Systems and methods associated with insurance for electric vehicles

• US 8,731,974 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pandhi, Rohini H., Peak, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Application Number:
  US13/440,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/00 Methods of charging batteries, specially adapted for electric vehicles; Charging stations or on-board charging equipment therefor; Exchange of energy storage elements in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/68 Off-site monitoring or control, e.g. remote control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0057 for the hiring or rent of vehicles, e.g. cars, bicycles or wheelchairs car rental G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

Pursuant to some embodiments, insurance systems, methods and devices are provided in which electric vehicle information, including electric vehicle charging information, may be received over a communications network. The electric vehicle charging information may be automatically associated with automobile insurance premium information. An integrated presentation of the electric vehicle charging information and the automobile insurance premium information may then be transmitted, over the communications network, for presentation to an owner of the electric vehicle.

Claims

1. A computer system for processing data relating to insurance coverage and electric vehicle data, comprising:

a data storage device storing electric vehicle information, including electric vehicle charging information, relating to electric vehicles of a fleet of vehicles of an insured enterprise, the electric vehicle charging information comprising;

geographic location of an electric charging station;

a date and time;

an amount of electric charge provided; and

an electric vehicle identifier;

a computer processor in communication with the data storage device and configured to execute program instructions and to retrieve the electric vehicle information from the data storage device;

a memory, coupled to the computer processor, storing first program instructions for execution by the computer processor, the first program instructions causing the computer processor to;

communicate with an insurance engine comprising program instructions stored in the memory for generating automobile insurance premium information of the insured enterprise;

determining an automobile insurance premium amount for insurance coverage of the insured enterprise covering risks of the electric vehicles, the automobile insurance premium amount being based in part on the geographic location of an electric charging station contained in the electric vehicle charging information and a loss risk score for a geographical location corresponding to the geographic location of the electric charging station contained in the electric vehicle charging information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the automobile insurance premium information is associated with business income interruption loss insurance coverage for losses arising from business interruption caused by the electric vehicles of the fleet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the automobile insurance premium amount is further based in part on maintenance information for the electric vehicles of the fleet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the automobile insurance premium amount is further for a roadside assistance program for the electric vehicles of the fleet.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the electric vehicle charging information further includes at least one of:

(i) a driver identifier, (ii) an insurance policy identifier, and (iii) a cost associated with an electric charge provided for the electric vehicle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electric vehicles of the fleet comprise at least one of:

(i) a hybrid electric vehicle, (ii) a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or (iii) a battery electric vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second data storage device storing loss risk score data;

a second computer processor configured to execute program instructions and retrieve the loss risk score data from the second data storage device;

a second memory, coupled to the second computer processor, storing second program instructions for execution by the second computer processor, the second program instructions causing the second computer processor to;

communicate with a geocoding engine comprising program instructions stored in the memory for geocoding historical loss data and a plurality of loss risk factors, wherein the geocoding historical loss data is further associated with the electric vehicle charging information; and

communicate with a scoring engine comprising program instructions stored in the memory for calculating a loss risk score for each of a plurality of geographical locations based on the historical loss data and the plurality of loss risk factors, wherein

the loss risk score is stored for each of the plurality of geographical locations in the data storage device for access by the computer processor executing the first program instructions for determination of the automobile insurance premium amount.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication device, coupled to the computer processor, configured to output the determined automobile insurance premium amount.

9. The insurance system of claim 8, wherein the communication device is further configured to transmit the determined automobile insurance premium amount in a format for display by at least one of:

(i) the electric vehicle, or (ii) a mobile device.

10. A computerized method, comprising:

receiving by a computer processor, via a communications network, electric vehicle information, including electric vehicle charging information, relating to electric vehicles of a fleet of vehicles of an insured enterprise, the electric vehicle charging information comprising;

geographic location of an electric charging station;

a date and time;

an amount of electric charge provided; and

an electric vehicle identifier;

associating, by the computer processor, the electric vehicle charging information with automobile insurance premium information relating to insurance coverage for the electric vehicles of the fleet of vehicles of the insured enterprise;

storing, in a storage device, the associated electric vehicle charging information and automobile insurance premium information;

determining, by the computer processor, an automobile insurance premium amount based at least in part on the geographic location of an electric vehicle charging station of the stored electric vehicle charging information, a loss risk score for a geographical location corresponding to the geographic location of the electric charging station contained in the electric vehicle charging information and the automobile insurance premium information; and

transmitting, over the communications network, data generated by the computer processor and representative of the electric vehicle charging information and the determined automobile insurance premium amount for display to a representative of the insured enterprise.

11. The computerized method of claim 10, wherein the electric vehicle charging information is received from at least one of:

(i) an electric charging station, (ii) the electric vehicle, or (iii) a mobile payment device.

12. The computerized method of claim 10, wherein the transmitting is to at least one of:

(i) an electric charging station, (ii) the electric vehicle, (iii) a mobile payment device, or (iv) a communication address associated with the representative of the insured enterprise.

13. The computerized method of claim 10, wherein the automobile insurance premium information is further for determination of premiums for business income interruption loss insurance for losses arising from business interruption caused by the electric vehicles of the fleet.

14. The computerized method of claim 10, wherein the automobile insurance premium information further comprises at least one of a maintenance information and a roadside assistance program for the electric vehicle.