(5) beta testers sought for new technology

Hi Tande,
Thanks for your question. I've had lots of people ask similar questions in person, but it hasn't been addressed yet on this thread.

Qdllc is right. The only vehicle data that Smartpedal monitors/corrects are the two signals that communicate the accelerator pedal position to the engine control unit. To enable it to perform that job, Smartpedal snap fits between the accelerator pedal and the pedal wiring harness. Most technologies involved with cruise control require plugging into the OBD port, which is something we don't do (or need to do).

In terms of when it corrects, Smartpedal improves mileage anytime the driver's foot is on the accelerator. Most if not all of these gains are when the driver has not engaged cruise control. At least in theory, the driver's foot is also supposed to stay on the pedal even when cruise control is engaged, so that would be a potential opportunity as well. We've never tested that performance though, so I would discount it for now.

Marc

 

Hi Everyone,

This is a call for advice from the group regarding the terms for an out-of-warranty exchange program.

As background, we currently offer 1-year and 3-year limited warranties for our consumer products. We are going to cancel the latter because, frankly, we suspect there won't be much interest. After all, most well made electronics last three years already. Plus, most consumers are probably like us and want the newest version if the original does indeed fail.

With that in mind, we drafted the following (we think unique) set of terms for an exchange program:

1. For $95, a customer can exchange any device, even an out-of-warranty device.
2. The original unit can be working or non-working.
3. The replacement will always be a Smartpedal Advanced ($219), even if the original was a Prime.
4. The replacement can be for a different make/model vehicle with a completely different pedal (as long as we support it).
5. In addition to being designed for the target vehicle, the replacement will likely have newer hardware and software.

So, for example, five years down the road someone could send us a failed Smartpedal Prime from their 2010 Prius with $95 and we would send back a Smartpedal Advanced for a Ford C-Max--or whatever vehicle the customer specified.

As you can see, the above is a lot more than an out-of-warranty program. It's also about investment protection. We tentatively plan to call this the "Lifetime Exchange Program" and offer it as something that customers can opt-in to for $20 at the time of purchase.

Now here's where we would like your advice and feedback:
- What do you think of the terms? Are they good, bad, or maybe potentially confusing?
- What would you call the program? We may not have the best name...
- What percentage of customers do you think would be willing to pay $20 at the time of purchase to join?

Marc

 

It's "Lifetime" for 20, so it would be 95 for each unit instead of 219, including units three, four...

 

On that note, we're going to perform an IPx7 test for water intrusion next week for the commercial version. Ordered a 55 gallon drum for the water.

I think that explaining it primarily in terms of what-if-you-change-cars would be the quickest and easiest way to get the idea across. Do you agree?

We steal from the best.

Candidly, I think that $20 upfront may be an impediment for a fair percentage of buyers. Any other suggestions besides the obvious "zero"?

Marc

 

Ah, but it's not just a warranty. It's also the ability to exchange it anytime for a different model. Need some sort of discounted pricing for the latter.

 

The short answer is "no." But because of the importance of the topic and because questions about safety comes up periodically in this thread (check out posts #12 and #21, for example) I always like to include more detail, so apologies in advance for the length of this reply.

The goal is never have a failure that leaves a vehicle by the side of the road. To meet that goal, there are at least three aspects of safety that come into play--and maybe four or five:

1. The system contains feedback circuits. These circuits re-read what Smartpedal just sent to the vehicle to ensure that the actual values transmitted match what it intended to send. This is important because electronic components can vary in tolerances and outputs over time. If the system detects this type of variation, it self-corrects, taking the change into account to adjust future outputs. Essentially the system is smart enough to address "correctable" errors.
   
   
2. Smartpedal also contains a pass-through circuit that can be activated under certain circumstances, such as when it detects an "uncorrectable" error. An example of an uncorrectable error might be the complete failure of a resistor on an output circuit. In a situation like this, the CPU engages the pass-through circuit: all corrections stop and the original pedal signals are forwarded to the engine.
   
   
3. Who watches the watcher? The pass-through circuit relies primarily on the CPU to detect an error and for engagement. CPUs sometimes hang, as anyone who has ever used a computer knows, so we have a hardware-based monitor that constantly checks CPU health. If it detects a malfunction (such as faulty loop-control, faulty interrupt or AD/DA circuits), the watchdog circuit reboots the CPU. During reboot, the pass-through mode is re-engaged. The entire process is designed to be seamless to the driver.
   
   
4. All of the above comes into play primarily when components begin to fail or completely fail on a PCB. As such, the best route is to avoid or mitigate that possibility. We do that by using true automotive-grade resistors, capacitors, and inductors. I'll post a picture of the circuit board at some point so you can see how physically large these components are compared to non-automotive grade: probably a 2x-6x size difference in most cases. These larger (and of course more expensive) components have significantly lower failure rates than industrial components and are specifically designed to operate healthy for years despite the stresses caused by the transient currents in vehicles.
   
   
5. Proof of performance is important. In February we completed a 1.3 million mile test on 37 vehicles operated by the City of St Louis transit authority. No vehicles left by the roadside or any safety issues whatsoever. This is important to cities because dead buses on the roadside generate passenger complaints to the local councilman's office and cost a lot to haul. These vehicles continue to travel about 150,000 miles a month, so we are probably close to 2 million miles of road time (with passengers) just on that group alone. We've done a lot more testing than this, which you can read about in earlier posts.

Closer to home, we shipped pre-production units to members of Priuschat in December 2016, which have been in continuous use with some software updates ever since. There have been no vehicles left by the side of the road. We also have a solid track record overall: in the six-year history of the company, we have never had a safety event of any kind whatsoever.

This is possible because of rock solid design and true prioritization of safety over all other goals.

Marc

 

In addition to preserving all OEM safety measures, we have a built-in pass-though circuit that, in combination with other safety measures we've implemented, enables the vehicle to continue operation. More detail in the post immediately prior (which was being written as yours arrived).

It's hard to see why this would be any more of a reporting issue than replacing tires or even the accelerator pedal itself, both of which are also safety critical.

It's also important to know that Smartpedal preserves all OEM safety measures, and meets or exceeds all federal and industry safety standards.

Finally, Smartpedal is designed to handle failure gracefully when it does occur. In fact, I've never seen the type of situation you described in over six years and millions of miles of use on closed courses and open roads by OEMs and end customers.

Best,
Marc

 

Appreciated. In fact, there are over a dozen safety measures documented in a white paper we wrote on this topic. Future customers will likely have similar concerns and questions as you and others on this thread, so I plan to put a large portion of the content of that paper online, likely in a Safety FAQ on the site. A few last measures that we consider especially proprietary for competitive reasons we will continue to reserve for commercial customers under NDA.

If I understand correctly, you seem to imply that modifying one's vehicle without notice to an insurance company somehow voids coverage. We've investigated this matter and don't know of any insurance policy that supports that position.

As a general matter, insurance companies do not cancel coverage for modifications. Some (but not all) simply reserve the right not to pay the replacement cost for the modification itself if it isn't in the original contract--or a subsequent amendment. Here are the specifics:

In the USA
We insure our vehicles with Geico, a large company that covers 1 in 9 vehicles in the US. For purposes of this post, I'm going to assume their policy limits and exclusions are representative of the US market as a whole. To double-check the bullet points in the next paragraph, I spoke with a Geico representative and re-read our policy before writing this post.

• Geico's policy specifically addresses modifications, which it terms "custom parts."
• Vehicles with custom parts are not excluded from coverage.
• Nor is there a duty or obligation to notify Geico that custom parts have been added to a vehicle.

The only time that Geico addresses custom parts in the policy is with regard to replacement cost. Geico will not pay for the replacement of custom parts unless it has notice (presumably before a claim). Priuschat readers that want to verify the above independently can do so by reviewing their policy: just pull down an electronic copy and search for "custom parts."

After writing the above, I discovered that other insurers apply an even more relaxed approach. For example, both Farmers and Progressive automatically cover aftermarket add-ons up to $1000. Although I have not checked all insurers, this approach seems to be a near standard in the industry. In fact, the law in some states makes this a requirement.

In the UK
Out of curiosity, I checked the policy of Aviva, which is the largest auto insurer in the UK, insuring about 1 in 8 vehicles. Happily, they make their policy downloadable even for non-customers: https://www.aviva.co.uk/static/library/pdfs/motor/multi-car/NMDMG10249.pdf

Page 8 of the preamble to the policy states that they want you to tell them about modifications, but there's nothing in the exclusions or limitations that cancels or limits coverage, regardless of whether notice is given.

I only checked the policy of one UK insurer (albeit the largest) so it may be that you use a different insurer and that insurer does things very differently. If so, my apologies. I will commit to surveying the major UK insurers and posting useful information in our FAQs before placing Smartpedal on general sale there.

If that's a concern for Priuschat members, it's probably better to read the written policy document from your insurance company rather than rely on representations over the phone. Search for the words "custom," "modification," or "aftermarket." Depending on the insurer, one of those three terms should bring you to the relevant section. The language is usually very clear.

~
Marc