Google is now providing car insurance quotes in California

Google is helping California drivers shop for car insurance as part of a new service that could foreshadow the Internet company’s latest attempt to shake up a long-established industry.

The feature compares auto insurance quotes from up to 14 carriers that are participating in the comparisons. The policies can then be bought online or through an agent. Google will receive a cut from the insurance sales.

The Mountain View, Calif., company said the size of the commissions won’t influence how it ranks the price quotes.

Google plans to provide car insurance quotes in other states.

A Forrester Research analyst suspects Google is trying to learn more about the auto insurance industry so it can possibly begin underwriting and selling policies on its own.

This story was originally published March 5, 2015 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Google is now providing car insurance quotes in California."