[Digital Today reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] New York-based online insurer Lemonade has launched a new 'autonomous vehicle insurance' product targeting Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) users, offering steep premium discounts. Tesla owners who activate and use FSD can cut premiums by up to 50 percent.

On Jan. 21, InsideEV reported that Tesla vehicles tend to have lower maintenance costs relative to purchase price, but relatively high insurance premiums have been cited as a burden. Lemonade decided to apply sharply discounted premiums for FSD users on the view that Tesla's FSD software lowers accident risk compared with human drivers.

The key to the policy is using vehicle telemetry data directly through a partnership with Tesla. Lemonade links with Tesla vehicles' onboard computers to analyse sensor precision, software version and driving behaviour, and reflects the results in its risk prediction model. Premiums combine a base rate with a variable per-mile charge, and the per-mile cost is about 50 percent lower for segments driven with FSD enabled.

Lemonade co-founder and chairman Shai Wininger (샤이 위닝거) said, "Accident rates are significantly lower for Tesla vehicles using FSD." He said more fair and reasonable rates have become possible by setting insurance prices based on precise vehicle data.

FSD is still an advanced driver assistance system that requires driver supervision. The vehicle handles acceleration, braking and steering, but it has not reached full self-driving. Tesla also offers discounts for FSD users in its own insurance, but the discount rate is about 10 percent. Lemonade's discount is far more aggressive.

Lemonade expects accident risk will fall further as FSD performance continues to improve, and believes it may be able to cut premiums more over the long term. The insurance will launch first in Arizona this month and expand to Oregon in February. Tesla also plans to stop selling a permanent FSD licence from Feb. 14 and offer only a $99-a-month subscription model.

Debate remains over the claim that FSD is safer than human drivers, and Tesla's published safety report is being questioned by some experts for lacking peer review.