vs Tesla FSD Insurance

There are some insurance plans, such as Tesla Insurance or Lemonade’s FSD program, that are designed for autonomous vehicles. Owners of self-driving cars who frequently use autopilot features may be able to save money on insurance premiums with these policies.

Lemonade FSD insurance and Tesla insurance comparison

Feature	Lemonade FSD Insurance	Tesla FSD (Supervised) Insurance
Company	Third-party insurer	Tesla-affiliated insurance
Main FSD benefit	50% off FSD-engaged miles	Pricing uses Tesla driving/safety data where available
Data source	Tesla Fleet API with permission	Tesla vehicle data
Availability	AZ, CA, CO, IL, IN, OH, OR, TN, TX, WA	AZ, CO, FL, IL, IN, MD, MN, NV, OH, OR, TN, TX, UT, VA
Best for	Tesla owners who use FSD often and want a per-mile discount	Tesla owners comparing Tesla-native pricing

Self-driving car coverage basics

Coverage for autonomous vehicles works the same way as it does for manually-operated cars. Owners of vehicles with autopilot features can choose either a full coverage policy that includes comprehensive and collision insurance or liability coverage that meets their state's legal minimums for bodily injury and personal property insurance.

Below, you can see several different coverage types and why they matter for owners of self-driving vehicles.

Available self-driving car coverages

Type of Coverage	What it covers	Why it matters for self-driving cars
Liability insurance	The cost of damage to other people or property caused by your or your self-driving car	Mandatory in most states
Bodily injury liability	Medical expenses for other drivers and their passengers	Mandatory in most states
Property damage liability	Property damage expenses, such as vehicle repairs, for other people's property	Mandatory in most states
Uninsured/underinsured motorist	Bodily injury and property damage costs caused by an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver	Can help you pay for repairs and replacements that would otherwise be uncovered by an uninsured/underinsured driver
Collision insurance	Damage to your vehicle caused by a collision with another object, regardless of fault	Can help cover the gap between another driver's property damage coverage limits and the high value of a self-driving car
Comprehensive insurance	Damage caused by non-collision factors, such as weather, vandalism, animals, and falling objects	Can cover the cost of expensive repairs caused by non-accident factors
Personal injury protection (PIP)	Your medical expenses, lost wages, child care, and other losses stemming from an accident, regardless of fault	Useful for all drivers
Medical Payments (MedPay)	Medical costs for you and any of your passengers, regardless of fault	Useful for all drivers

Zebra tip: Opt for full coverage on self-driving cars

While it may be tempting to believe that a self-driving car will never be involved in an accident, that belief doesn't account for other drivers on the road^[4]. If your high-tech vehicle is totaled while you only carry liability coverage, any replacement fees will come out of your wallet. Given the high price of vehicles with autopilot features, it's a good idea to carry full coverage at all times.

Drew Pitt, Insurance writer at The Zebra

Should drivers with self-driving features try telematics?

While advanced driver-assistance features may help some drivers avoid risky situations, they do not guarantee lower telematics scores or lower insurance rates. Studies from the IIHS-HLDI^[4] have found little evidence that partial automation itself reduces crash or claim frequency beyond the benefits of underlying crash-avoidance features.

Since telematics programs typically score behaviors like mileage, hard braking, acceleration, speed, time of day and phone use, drivers with Level 2 or Level 3 features still need safe, low-risk driving habits to see the biggest savings.

Considering a self-driving car?

See what the average insurance cost is for your preferred model of autonomous vehicle.

2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Av. Cost Per Year$6,574

Av. Per Month$548

Cheapest Companies

Progressive$309/m

Nationwide$335/m

Erie$396/m

2025 Tesla Model S

Av. Cost Per Year$5,675

Av. Per Month$473

Cheapest Companies

Nationwide$240/m

USAA$260/m

Progressive$321/m

Final takeaway: Shopping around is still the best way to save on self-driving car insurance

Today, full self-driving cars are closer than ever, but they're still not quite ready for the road. For the time being, shopping for self-driving car insurance is virtually identical to shopping for standard car insurance. That means the best way to save money is to regularly compare the coverage options offered by different carriers.

Compare custom car insurance quotes for autonomous vehicles

Autonomous vehicle insurance FAQs

Are self-driving cars safer than normal vehicles?

It's not currently possible to determine if self-driving cars are overall safer than normal vehicles.

According to studies from the HLDI-IIHS^[4] there is little evidence that currently available partial automation prevents crashes, with the exception of assisted braking features. However, studies on fully autonomous vehicles like Waymo and Zoox taxis^[3] have shown some evidence of lower crash rates compared to the national average.

Who will insure self-driving cars?

Most companies will insure a self-driving car. For the most part, cars with autopilot features are treated just like normal vehicles by insurance companies. There are a few specialized insurance coverages, such as those provided by Tesla Insurance and Lemonade, that offer discounts for mileage spent using a full self-driving feature.

Why is insurance for self-driving cars so expensive?

The typical 6-month premium for a self-driving car costs about 52% more than the national average. This is because most cars with autopilot features are high-priced, luxury, newly built vehicles. When a car costs more to purchase and repair, it is usually more expensive to insure.

Do fully autonomous vehicles exist?

Currently, true autonomous vehicles don't exist yet. For now, robotaxi services like Waymo and Zoox are the closest we've come to self-driving cars. These taxis are driverless, but only within specific geographic areas. As far as consumer available models go, the Mercedes-Benz Drive PILOT system also performs all driving functions but only during certain conditions and areas.

Sources:

Quadrant Information Services

Quadrant Information Services
Data Methodology. The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool

Data Methodology. The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool
Waymo Safety Impact Study

Waymo Safety Impact Study
IIHS/HLDI Study

IIHS/HLDI Study

About The Zebra

The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.

The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.