"telematics module" and "1 year subscription"

[Adam W]

If the telematics unit can recieve cell comms, and translate those into instructions for the truck, it seems like there may be a way to reverse engineer the module. A little arduino or esp32 project board may get us to the same point with wifi only, which is something I may be interested in, without the ongoing cell subscription fees.

 

[Johnologue]

A little arduino or esp32 project board may get us to the same point with wifi only, which is something I may be interested in, without the ongoing cell subscription fees.

It makes way more sense to me to have something like this over a local network connection instead of going through cellular, unless you're activating all this from a really long distance.

 

[ElectricShitbox]

It makes way more sense to me to have something like this over a local network connection instead of going through cellular, unless you're activating all this from a really long distance.

SOC reporting over Meshtastic?

 

[Kopsis]

I have high confidence that there will be a community developed open source telematics solution available - probably by the third delivery window. Slate could go out of their way to lock down APIs to make this difficult, but without monetizing the access (I'm giving them the benefit and assuming the subscription fee is just covering the cost of connectivity), there's really no incentive to do that.

 

[TRexius]

I heard the fourth button was for remote start. No idea if it is, but that’s what the Red Line guy said.

it is when i was at the showcase a few months ago they let me check out the prototype key. It had a a button for remote start.

 

[dragondroptv]

It makes way more sense to me to have something like this over a local network connection instead of going through cellular, unless you're activating all this from a really long distance.

I agree. I was hoping this module would include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular, letting owners choose what they want to use.

If you want cellular, you could just install a SIM card. If you don't, then simply leave it out and use Bluetooth or Wi-Fi instead.

It also gives people flexibility. If your daughter is borrowing the truck, pop the SIM card in so you can keep track of it. If you're making a trip to your local "herb store" and don't want location tracking, pull the SIM card out. 😄

 

[metroshot]

Wondering if you can actually pull a SIM card out on this low priced TCU?

These days, it's all embedded or eSIM technology.

My Ford EV has a telematics module without any SIM access.

It allows me to control features remotely even if I am half around the world via cellular.

I do have to pay for this monthly, but I love the other features I get so I am subscribing.

 

[Johnologue]

I agree. I was hoping this module would include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular, letting owners choose what they want to use.

My thought was along the lines of, is the module even necessary if you don't need the cellular modem? We'll see what the makers can do with microcontrollers.

I saw another thread mention that California regulations require a lot of EV parameters to be available through the standard OBD port, and there might be some relatively accessible protocols to tap into (and at worst, by reverse-engineering this module's signals as mentioned before).

 

[dragondroptv]

My thought was along the lines of, is the module even necessary if you don't need the cellular modem? We'll see what the makers can do with microcontrollers.

I saw another thread mention that California regulations require a lot of EV parameters to be available through the standard OBD port, and there might be some relatively accessible protocols to tap into (and at worst, by reverse-engineering this module's signals as mentioned before).

But I’m busy enough making R2-D2!

 

[JoeUser]

There is a little confusion about what ‘preconditioning’ means. There are 3 types of preconditioning:
1. Preconditioning the cabin - getting it to the desired temp before you get in.
2. Preconditioning a cold battery in cold weather - batteries cant charge if they are below freezing, which also means you have no regenerative braking until the battery warms up.
3. Preconditioning for fast charging - fast (aka DC aka level 3) charging works best when the battery is quite warm, so preconditioning will heat up an already warm battery to hit the sweet spot. Most EVs do this automatically when you navigate to a charger.

They are used interchangeably , so it gets confusing.

 

[Luxrage]

It'd be nice to be able to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin and set the HVAC remotely via the app. But I think I'm going to forego the box and try to get in the habit of setting the HVAC to full blast / hot or cold before I leave the truck so it's set up for remote start next time. I'm not in an area where it gets bitterly cold for more than a few weeks a year so the rest of the battery preconditioning won't be necessary, for now at least.

 

[Auer]

I just want one vehicle around that when I leave the phone home and drive down to the river to watch the sunrise I dont exist to the rest of the world.

So having to go outside and "warm up the truck" is a totally ok side effect for me
I grew up above the arctic circle so a chill every now and then is fine.