Auto insurance

Some consumers don’t seem to be crying out for usage-based insurance and evidence shows some of the models in use are only mildly predictive at best. Why is that? Why is it that auto insurance companies have not found a way to significantly improve on the traditional metrics of age, zip code and the like despite all the technological advances of the last few decades?

McKeel Hagerty’s parents were into wooden boats and saw an unmet need to underwrite them. Hagerty, however, has been a car nut from day one. When the family’s marine insurance business finally began to offer auto policies in 1991, he saw a chance to join the fold and, along with his sisters, Tammy and Kim, stomp on the pedal.

Allstate and John Hancock recently announced a partnership to reward John Hancock Vitality members with points if the policyholder is also a safe driver with the Allstate Drivewise program. The alliance is the first of its kind and could be an indicator of where the insurance industry may be going.

The unique partnership comes amid an increase in vehicle crash-related deaths and a desire to help customers understand how their choices could potentially support their overall health.

Millennials are the most eager to go electric, followed by Generation Z, who also expect to see autonomous vehicles in the next five years. However, 40% of respondents said they expect to never use an autonomous vehicle in their lives. The reason for the EV interest is mostly motivated by money.

Travelers IntelliDrivePlus allows customers more opportunity to increase their usage-based discount at a time when prices are going up.

In other news: Overhaul and Movingdots collaborate; Zurich Resilience Solutions adds DEI service; Vertafore names chief technology officer.

Auto insurers can leverage critical mobility risk insights like distracted driving, hard turns, and more, turning them into effective personalized marketing campaigns.

Based on more than 700 billion miles of historical driving data, most recently from more than 32 million active mobile telematics connections and more than a decade of data directly from cars, we’ve predicted three major trends to keep an eye out for as we head into 2022 and beyond.

The automaker got the green light to sell its Drive Pilot package for use on stretches of the country’s Autobahn network at a speed of up to 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour, Mercedes said Thursday.

Not only is digital technology changing but so is the regulatory landscape. Some U.S. states have passed laws that will lead the insurance industry to take a fresh look at technology such as Bluetooth and navigation because they capture significant amounts of personal information from drivers and occupants.

Companies create a more customer-friendly, digitally-focused roadside assistance experience.

The Dutch company will use some of its surplus cash to add scale organically to the global auto business, Chief Executive Officer Bob Van Dijk said in an interview.

Apple Inc. venturing into cars might shake up the electric vehicles market in the same way the iPhone revolutionized the mobile communications industry in 2007. So says Morgan Stanley.

The acquisition is a win for Lemonade’s recently launched car insurance product. Metromile has a decade of driving data based on its usage-based model and it operates licenses in 49 states, all of which will be merged into a single company, if the deal goes through.

Amazon says it isn’t legally culpable because the driver worked for Harper Logistics LLC, one of thousands of small businesses launched in recent years specifically to deliver Amazon packages. By focusing on the key role played by the algorithms, Rana’s attorney, Scott Harrison, is looking to prove that the company controls the operation, managing everything from how many packages drivers must deliver to whether they should be kept on or fired.

Addition Capital, Coatue Management and serial entrepreneur Elad Gil led the funding round in the Mountain View, California-based company, now worth $3.6 billion -- nearly triple the valuation from another round last year.

Arity, a mobility data and analytics company founded by Allstate in 2016, has made its nearly 100 million driving risk scores exclusively available on Transparent.ly, a platform for auto insurance marketers to leverage leads and target shoppers.

The move suggests Apple is plowing ahead with attempts to develop self-driving technology, a high-stakes race with automakers such as Tesla. Moore is joining a division known for its secrecy -- Apple has never publicly laid out its car plans -- and frequent turnover. The head of Apple’s car project, codenamed Titan, departed the company earlier this year to lead technology efforts at Ford Motor Co.

In other news: AgentSync acquires Finvera; Cart.com teams up with Extend; SkyWatch launches usage-based insurance with Global Aerospace.