Tesla is so sure its cars are safe that it now offers insurance for life

In the self-driving future envisioned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, car owners might be saying "goodbye" to a whole lot more than steering wheels. Musk is so sure of the safety features bundled into Tesla vehicles that his company has begun offering some customers a lifetime insurance and maintenance package at the time of purchase. The news was dropped Wednesday in an earnings call, and suggests that Tesla executives believe they are uniquely qualified to change the way new cars are priced and purchased. "We've been doing it quietly," Tesla President of Global Sales and Service Jonathan McNeill explained on the call, "but in Asia in particular where we started this, now the majority of Tesla cars are sold with an insurance product that is customized to Tesla, that takes into account not only the Autopilot safety features but also the maintenance costs of the car." It's important to note that, like so many things in life, this service isn't free.