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Comment by 1shooner | Hacker News Reader

This article provides no causation between 'Tesla hate' and insurance costs. The only factual claim is that Tesla insurance premiums rose 30% in 2024, and cost to insure is 25% higher than a Mercedes A-class. But a quick internet search shows that 2022 MSRPs for those cars were $47k and $34k respectively, a 32% difference.

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This has more to do with Tesla's being totaled in fender benders than the events of the last two months because the cost associated with replacing and fixing the cameras, electronics, and sensors. I've had two friends who had rear end accidents with their Teslas. One took over a year for his car to be returned in full working order after being rear ended at a stop sign. The other backed into a pole in a parking lot and they totaled out the car. All this cool stuff made these vehicles unrepairable from what are minor issues with less advanced vehicles.

>The other backed into a pole in a parking lot and they totaled out the car.

That's ludicrous.

I struck a column in a multilevel garage while reversing out of a parking spot, my mistake completely, resulting in damage to the driver door, door hinge, mirror, and front quarter panel. Progressive considered the car totaled due to the cost/availability/labor to fix it. Unsure what the cost would be for a toyota or honda, but I was perplexed at the total loss of my still drivable car.

This is effectively the same sort of accident my friend had.

It's not entirely because of all the gadgets in there. They have a massive supply chain restriction which means that some repair centers can't even be sure that they will ever get the parts they need for some repairs.

Absolutely correct. But also there could be other reasons. The Mercedes cars offer SAE Level 3 certification ("you are officially not driving the car or watching the road, but we may demand you take over"), versus the much more dangerous Tesla Level 2 ("you are still responsible for driving and must constantly supervise but also the car will be doing it all for you, please don't stop paying attention at any point").

There have been, what, more than 50 self-driving fatalities in Teslas already? Of course the insurance premium would be higher.

> The Mercedes cars offer SAE Level 3 certification

In an S-class. The comment above compares it to a MB A-class.

Tesla produces no car in the MB S-class category.

Good catch.

Nothing MB has is anywhere close to FXD 13.2.x

So if the SAE standards don't reflect that, they are poor standards

this is probably because teslas are 1. poorly built, and 2. not very repairable. they're crappily constructed cars, honestly, probably none more than the cybertruck. like whistlindiesel found a washer resting on a piece of duct tape. insane. fisher price ass cars. just as importantly, get into a crash and they're very tough to fix, before considering the low availability of parts and common service wait times.

It fits the narrative, who needs logic?

Clearly the two are not connected - it just hasn't been enough time for insurance rates to be adjusted based on recent happenings. The industry does not react that fast.

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