Save Money on Chevy Bolt EV Insurance in San Francisco

Has it been over a year since you last compared quotes for low-cost Chevy Bolt EV insurance in San Francisco? Having to pay for expensive Chevrolet Bolt EV insurance in San Francisco can consume your budget and possibly require you to analyze your spending habits. Getting a rate comparison is a smart way to reduce premiums and put more money in your pocket.

It’s amazing but a large majority of drivers kept their policy with the same company for a minimum of four years, and approximately 38% of consumers have never even compared quotes to find cheaper rates. Drivers in California can save 35% each year, but they think it’s difficult to find cheaper insurance by shopping around. Popular companies such as State Farm, Progressive and GEICO all promote huge savings with ad campaigns and it can be hard to separate fact from fiction and find the best price available.

If you’re already insured or are looking for a new policy, you can use this information to shop for the lowest rates while maintaining coverages. Buying the cheapest insurance in San Francisco is much easier if you know where to start. Consumers only need an understanding of the quickest way to compare company rates from many different companies.

Which Chevy Bolt EV insurance is cheapest in San Francisco?

Lowering your insurance rates can be quick and easy. All you need to do is take a few minutes to compare rate quotes to discover which company has inexpensive San Francisco car insurance quotes.

Doing online quotes comparisons is so easy that it replaces the need to go to insurance agents’ offices. Quoting and buying Chevy Bolt EV insurance online reduces the need to sit down with an agent unless you prefer the professional abilities of a licensed agent. It is possible to compare online quotes and get advice from an agent in your area.

The auto insurance companies shown below provide free rate quotes in San Francisco, CA. If multiple companies are listed, we recommend you click on several of them in order to get a fair rate comparison.

These ten discounts can lower your car insurance quotes

Car insurance companies don’t necessarily list every discount very clearly, so we took the time to find a few of the more common as well as the least known credits available to you.

• Good Grades Discount – Performing well in school may save you up to 25%. Earning this discount can benefit you until age 25.
• Discounts for Federal Employees – Federal government employees may reduce rates when you quote San Francisco car insurance with certain companies.
• Safety Course Discount – Taking part in a course teaching safe driver skills could cut 5% off your bill and easily pay for the cost of the class.
• Fewer Miles Equal More Savings – Driving fewer miles could qualify for cheaper prices.
• Savings for New Vehicles – Buying a new car model may earn a small discount due to better safety requirements for new model year vehicles.
• Discount for Life Insurance – Not every insurance company offers life insurance, but if they do you may earn a break if you buy auto and life insurance together.
• Drive Safe and Save – Drivers who avoid accidents can get discounts for up to 45% lower rates than drivers with accident claims.
• Memberships – Having an affiliation with qualifying employment or professional organizations is a simple method to lower premiums on your policy.
• Discount for Swiching Early – Some larger companies provide a discount for renewing your policy early. You can save around 10% with this discount.
• Early Payment Discounts – If paying your policy premium upfront rather than paying monthly you could save 5% or more.

As a sidenote, most of the big mark downs will not be given to your bottom line cost. Some only reduce the price of certain insurance coverages like liability, collision or medical payments. Even though the math looks like you would end up receiving a 100% discount, you’re out of luck.

Large car insurance companies and the discounts they provide are included below.

• Mercury Insurance may offer discounts for good driver, age of vehicle, ease of repair, type of vehicle, and low natural disaster claims.
• Farmers Insurance offers discounts for switch companies, early shopping, distant student, bundle discounts, teen driver, alternative fuel, and youthful driver.
• Farm Bureau policyholders can earn discounts including driver training, renewal discount, safe driver, good student, multi-vehicle, and youthful driver.
• State Farm offers discounts including anti-theft, passive restraint, student away at school, Drive Safe & Save, accident-free, good driver, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
• Allstate may have discounts that include good student, utility vehicle, EZ pay plan discount, FullPay discount, and anti-theft.
• GEICO has savings for anti-lock brakes, seat belt use, emergency military deployment, air bags, anti-theft, and membership and employees.

It’s a good idea to ask all companies you are considering what discounts are available to you. Some of the discounts discussed earlier might not be available to policyholders in San Francisco. If you would like to see a list of car insurance companies offering car insurance discounts in California, follow this link.

Independent and exclusive insurance agents

Certain consumers would rather visit with an insurance agent and we recommend doing that Most agents can help you choose the best coverages and help submit paperwork. One of the best bonuses of comparing rates online is that drivers can save money and get the lowest rates and still have an agent to talk to.

Once you complete this short form, the quote information gets sent to participating agents in San Francisco that provide free San Francisco car insurance quotes for your insurance coverage. You don’t have to contact any insurance agencies because prices are sent to your email. If you want to quote rates from a specific company, just navigate to their website and give them your coverage information.

Finding the right insurance company requires more thought than just the premium amount. Ask your prospective agent these questions:

• Is there any savings for paying the full premium?
• Do you work with a CSR or direct with the agent?
• How long has their agency been open in San Francisco?
• Is working in the agency their full-time job?
• Do they have a Better Business Bureau rating in San Francisco?
• Is there a 24/7 contact number?
• What company do they have the most business with?
• Does the company use OEM repair parts?

Types of car insurance agents

When searching for an insurance agent, there are two different types of agents from which to choose. Agents can be described as either independent agents or exclusive agents. Both sell auto insurance policies, but it’s important to point out the difference between them because it can impact buying decisions.

Exclusive Agents

Exclusive agencies can only place business with one company such as Farmers Insurance and State Farm. Exclusive agents are unable to give you multiple price quotes so it’s a take it or leave it situation. They are well schooled on sales techniques and that allows them to sell at a higher price point.

Below are San Francisco exclusive insurance agencies that are able to give price quote information.

More San Francisco agents

Independent Auto Insurance Agents

Agents that elect to be independent can sell policies from many different companies so they can write business through many different auto insurance companies and get the cheapest rates. If your premiums go up, the agent simply finds a different carrier and you don’t have to find a new agent.

When comparing rates, you will definitely want to get insurance quotes from a couple of independent agencies to get the most accurate price comparison.

Shown below is a list of independent insurance agents in San Francisco that can give you price quote information.

More San Francisco agents

It may be expensive, but it’s not optional

Despite the high insurance cost for a Chevy Bolt EV in San Francisco, insurance is most likely required but also gives you several important benefits.

First, almost all states have minimum mandated liability insurance limits which means it is punishable by state law to not carry specific minimum amounts of liability if you drive a vehicle. In California these limits are 15/30/5 which means you must have $15,000 of bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and $5,000 of property damage coverage.

Second, if you have a loan on your car, more than likely the lender will require you to buy full coverage to ensure the loan is repaid in case of a total loss. If you default on your policy, the lender may insure your Chevy for a lot more money and require you to fork over for the expensive policy.

Third, insurance protects your vehicle and your assets. It will also reimburse you for medical expenses for yourself as well as anyone injured by you. Liability insurance, one of your policy coverages, also pays expenses related to your legal defense if you are sued as the result of your driving. If your Chevy gets damaged, comprehensive and/or collision insurance will cover the repair costs.

The benefits of carrying adequate insurance definitely exceed the price paid, especially for larger claims. The average driver in California is overpaying more than $825 a year so you should quote and compare rates at every renewal to be sure current rates are still competitive.

Auto insurance coverages

Understanding the coverages of your insurance policy aids in choosing the best coverages for your vehicles. Insurance terms can be difficult to understand and coverage can change by endorsement. Shown next are typical coverage types found on most insurance policies.

Comprehensive coverage (or Other than Collision)

This covers damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You first have to pay a deductible then the remaining damage will be covered by your comprehensive coverage.

Comprehensive can pay for claims like a broken windshield, damage from getting keyed and hitting a deer. The maximum payout a insurance company will pay at claim time is the actual cash value, so if the vehicle is not worth much it’s probably time to drop comprehensive insurance.

Insurance for medical payments

Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for expenses like prosthetic devices, doctor visits, nursing services and funeral costs. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance policy or if you lack health insurance entirely. Coverage applies to both the driver and occupants and will also cover getting struck while a pedestrian. PIP coverage is not available in all states but can be used in place of medical payments coverage

Collision insurance

This pays for damage to your Bolt EV caused by collision with a stationary object or other vehicle. You will need to pay your deductible and the rest of the damage will be paid by collision coverage.

Collision insurance covers things such as hitting a parking meter, crashing into a ditch, backing into a parked car, colliding with another moving vehicle and sustaining damage from a pot hole. Paying for collision coverage can be pricey, so analyze the benefit of dropping coverage from older vehicles. It’s also possible to raise the deductible on your Bolt EV to bring the cost down.

Auto liability

This protects you from damage or injury you incur to people or other property. It protects YOU from claims by other people, and does not provide coverage for damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.

Split limit liability has three limits of coverage: bodily injury for each person, bodily injury for the entire accident, and a limit for property damage. Your policy might show policy limits of 15/30/5 which means a $15,000 limit per person for injuries, a total of $30,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a total limit of $5,000 for damage to vehicles and property.

Liability coverage protects against things like medical expenses, repair costs for stationary objects, court costs, structural damage and legal defense fees. The amount of liability coverage you purchase is a personal decision, but buy higher limits if possible. California requires drivers to carry at least 15/30/5 but drivers should carry better liability coverage.

The illustration below shows why buying low liability limits may not provide you with enough coverage.

Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist insurance

Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle when the “other guys” do not carry enough liability coverage. Covered claims include hospital bills for your injuries and also any damage incurred to your Chevy Bolt EV.

Since a lot of drivers have only the minimum liability required by law (15/30/5 in California), it only takes a small accident to exceed their coverage. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage should not be overlooked.

The lowest rates come from being thorough

Low-cost Chevy Bolt EV insurance in San Francisco can be purchased online as well as from insurance agents, so you need to quote San Francisco car insurance with both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance providers don’t offer price quotes online and usually these regional carriers provide coverage only through independent agents.

When buying insurance coverage, it’s a bad idea to reduce coverage to reduce premium. In too many instances, consumers will sacrifice full coverage only to regret that it was a big mistake. Your focus should be to get the best coverage possible for the lowest cost while not skimping on critical coverages.

Steps to finding more affordable Chevy Bolt EV insurance in San Francisco

If your goal is the lowest price, then the best way to get affordable auto insurance rates in San Francisco is to compare prices annually from companies in California.

• Step 1: Gain an understanding of how car insurance works and the measures you can take to prevent rate increases. Many things that increase rates like distracted driving and a low credit score can be controlled by being financially responsible and driving safely.
• Step 2: Compare price quotes from direct, independent, and exclusive agents. Direct and exclusive agents can provide rates from a single company like GEICO or State Farm, while independent agencies can provide price quotes from multiple companies.
• Step 3: Compare the price quotes to your existing coverage and determine if there is any savings. If you can save money and decide to switch, ensure coverage does not lapse between policies.
• Step 4: Tell your current agent or company to cancel your existing policy. Submit the required down payment along with the signed application for your new policy. Once coverage is bound, place your new certificate verifying proof of insurance along with the vehicle’s registration papers.

A good piece of advice is to use the same liability limits and deductibles on each price quote and and to get rate quotes from as many car insurance companies as possible. This helps ensure an apples-to-apples comparison and the best rate selection.

Even more information is available in the articles below:

• Auto Insurance Basics (Insurance Information Institute)
• What Auto Insurance is Cheapest for Drivers with Accidents in San Francisco? (FAQ)
• Who Has Affordable San Francisco Car Insurance for a Ford Fusion? (FAQ)
• Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance for a Nissan Altima in San Francisco? (FAQ)
• Child Safety Seats (Insurance Information Institute)
• Distracted Driving (Insurance Information Institute)
• Can I Drive Legally without Insurance? (Insurance Information Institute)