Tesla Insurance Is Available Even For Chevy Bolts In California–If You Can Get A Quote

Tesla this week repowered its auto insurance website that promised savings to Tesla owners of up to 30%. If such a discount sounds attractive and you’re driving a Chevy, by California law Tesla still has to let you apply–but doing so isn’t easy.

In a blog post Wednesday, the Palo Alto, California, electric carmaker announced “a competitively priced insurance offering designed to provide Tesla owners with up to 20% lower rates, and in some cases as much as 30%.” How? Essentially it knows the features of the cars it sold you, such as whether you took the full Autopilot package, and so presumably the insurer it’s partnered with can more accurately assess the risk.

Offering auto coverage fits the character of a company that prides itself on being highly vertically integrated, both for production and services, in a way that’s unusual in the auto industry. Tesla already handles vehicle sales, deliveries, repairs and even fueling via in-house units. Insurance is different, however, as California law  doesn’t allow auto policies that are exclusive to one brand.

“When an insurance product is approved by the department it must be made available to all consumers,” the California Department of Insurance tells Forbes. “They must take all comers.”

So what if you don’t own a Tesla but want to see if the tech company has a lower the rates on your Chevrolet Bolt or Toyota Prius or even Ford F-150 than other insurers? It takes some digging but a support page explaining how Tesla Insurance works suggests the company complies with state rules. Buried in an FAQ, under the heading, “Can I insure other Tesla products with Tesla Insurance?” non-Tesla owners are told: “Upon request, Tesla Insurance Services will place your non-Tesla auto policies with a relevant provider.”

Attempts by Forbes to get a quote from the Tesla Insurance website were unsuccessful, however, as it requires the VIN for a Model 3, S or X crossover to proceed. And though a phone number and email to contact Tesla Insurance isn’t shown on the main page, it is on page 5 of a “Privacy Policy” document linked to the site. A phone attendant who answered a call by Forbes on Aug. 29 said policies aren’t available for non-Tesla vehicles and that he had no information on when they might be. In a follow-up call on Aug. 30, another agent offered to forward the request for a quote for a non-Tesla to Farmers Insurance.

Tesla hasn’t actually become an insurer but instead is an agent for policies written by State National Companies, based in Bedford, Texas, which filed two massive applications with California early this year that received state approval a few months ago.

“Tesla is not an insurance company. It doesn’t own an insurance company. They are not the ones behind this product,” the California agency tells Forbes.

For its part, Tesla says it’s aware of state rules and is in compliance.

“We worked with the California Department of Insurance to ensure our product was fully compliant prior to yesterday’s launch, and we will continue to do so,” the company said Thursday, noting that its not required to advertise “other insurance carrier’s products we distribute.”

“While we’re currently working with experienced companies in the insurance industry, which is disclosed in public filings, we are taking steps towards becoming an insurance carrier and taking on these responsibilities in the future,” Tesla said. Though its product “was created with our own vehicles in mind, our insurance agency is able to service those who do not own a Tesla,” it said.

For now, those enticing 20% to 30% rate reductions Tesla touts may please loyal customers, but non-owners will need to keep looking.