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There are insurance companies who already sell trackers that plug into your car's OBD-2 port and have onboard hardware so that the insurance company sees your a

There are insurance companies who already sell trackers that plug into your car's OBD-2 port and have onboard hardware so that the insurance company sees your acceleration, handling, sudden braking, times you drive, miles you drive, etc. Right now, very safe and low risk drivers can use these companies to get discounted insurance. Eventually, every safe driver willing to install these trackers will do so for the lower insurance rates, leaving a much higher risk pool with the non-tracking insurance plans, and it will become very expensive to not be tracked by your car insurance company.

stcredzero 6y ago
I know. So again here's the heart of my point: Even with the OBD-2 port, the data available to these apps is nothing compared to the data available to Tesla. Tesla can figure out how often you get close to bumping into something, exactly how far, how fast you were going, and what the lighting/weather conditions were like at the time. That data is orders of magnitude better than the stuff coming out of the app.
- Spivak 6y ago
  Sure, but what's stopping any other car manufacturer from buying and using the same sensor kits? Look, I get that you can't get the same data with a 3rd-party kit but if you're an insurance company you're gonna be working with car manufacturers anyway.
  - stcredzero 6y ago
    Sure, but what's stopping any other car manufacturer from buying and using the same sensor kits? Nothing, though I'm guessing they will be far behind for a year or so even after they deploy. (Unless that team is super competent, and they have absolute management backing.) Look, I get that you can't get the same data with a 3rd-party kit but if you're an insurance company you're gonna be working with car manufacturers anyway. It completely changes the dynamic of the business. One won't be able to compete, except as a manufacturer partner, and not all manufacturers will be equal. It will limit choices to consumers, and very strongly drive consolidation. I'm not saying only Tesla will be able to do it. What I'm saying, is that the nature of the business will change massively, in a way where customers will wind up with fewer coices.

stcredzero 6y ago

I know. So again here's the heart of my point: Even with the OBD-2 port, the data available to these apps is nothing compared to the data available to Tesla. Tesla can figure out how often you get close to bumping into something, exactly how far, how fast you were going, and what the lighting/weather conditions were like at the time. That data is orders of magnitude better than the stuff coming out of the app.

Spivak 6y ago
Sure, but what's stopping any other car manufacturer from buying and using the same sensor kits? Look, I get that you can't get the same data with a 3rd-party kit but if you're an insurance company you're gonna be working with car manufacturers anyway.
- stcredzero 6y ago
  Sure, but what's stopping any other car manufacturer from buying and using the same sensor kits? Nothing, though I'm guessing they will be far behind for a year or so even after they deploy. (Unless that team is super competent, and they have absolute management backing.) Look, I get that you can't get the same data with a 3rd-party kit but if you're an insurance company you're gonna be working with car manufacturers anyway. It completely changes the dynamic of the business. One won't be able to compete, except as a manufacturer partner, and not all manufacturers will be equal. It will limit choices to consumers, and very strongly drive consolidation. I'm not saying only Tesla will be able to do it. What I'm saying, is that the nature of the business will change massively, in a way where customers will wind up with fewer coices.