The Zebra investigates potential massive threat to consumer privacy: how big data is revolutionizing the insurance industry and what that might cost consumers in real dollars

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 13, 2018 -- The Zebra, the nation's leading car insurance search engine, today released findings of an investigative report that explores whether the U.S. auto insurance industry — which serves 250 million U.S. drivers — is collecting and using data about consumers' online behaviors and preferences (their "digital footprints") to calculate what people pay for their car insurance policies.

The Zebra's report explores how 35 "digital footprint" preferences or behaviors could serve as risk indicators, and how those factors could affect someone's auto insurance premium in real dollars. For example:

Android owners could pay $32 more while iPhone owners might pay $70 extra each year.

Gmail users might pay an additional $100 while AOL users save the same amount.

People online at 9:00 a.m. might see savings of $17, while those online at 3:00 a.m. could pay an additional $58 in premium.

Insurance companies have the technical ability to track online activity — whether by interacting with consumers online, via in-car devices that monitor driving, or by purchasing data. In fact, insurers are already tracking consumers' online activity for purposes other than setting rates, such as fraud detection, claims processing, and marketing.

ORLANDO, Fla. (November 8, 2018) – AAA projects 54.3 million Americans will journey 50 miles or more away from home this Thanksgiving, a 4.8 percent increase over last year. The 2018 holiday weekend will see the highest Thanksgiving travel volume in more than a dozen years (since 2005), with 2.5 million more people taking to the nation’s roads, skies, rails and waterways compared with last year. For the 48.5 million Americans planning a Thanksgiving road trip, INRIX, a global mobility analytics company, predicts travel times in the most congested cities in the U.S. could be as much as four times longer than a normal trip.

“Consumers have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season: higher wages, more disposable income and rising levels of household wealth,” said Bill Sutherland, AAA Travel senior vice president. “This is translating into more travelers kicking off the holiday season with a Thanksgiving getaway, building on a positive year for the travel industry.”

The Thanksgiving holiday period is defined as Wednesday, November 21 to Sunday, November 25.

New marketing campaign highlights Mirai's power to change the future

PLANO, Texas, Nov. 7, 2018 - Press Power. Start something bigger.

The 2019 Toyota Mirai's new marketing campaign, "Real Power", illustrates the power of hydrogen fuel cell technology to change the world. The vehicle's POWER button takes center stage, supported by joyful, optimistic imagery, to convey the idea that Mirai doesn't just make life better for the driver, it has the potential to make life better for everyone. Mirai customers want to bring smart and purposeful innovation to the mainstream.

"Mirai means 'future' in Japanese and that's where this technology will take us," said Ed Laukes, group vice president, marketing, Toyota Motor North America. "The new marketing campaign shows how Mirai gives drivers the power to move the world forward with the touch of a button."

The geo-targeted campaign features :15 and :30-second digital broadcast spots directed by Academy Award Winner Angus Wall. Said Wall, "The potential of what Mirai and fuel cell technology can bring to the world really set the tone for how we thought about the campaign. We want viewers to take away a sense of optimism and possibility from the spots."

LOS ANGELES Nov. 6, 2018 -- On the heels of Volkswagen of America's (Volkswagen) announcement that it will cease production of the iconic Beetle in 2019, organizers of the Los Angeles Auto Show's (LA Auto Show®) AutoMobility LA™ today revealed that the popular brand will host its annual Motoring Invitational. This year's event, entitled "Beetles & Breakfast," will take place from 7:00 am - 8:00 am on Wednesday, Nov. 28, inside the Technology Pavilion located in front of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Beetles & Breakfast welcomes media and industry professionals from around the world attending AutoMobility LA. The commemorative showcase, which will kick-off a packed day of vehicle unveilings, will have nearly 30 Beetles on display, including the 2019 Beetle Final Edition models. Registered attendees will also be able to enjoy complimentary food and entertainment. Volkswagen will display a number of heritage Beetles dating as far back as 1946, as well as the Americas Rallycross-winning Beetle racecar. Los Angeles-based Beetle owners have also been invited to join the festivities.

Additional vintage vehicles slated to participate in Beetles & Breakfast include, but are not limited to:

ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 25, 2018) – According to new research from AAA, vehicles equipped with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) such as automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning and others, can cost twice as much to repair following a collision due to expensive sensors and their calibration requirements. Even minor incidents that cause damage to this technology found behind windshields, bumpers and door mirrors can add up to $3,000 in extra repair costs. With one-in-three Americans unable to afford an unexpected repair bill of just $500, AAA strongly urges consumers to perform an insurance policy review and consider the potential repair costs of these advanced systems.

“Advanced safety systems are much more common today, with many coming as standard equipment, even on base models,” said John Nielsen, AAA’s managing director of Automotive Engineering and Repair. “It’s critical that drivers understand what technology their vehicle has, how it performs and how much it could cost to repair should something happen.”

Previous AAA testing has shown that ADAS offers many safety benefits, however, minor vehicle damage that affects these systems may be inevitable. For the vehicles in AAA’s study, the repair bill for a minor front or rear collision on a car with ADAS can run as high as $5,300, almost two and half times the repair cost for a vehicle without these systems.

Windshield damage is especially common, with more than 14.5 million replacements annually. Many safety systems rely on cameras positioned behind the windshield that require recalibration when the glass is replaced. In addition, some automakers require the use of factory glass that meets strict standards for optical clarity. Replacing a windshield on a vehicle equipped with a camera behind the glass typically costs approximately $1,500, which can be as much as three times the amount to replace the windshield on a car without the technology.