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Wawanesa rebrands its California auto insurer to W Insurance
The carrier kept premiums, policy terms, discounts, and claims handling the same, after renaming its systems to a new web address and name.
Wawanesa General Insurance Company has rebranded its California auto business as W Insurance, ending use of the 130-year-old Wawanesa name that has been on California driveways since the company began selling auto policies there in 1975, according to Insurance Business.
The switch took place over the August 7 to 9 weekend, when the insurer’s systems, including payment processing, went offline for the transition, then returned on August 10 under the new name and web address, w-insurance.com. Insurance cards printed under the former brand remain valid until they expire.
The rebrand is described as cosmetic, with nothing said to have changed in coverage, including premiums, policy terms, discounts, or claims handling. Insurance Business also said W Insurance continues to post top results in California, with a J.D. Power U.S. Auto Insurance Study score of 678 this year, the highest among insurers writing business in the state.
The company’s U.S. branding shift traces to a 2023 sale, Insurance Business reported at the time, in which Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company sold its U.S. subsidiary to an insurer affiliated with the Automobile Club of Southern California. That sale closed in March 2024, and the Automobile Club of Southern California now runs the insurance operation under the W Insurance name.