Why hasn't Slate revealed any warranty details?

[cadblu]

Trying to understand why Slate hasn't yet revealed their new vehicle warranty plans, given that deliveries are targeted late 2026.

In contrast, the Scout, with deliveries later in 2027 has already announced their warranty:

• Four-year, 48,000-mile comprehensive warranty
• Seven-year, 100,000-mile electric drivetrain warranty
• Eight-year, 100,000-mile high-voltage battery warranty
• Scout also intends to offer extended vehicle warranties.

My position is that warranties are an extremely important consideration, especially on new vehicles from a startup company. My hope is that Slate will reveal their warranty plans well before the ordering process goes live.

 

[SichuanHot]

I bet there's still a lot of legal stuff that has yet to be worked out with Slate's upstream parts supply chain

 

[TexasSlate]

It looks like federal law requires at least an 8 year, 100K mile battery warranty.

https://poweringautos.com/does-the-federal-government-require-an-8-year-battery-warranty/

 

[SLATEchad]

The scout was announced a lot longer ago, so it makes perfect sense to me that they’d have more publicized information even if their targeted release date is further out. As Texasslate said, there will at least be a 100k mile/8 year battery warranty per federal regulation. They also have said that the design is built around being easy and affordable to repair, which might mean a shorter warranty on non powertrain/battery items, but hopefully at least readily available and cheap parts that can be easily repaired by the average person

 

[evtruth]

That's a good question.

Federal law requires the battery pack warranty to be at least 8 years or 100,000 miles. I'm not entirely sure on everything else. The good news is that in that 100,000 miles of battery warranty you'll save enough in fuel over a 24 MPG (current average MPG of a vehicle on US roads) vehicle to pay for almost HALF of a new Slate truck if you want to. I'm sure that same ~$9K would net you a couple of battery packs if you want as well meaning you'll be WAY ahead of picking an ICEV over the Slate truck.

 

[Shay]

Someone made the comparison to Scout, having already announced their warranty intentions. It’s easy for them to do that. They’re a subsidiary of Volkswagen, a company who already knows how to do this and has that stuff in the can. This is a new company with a new product. They’re probably waiting to make sure how their numbers work out closer to production. Because at the end of the day warranty length has a cost factor to it.

 

[Blackspots76]

Trying to understand why Slate hasn't yet revealed their new vehicle warranty plans, given that deliveries are targeted late 2026.

In contrast, the Scout, with deliveries later in 2027 has already announced their warranty:

• Four-year, 48,000-mile comprehensive warranty
• Seven-year, 100,000-mile electric drivetrain warranty
• Eight-year, 100,000-mile high-voltage battery warranty
• Scout also intends to offer extended vehicle warranties.

My position is that warranties are an extremely important consideration, especially on new vehicles from a startup company. My hope is that Slate will reveal their warranty plans well before the ordering process goes live.

Federal warranty is 100,000 miles/8 years.

 

[IanNubbit]

They have stated they will offer one of the best warranties in the industry. my guess is simple

5y/60k miles basic
8y/100k powertrain

The powertrain components are all off the shelf, I could see Slate intelligently saying to the manufactures of those parts, you help us with warranty repairs we will keep buying your product. The cost of components are low, and I expect people to take up the DIY repairs where they can (free labor for Slate) so interior bits and similar could be warrantied with a lower likely cost than other manufactures.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

Let's be honest about Slate. They are very slippery, seemingly coated with oil, when it comes to making any factual statements that can pin them down or obligate them. Not saying that's a bad thing. Just a fact. I can see how they'd be reluctant to make promises they might later have to break.

Warrantly seems like something they'd have to disclose when they start taking actual orders. Which, if other OEMs are a guide, would be Q3 - typically 3 to 6 months before production starts.

BTW, here is a good link on the battery warranty requirements in the USA.

https://recharged.com/articles/fede...uITjbOo-PRpAk4spf4pWgf4g_DOlqLyeWB3EdB4oqj9uM

But I would point out - a warranty does nothing for you if the OEM goes out of business. I mean, hooray, you have an 8 year warranty. Unfortunately Slate could easily fail at 1 year and there is no entity to honor that warranty. OTOH, sometimes laws mandate a set-aside for this sort of thing. Dunno if that's true when it comes to an OEM going bankrupt. Not a lawyer.

 

[IanNubbit]

Let's be honest about Slate. They are very slippery, seemingly coated with oil, when it comes to making any factual statements that can pin them down or obligate them. Not saying that's a bad thing. Just a fact. I can see how they'd be reluctant to make promises they might later have to break.

Warrantly seems like something they'd have to disclose when they start taking actual orders. Which, if other OEMs are a guide, would be Q3 - typically 3 to 6 months before production starts.

BTW, here is a good link on the battery warranty requirements in the USA.

https://recharged.com/articles/fede...uITjbOo-PRpAk4spf4pWgf4g_DOlqLyeWB3EdB4oqj9uM

But I would point out - a warranty does nothing for you if the OEM goes out of business. I mean, hooray, you have an 8 year warranty. Unfortunately Slate could easily fail at 1 year and there is no entity to honor that warranty. OTOH, sometimes laws mandate a set-aside for this sort of thing. Dunno if that's true when it comes to an OEM going bankrupt. Not a lawyer.

See fiskar lol. Yeah warranty and recalls become a mute point once they died. Customers made a group if people who where able to source things to complete the updates. As far as parts go though, yeah they are on their own.

A difference with Slate though is the use of off the shelf parts basically everywhere inportant. The supplier are basically guaranteed to continue life. Slate has no dealers or individual service centers, repair procedures are going to be available. So realistically as long as there is a handful of people able to process claims, you could still have a warranty. Of course this is worse case scenario and I REALLY feel Slate has a better chance then most any startup brand since tesla. They aren’t building “another EV” they have their owm product, built on efficiency, cost and simplicity. All of those things means it’s substantially easier to keep afloat then building a “luxury” or “sport” brand

 

[NMNeil]

It looks like federal law requires at least an 8 year, 100K mile battery warranty.

https://poweringautos.com/does-the-federal-government-require-an-8-year-battery-warranty/

And California has a 3 year 50,000 mile warranty to cover major propulsion components as well.

"Propulsion-related part" means any system, component, or part whose failure will directly impede the ability to refuel or recharge the vehicle, store fuel or energy for the vehicle (excluding the battery, for purposes of this section), propel the vehicle, including delivering torque to the wheel and tire assembly excluding the wheel and tire assembly itself, or recover or recoup vehicle kinetic energy, including components used to control, manage, or thermally manage such propulsion-related parts. These parts include drive motor(s), wheel motor(s), inverter(s), converter(s), on-board charging system components, fuel cell stack components, refueling and fuel tank components, fuel cell air and fuel delivery components, regenerative braking system components, and the power electronics, electronic control units, and thermal management systems of such components and systems providing propulsion, thermal management, recharging and energy storage, conversion, and related diagnosis within the vehicle. Advanced driver assistance systems and safety-related components and systems are not considered "propulsion-related parts" for the purpose of this regulation.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/13-CCR-1962.8