U.S. insurer Lemonade has introduced a new insurance product that cuts rates by 50% for miles driven using Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. The company cites data showing FSD is safer than human drivers, marking the first external validation of Tesla's safety claims by a major underwriter. This pay-per-mile policy integrates with Tesla's API to track usage.
Lemonade's announcement on January 24, 2026, introduces an 'Autonomous Car' insurance option designed specifically for Tesla owners. The policy operates on a pay-per-mile basis, charging standard rates for human-driven miles based on the driver's risk profile. However, miles covered by FSD (Supervised) receive a 50% discount, enabled through integration with Tesla's Fleet API. This API provides real-time telemetry, distinguishing between human and FSD control on a second-by-second basis, similar to Tesla's own insurance system. The discount stems from Lemonade's analysis of actuarial data, which indicates fewer crashes when FSD is supervised compared to human driving. 'A car that sees 360 degrees, never gets drowsy, and reacts in milliseconds can’t be compared to a human,' stated Shai Wininger, Lemonade's co-founder and president. Wininger also noted that as FSD improves, Lemonade plans to reduce prices further, aligning incentives with Tesla's advancements. Availability begins with a rollout in Arizona on January 26, 2026, followed by Oregon on February 26. Tesla owners can apply via the Lemonade app or a dedicated webpage. Expansion is planned to other states including California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. Beyond the discount, which exceeds Tesla's own 10-15% FSD bonuses, the move offers market validation for autonomous driving safety. Critics have long questioned FSD's claims, but Lemonade's pricing adjustment provides independent evidence that supervised autonomous miles are statistically safer and less costly to insure.
