This was Tesla chief executive Elon Musk’s advice to owners of the premium electric car if they feel they are being overcharged for insurance coverage on their vehicles.

Musk made the statement in reaction to recent news that insurer AAA was raising its rates for Tesla cars by as much as 30% on the basis of data that compared the vehicles to gasoline cars.

Business Insider reports that Musk defended the Models S and X in the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting.

“Somewhat randomly, Southern California hugely increased insurance premiums. There is a simple solution, change your insurance provider,” Musk reportedly told his audience at the meeting.

“From the study we did, the average rate for insuring a Model S or Model X is 5% lower than other premium vehicles and if you actually pick the right insurance provider it can actually be 20% to 30% lower. For death or serious injury in an S or an X, it’s really hard to do that,” Musk was quoted as saying.

He added that Tesla engineering also makes the computerized electric cars safe, including its emergency braking system, which continuously improves with each software update.

Musk also explained that the Model S and Model X have crumple zones that are engineered for safety since they are longer than that of the standard vehicle, so that even the car the Tesla collides with will sustain minimal damage.

The crumple zone is a structural feature in a vehicle that absorbs kinetic energy during a collision.

“So the safety is not just good for people in the car, it actually helps if you do have a collision with another car,” Musk explained.


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