O2 UK has expanded its car insurance offering for younger drivers with the addition of a telematics solution.
O2 Drive – Box on Board measures the driver’s acceleration, braking, speed and the time of the day they are driving.
The scores can be accessed through the existing O2 Drive app.
The mobile operator is incentivising customers to get the telematics device – a smartphone-sized box – installed in their car with the promise of an upfront discount on their insurance.
O2 UK launched O2 Drive, the car insurance offering it created in partnership with Junction, part of the BGL financial services group, in 2015.
The accompanying app offers a range of services including Car Assistant, which provides customers with discounted repairs, MOTs or servicing arranged with a local garage.
It also offers provides users with access to information about emergency breakdown services, policy details and advice, as well as warnings such as when they are close to exceeding their mileage.
David Plumb, Digital Director at O2 UK, said: “Despite the rapid evolution of technology, the way we insure and service our cars has remained largely unchanged, with customers telling us that buying insurance is impersonal and confusing.
“Based on the excellent feedback we’ve had so far for O2 Drive, the Box on Board proposition was created to further simplify the challenges of owning and driving a car safely.
“It unites our award-winning customer experience with our expertise in mobile to create a more personalised service – insuring people for who they are and rewarding them as they drive.”
O2 is not the only European operator to look into this area.
Last year, Telia launched its connected car solution, Sense, which is aiming to be a springboard for second-hand cars to take advantage of full mobility. First trialled in 2015, Sense allows drivers to plug a telematics unit into the On-Board Diagnostics port in a car, open the connected app and choose from a range of different services, including in-car Wi-Fi, insurance, and repairs.