★ TL;DR
TL;DR: Elephant.co.uk is a trading name of Admiral Insurance Company Limited (FRN 148028). Like Bell and Diamond, it is not a separate legal entity. Elephant operates as a distinct brand within Admiral Group's multi-brand portfolio, targeting price-sensitive segments on comparison aggregators. UK average premiums are £622 (ABI Q4 2025). Cover and claims infrastructure are identical to Admiral's.
Last reviewed: 25 April 2026
Elephant car insurance: who underwrites it
Elephant car insurance is a trading name of Admiral Insurance Company Limited, authorised and regulated by the FCA under Firm Reference Number 148028. Confirm at the FCA Register. Elephant shares the same underwriting entity, capital base, and claims infrastructure as Admiral, Bell, and Diamond, all under FRN 148028.
Admiral Group plc uses a multi-brand strategy to appear across different comparison aggregator panels, maximising the group's visibility in the price-sensitive segment of the market. Elephant was launched to capture price-comparison traffic for drivers who might not have considered Admiral directly.
This matters because: a policy purchased through Elephant.co.uk is backed by the same financial entity as a direct Admiral policy. The claims process, approved repairer network, and FSCS protection chain are identical.
Cover tiers under the Elephant brand
Elephant offers Comprehensive and Third Party Fire & Theft. These mirror Admiral's equivalent tiers in terms of the underlying policy wording (same underwriter, same FCA authorisation, same wording).
Elephant Comprehensive includes: accidental damage to your own vehicle, fire and theft, third-party liability under the Road Traffic Act 1988, windscreen cover (repair no excess), EU driving (90 days), personal accident up to £100,000, and 24-hour claims line.
Elephant does not offer a premium tier equivalent to Admiral Platinum. Motor legal protection and breakdown cover are available as add-ons.
Elephant premiums: why it may quote differently from Admiral
Admiral Group deliberately runs separate pricing engines for each of its four brands to appear at different price points on comparison aggregators. The same risk profile, same driver, same car, same postcode, can return different prices from Elephant, Admiral, Bell, and Diamond.
The UK average premium was £622 in Q4 2025 (ABI 2025). Whether Elephant or another Admiral Group brand returns the lowest price for your profile requires checking all four directly or via an aggregator where they appear.
Insurance Premium Tax at 12% (HMRC, gov.uk) applies to all premiums. The cheapest age band is 50-65 at an average £393; drivers aged 17-20 average £1,539 nationally (ABI 2025).
What Elephant includes and excludes
Standard inclusions on Comprehensive mirror Admiral: windscreen chip repair (no excess), EU cover, personal accident, audio equipment (OEM-fitted).
Not standard: motor legal protection, breakdown cover, protected NCD, key cover, courtesy car guarantee. These are paid add-ons.
Exclusions: hire and reward without extension, racing and track events, war risk, mechanical failure.
For add-on cost comparisons across the market, see our cheapest car insurance guide 2026.
Pros and cons
| ✓ Pros | ✗ Cons |
|---|---|
✓ If Elephant surfaces as the cheapest quote on an aggregator for your profile, the underlying policy quality and claims experience are identical to Admiral's, a well-established operation with 30-plus years of FCA authorisation. The brand was specifically designed to compete at the price-sensitive end of the aggregator market. | ✗ No Platinum-equivalent tier. No multi-car discount (Admiral MultiCover is available only via Admiral.com). No telematics product. If Admiral Group's pricing engines are not currently favouring Elephant for your risk profile, you will receive a higher price than Admiral, meaning you would do better going direct to Admiral. |
Elephant vs Bell vs Admiral: same-group comparison
| Feature | Elephant | Bell | Admiral |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRN | 148028 | 148028 | 148028 |
| Underwriter | Admiral Insurance Co Ltd | Admiral Insurance Co Ltd | Admiral Insurance Co Ltd |
| Multi-car discount | No | No | Yes (MultiCover) |
| Platinum-equivalent tier | No | No | Yes |
| Telematics | No | No | No |
| Target market | Price-sensitive aggregator | General aggregator | Direct + aggregator |
See best car insurance UK for the full market view.
Key Figures
| Metric | Value | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant / Admiral FRN | 148028 | FCA Register | 2026 |
| Admiral Group first authorised | 1993 | FCA Register | 2026 |
| UK avg premium Q4 2025 | £622 | ABI | Q4 2025 |
| 2024 peak | £741 | ABI | 2025 |
| YoY fall | 16% | ABI | Q4 2025 |
| Avg 17-20 yr-old premium | £1,539 | ABI | 2025 |
| Avg 50-65 yr-old premium | £393 | ABI | 2025 |
| IPT rate | 12% | HMRC / gov.uk | 2026 |
| Total UK motor policies | ~30 million | ABI | 2025 |
| Total UK claims paid 2024 | £11.1bn | ABI | 2025 |
| Daily motor claims payout | £30.4m | ABI | 2025 |
| UK telematics holders | ~1.5 million | BIBA | 2025 |
✓ Editorial Process
How we verified this
Elephant's FCA authorisation was confirmed via register.fca.org.uk under Admiral Insurance Company Limited (FRN 148028). Cover details drawn from Elephant's policy documents as of April 2026. Last fact-checked 25 April 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elephant a separate insurance company from Admiral?
No. Elephant is a trading name of Admiral Insurance Company Limited (FRN 148028). It is not a separately authorised legal entity.
Why does Elephant sometimes quote cheaper than Admiral?
Admiral Group runs separate pricing algorithms for each of its four brands (Admiral, Bell, Diamond, Elephant) to optimise pricing across different aggregator panels. The underlying underwriter and claims process are identical.
Does Elephant offer a multi-car discount?
No. The multi-car discount (MultiCover) is available only through Admiral.com directly, not through Elephant, Bell, or Diamond.
Can I get breakdown cover with Elephant?
Breakdown cover is available as a paid add-on. It is not included as standard on any Elephant tier.
Is my Elephant policy protected by the FSCS?
Yes. Elephant policies are underwritten by Admiral Insurance Company Limited, which is FCA-authorised (FRN 148028). In the event of insurer insolvency, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme applies to eligible policyholders.
Sources & Verification
- FCA Register, Admiral Insurance Company Limited (FRN 148028): https://register.fca.org.uk
- ABI Motor Premium Tracker Q4 2025: https://www.abi.org.uk
- BIBA: https://www.biba.org.uk
- HMRC IPT: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/insurance-premium-tax
- Road Traffic Act 1988 s.143: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/52
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always verify rates with official sources before making any financial decision.