Privacy Article: Slate says your truck will never track you!

[TPL]

This stuff just creeps into our lives. Every morning (that I’m home) one of first things I do is hike out to the tractor shed to read all the stats of my solar electric, 3 meters, pushing at least 15 buttons to get the same info available on my ipad/iphone. Contrast that to my weather station which reports to a console on a shelf and I only check the app, as does my wife.

Kind of like how people are addicted to the dopamine hit from checking facebook slateforums.com first thing in the morning, except you're "addicted" to hiking out to the tractor shed etc... Your way is much healthier.

i look forward to the Slate not being connected, yet as I was researching wired Level 2 chargers I only want one that connects to my iphone/ipad, and my 1st choice also connects and reports info from my solar power.

I specifically avoided one with internet connectivity because when I was buying, it was right around the time that a popular evse manufacturer was removing features and functionality via buggy ota updates. I want it to just work, even if e.g. the manufacturer goes out of business or gets acquired and turns the servers off.

 

[ElectricShitbox]

I'm a big fan of Slate re-affirming their commitment to privacy. This was something I was worried would start to change with the new CEO. It's part of the reason I say the Slate can't really compare with anything else for sale. The closest vehicle in specs is the new Bolt, even though it's an entirely different shape, but GM has ALREADY BURNED ME ON THIS SPECIFIC THING!

 

[Shrink36s]

That will be interesting as many phones are not really set up for wired connections. Apple keeps pretty tight controls on what wired devices work on their phones, to the point where I use my iCloud account to move photos off the phone because my Mac is too old to to use iTunes with my newer phone. Android exists in MANY different versions all running on different phones right now, and many don't have upgrade options. There are even portless phones out there where where a wired connection is not an option.

If they have bluetooth controls in the steering wheel (option) then the car would need Bluetooth connectivity. It has to have it for those buttons to communicate with your phone controls. Otherwise it would be a wired communication control, not Bluetooth. It is not supposed to have a cell connection and I doubt it will have WiFi connectivity. I'm guessing all will have some version of Bluetooth.

I am able to plug my iPhone into my Windows 11 PC, Linux based machine, and MacbookPro and all can access photos. There is a pop-up approval on the phone, and after that it just works. You do not need iTunes.

The bluetooth controls on the steering wheel can also interface with the phone only and not even interact with the car. Get power through whatever they pass through the steering wheel, and that's it. I don't know how it works, I'm just speaking from a place of basic understanding bluetooth technology.

Think of it like a wireless mouse for a computer, it is just an input device, it would not need to have awareness of the car at all.

 

[bitpop]

Do we know if it will have an OBDII port?

At the minimum, I'd like to see the state of charge from my Home Assistant. If I have to make an OBDII-ESP32 gateway for some basic data reads, I will.

Some data will be available somewhere.

Edit: https://www.slateforums.com/forum/threads/controller-area-network.14551/post-221326

It will have an OBDII port. As long as the truck is plugged in and charging, that OBDII port should have power also. Should be able to scrape a bunch of data.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

This is encouraging, and so long as Slate remains privately held, it may even be true.

Bear in mind that if Slate survives, it will almost certainly go through an IPO to become a publicly traded corporation, very likely a Delaware corporation, which I'll call Slate, Inc.

Slate, Inc. will owe a fiduciary duty to itself and to its shareholders. It will owe no such duty to its customers or to the public at large. If Slate, Inc. determines that it is in the best long-term interest of the shareholders to harvest and sell user data, it will do so.

But let's enjoy the honeymoon while we have it. When Slate the privately held corporation makes a statement like this, it may actually be true.

I don't see a way for them to forcibly install a modem on Slates that did not come with them. So even if they want to misuse information, it would have to be uploaded by the app (after storage in the vehicle, if app not present while driving). I would hope the owner community would find a way to prevent that.

 

[Shrink36s]

I don't see a way for them to forcibly install a modem on Slates that did not come with them. So even if they want to misuse information, it would have to be uploaded by the app (after storage in the vehicle, if app not present while driving). I would hope the owner community would find a way to prevent that.

Not sure if @EJensen meant this or not, though I would assume the idea is if Slate had enough pressure to comply with more invasive measures, it would come at a later time on newly produced Slate automobiles, not the ones that are currently sold or in production. To assume otherwise is quite silly.
They would require a recall, and parts sent to Repair Pal sites or your home for DYI, and all you'd have to do is, well, not install it. Since the vehicle is not connected, it's not like they could brick the car until you do.

 

[Shrink36s]

FYI, just generally, I completely reject the premise that being a public company automagically forces a company to become a shitbag and do things like this. The shitbaggery is a choice, and a choice I loudly reject. With my voice and my money to those companies that constantly engage in said shitbaggery.

 

[ElectricShitbox]

FYI, just generally, I completely reject the premise that being a public company automagically forces a company to become a shitbag and do things like this. The shitbaggery is a choice, and a choice I loudly reject. With my voice and my money to those companies that constantly engage in said shitbaggery.

The obligation to increase shareholder value leads some companies down some dark paths. I'm not convinced that sort of short term thinking is a necessary part of publicly traded companies, but the way our stock market works seems to encourage it.

 

[GrizzlysGhost]

Slate electric pickup can’t track you because it has no modem

 

[solartogo]

Quick, someone sign up https://godarkbags.com/ to make a Slate dashboard accessory!

Wouldn't Airplane mode suffice?

 

[kvermeer]

Wouldn't Airplane mode suffice?

That's what They want you to think.

More importantly, a lot of newer phones neuter "Airplane Mode" so that it turns off cellular antennas (which does conserve battery power and reduce congestion at cellular towers that aren't constantly trying to lock onto fast-moving phones in planes) but doesn't turn off Bluetooth, Wifi, and NFC radios.

It was never about avionics.

 

[EVfun]

I am able to plug my iPhone into my Windows 11 PC, Linux based machine, and MacbookPro and all can access photos. There is a pop-up approval on the phone, and after that it just works. You do not need iTunes.

The bluetooth controls on the steering wheel can also interface with the phone only and not even interact with the car. Get power through whatever they pass through the steering wheel, and that's it. I don't know how it works, I'm just speaking from a place of basic understanding bluetooth technology.

Think of it like a wireless mouse for a computer, it is just an input device, it would not need to have awareness of the car at all.

You are correct, it won't even have local area Bluetooth. I will avoid the steering wheel Bluetooth controls and factory Bluetooth speaker options. I posted a connectivity question off to Slate Auto and got this in my reply;

"For phone connectivity, you have two options. You can dock your phone directly into the phone cradle, which connects via USB, or you can plug in via USB directly."

There is still a computer on the Slate that we would like to communicate with. Hopefully they are good at writing software and updating it, phone and car side, as needed to work with ever newer phones. I wonder if we will be able to connect to the truck in 10 years. I wonder that about all these modern cars, though the more way to connect that are available the greater the chance one will still be supported.

 

[dragondroptv]

I do not want Slate to add any remote connective connection systems (Bluetooth and/or WiFi) into the truck itself. I'm saying let me use a dedicated tablet in the truck. Save that information to my account. Then from my Photo I could launch the slate app and see that information as well. If my iPad has cellular it would be available everywhere. Also it would give me the ability to unluck the truck if I were locked out. This is all possible with just software and would not require any additional parts on the truck. <- Priority One! Keep the truck simple and cost effective.

 

[EVfun]

I do not want Slate to add any remote connective connection systems (Bluetooth and/or WiFi) into the truck itself. I'm saying let me use a dedicated tablet in the truck. Save that information to my account. Then from my Photo I could launch the slate app and see that information as well. If my iPad has cellular it would be available everywhere. Also it would give me the ability to unluck the truck if I were locked out. This is all possible with just software and would not require any additional parts on the truck. <- Priority One! Keep the truck simple and cost effective.

Perhaps you can get the Slate app to do all that, but from my brief emails with them the abilities of the app seem very limited at this time. I asked about terminating the charge at 80% and was told it isn’t possible now but was something they were looking into. App door unlock — why would that be a feature of the user software if they aren’t including wireless connectivity?

It looks like I’ll have no reason to connect my phone and Slate to each other. I wonder it will be easy to remove the dash phone bracket? I’m sure if you turn the pickup on it will display SOC. If you have an islanded computer why worry about software updates? (Unless they get me the ability to program charging for time-of-day and/or cut-off SOC.) I don’t have my phone paired to my wife’s 2025 Tucson and it’s not a problem.

 

[sodamo]

Kind of like how people are addicted to the dopamine hit from checking facebook slateforums.com first thing in the morning, except you're "addicted" to hiking out to the tractor shed etc... Your way is much healthier.


I specifically avoided one with internet connectivity because when I was buying, it was right around the time that a popular evse manufacturer was removing features and functionality via buggy ota updates. I want it to just work, even if e.g. the manufacturer goes out of business or gets acquired and turns the servers off.

Actually I check the forum while on my recumbent bike before I check the solar system 🤪