Possible Telematics Module

[Saint Alban]

I recently asked Slate how/if their app will work when your phone is not plugged into the car. Diagnostics, remote climate control, EV charging incentive programs that require date collection, etc. Here is their response.

 

[beatle]

My guess is they will put this off as long as they can unless they plan to monetize what data they collect. Remote app functionality and vampire drain are scourges of EVs. One of my biggest complaints about Rivian is their flaky app (still). The Ford app is not much better. Tesla seems to be the only one who has gotten it mostly right, but they've also been doing this for over a dozen years. It's a big resource sink for little monetary benefit to a stripped down truck.

Don't get me wrong, silently preheating the vehicle in the garage is one of the coolest EV tricks, as is starting the charge remotely, and logging data about the drives, but given Slate's stripped down ethos and budget, I can't see them throwing any more money at it than necessary to deliver a working product. If they try and fail, it angers early customers, the worst kind of customers to anger. But it doesn't even have to work a little bit if it's not even a feature.

 

[Saint Alban]

My guess is they will put this off as long as they can unless they plan to monetize what data they collect. Remote app functionality and vampire drain are scourges of EVs. One of my biggest complaints about Rivian is their flaky app (still). The Ford app is not much better. Tesla seems to be the only one who has gotten it mostly right, but they've also been doing this for over a dozen years. It's a big resource sink for little monetary benefit to a stripped down truck.

Don't get me wrong, silently preheating the vehicle in the garage is one of the coolest EV tricks, as is starting the charge remotely, and logging data about the drives, but given Slate's stripped down ethos and budget, I can't see them throwing any more money at it than necessary to deliver a working product. If they try and fail, it angers early customers, the worst kind of customers to anger. But it doesn't even have to work a little bit if it's not even a feature.

We’ve got a Hyundai Kona EV and the app has always worked as intended and doesn’t cost a subscription fee. Obviously it’s a larger company that can afford to run it I guess. The slate fob already looks as though it can do remote climate start anyway but obviously it would only be at the range of the remote.

 

[Bayfire2441]

We’ve got a Hyundai Kona EV and the app has always worked as intended and doesn’t cost a subscription fee. Obviously it’s a larger company that can afford to run it I guess. The slate fob already looks as though it can do remote climate start anyway but obviously it would only be at the range of the remote.

Are you talking about Bluelink or Digital Key, out of curiosity?

 

[Saint Alban]

Are you talking about Bluelink or Digital Key, out of curiosity?

Bluelink. The digital key is within the Bluelink app as well but I’ve never messed with that.

 

[Bayfire2441]

Bluelink. The digital key is within the Bluelink app as well but I’ve never messed with that.

The digital key is nice but I've found that it's not trustworthy enough to use on its own without keeping a key with you. But also, unless the EV's are different, Bluelink does have a subscription cost, it is just included for free for three years.

 

[Saint Alban]

The digital key is nice but I've found that it's not trustworthy enough to use on its own without keeping a key with you. But also, unless the EV's are different, Bluelink does have a subscription cost, it is just included for free for three years.

2024 and up are free now.

 

[Bayfire2441]

2024 and up are free now.

Oh, I didn't know they changed that. Neat.

 

[Bayfire2441]

I recently asked Slate how/if their app will work when your phone is not plugged into the car. Diagnostics, remote climate control, EV charging incentive programs that require date collection, etc. Here is their response.

I tend to take these email replies with a huge grain of salt, but hopefully the word availability means that if there is one, it's an extra and not required.

 

[Saint Alban]

I tend to take these email replies with a huge grain of salt, but hopefully the word availability means that if there is one, it's an extra and not required.

Yes that’s what I took from it too. An option for those who want it.

 

[smack daddy]

I recently asked Slate how/if their app will work when your phone is not plugged into the car. Diagnostics, remote climate control, EV charging incentive programs that require date collection, etc. Here is their response.

Yet another great question with no answer as we get closer to the time of production I would assume they could start answering some of the questions being asked just saying

 

[Saint Alban]

Yet another great question with no answer as we get closer to the time of production I would assume they could start answering some of the questions being asked just saying

It is frustrating but I still get it. You don’t want to give answers that people are going to run with and spread before production has begun. I mean, look what I did. Got an answer and went straight to share here. Which is why I think this seems like something that will be made available.

 

[Bayfire2441]

Yet another great question with no answer as we get closer to the time of production I would assume they could start answering some of the questions being asked just saying

These are most likely just marketing and sales people that respond to the emails. I find it likely they really aren't told much and won't be until they are atleast comfortable with the production prototypes. I've been less active lately but I don't think they have assembly line done other than have a few robots the last we knew.

 

[AZFox]

The slate fob already looks as though it can do remote climate start anyway but obviously it would only be at the range of the remote.

Preconditioning via the fob is an important feature.

If preconditioning requires a Telematics Module that would be severely disappointing.