Ahead of the production of its first vehicle, Slate revealed how its new model owners will be able to get their models serviced. Keen to avoid service rollout missteps by Lucid and INEOS, Slate will give owners access to 4000 service points from day one.
The startup automaker has partnered with RepairPal, a network of certified auto repair shops and dealerships nationwide. Slate will not sell its vehicles through dealers, instead opting for a direct-to-consumer model.
In 2024, Yelp paid $80 million to acquire RepairPal. At the time of its acquisition, RepairPal had an existing partnership with CarMax.
Slate has already announced plans to create a DIY information hub for buyers. Slate University is a multi-platform initiative by the company to teach, inform and inspire those who are thinking of purchasing or have bought one of their vehicles. Additionally, it will allow service providers to get continued and updated training in the field and have a mobile point of reference while on the go.
Traditional dealer sales models often rely on hours of in-person training at technical centers. Slate service providers will not be using the videos as their main point of training and there will be a certification process for them.
Slate University will allow watchers to be better educated when the time of their service appointment arrives. "They can feel informed before they take it to the partner on what to expect around the service that they should receive," CEO Chris Barman told Newsweek when the plans were announced.
The automaker will host the videos on its website, YouTube and mobile app.
Should customers not want to take the DIY route, RepairPal’s network will be trained to install Slate accessories for owners.
Owners can schedule service through their local service point rather than relying on Slate to interface with them.
Additionally, though Slate encourages DIY with its trucks, the electric vehicles have high-voltage equipment that only experts should handle. RepairPal shops will be trained in Slate-specific procedures and able to perform high-voltage service.
Slate vehicles will have access to the Tesla Supercharger network. The network stands at over 70,000 charging stalls at more than 7,300 locations.
“With well over 100,000 reservations since Slate was revealed, America has indicated that they want our trucks, and we will provide our customers peace of mind that they will have service and accessory install partners, in most cases, very close to home,” Slate Chief Commercial Officer Jeremy Snyder told Newsweek.
