Volvo's new app rates your driving and shares the score with insurers
Safe drivers could qualify for cheaper usage-based insurance premiums
1Volvo's new driving evaluation system
Volvo's Safety Coach app measures drivers' braking, acceleration, and cornering performance. The app analyzes two weeks of driving data to generate a safety score. This score is shared with Volvia insurance company to determine usage-based rates. The system will launch first in Sweden and Norway, followed by the U.S. and other European markets.
2Compatible models
The Safety Coach app will work on most Volvo models from 2020 onward. Compatible vehicles include electric EX40, EC40, EX60, and EX90 models, as well as combustion engine vehicles like XC40, S60, XC60, and XC90. The system requires Google-based infotainment. The U.S. launch timeline remains unspecified.
3Technology behind the system
The scoring algorithm was developed by Cambridge Mobile Telematics, the world's largest telematics and AI company specializing in road safety. In Nordic countries, insurance offers come from Volvia, a Volvo and If P&C partnership that has provided insurance since 1959.
4Focus on predictability rather than safety
Volvo's Mikael Ljung Aust explains the system aims not just to promote safe driving but to make driver behavior more predictable. Research shows many accidents result from surprise maneuvers. Maintaining expected speed ranges and avoiding sudden moves helps other drivers anticipate actions.
5Privacy-first approach
Safety Coach is completely optional. Drivers control their data and can stop sharing with insurers anytime. This approach reflects lessons from GM's OnStar scandal, where driver data was shared with insurers without meaningful consent, leading to FTC sanctions.
6Differences from Tesla's system
Tesla's scoring system faced criticism for penalizing drivers for events beyond their control, like hard braking. Volvo's system avoids this and includes a dispute option. Both systems represent the growing trend of driver behavior monitoring.
7Alignment with new EU regulations
New EU vehicle safety rules mandate driver-monitoring cameras in all new cars by 2024. While Volvo's app complies, note that EU rules don't require sharing camera data with insurers. Data sharing remains entirely optional under Volvo's system.
8Commercial details remain unclear
Volvo hasn't announced its U.S. insurance partner. Discount amounts and whether poor scores could increase premiums are also unknown. These details will determine driver adoption. Experts warn the system could face backlash without transparency and fair scoring.