brian10x
Well-Known Member
AXLE. Forum spelling NAZI back on duty.Slate is not just any EV either, it was designed from the start to be as simple as possible. It therefore over time should have low maintenance costs. And I always DIY any repair that I can.
No front wheel drive eliminates 1/2 of the drive train parts. Plus there is therefore no front motor or front inverter to cool.. No heat pump. Affects overall efficiency but is certainly a simplification. Eliminates several parts that will not need to be maintained.
The rear drive train consists of the EDM and a couple of CV half axels. I am guessing (hoping) that in the event of catastrophic failure this unit can be replaced with a DIY operation. Maybe buy a replacement unit from a junk yard.
I am guessing the HVAC unit is high voltage and maybe also the PTC heater. I will certainly ask Slate about the difficulty and any personal risk there is to work on these units. If I can I will. I expect that everything else will be 12 volts.
In summary, I am expecting to minimize maintenance cost due to Slate being a simpler vehicle with relatively fewer parts to fail and to do it myself.