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Buying a first-generation battery-laden appliance from a new startup in a category where my existing electric stove is about 20 years old and still works fine i

Buying a first-generation battery-laden appliance from a new startup in a category where my existing electric stove is about 20 years old and still works fine is quite the serviceability risk. Batteries are definitely disposables. Would love to understand what degree of standardization exists and what the replacement will look like after 5-8 years on this product. If there isn't a plan, their "sustainability" pitch is nothing more than greenwashing. I get this is for price-insensitive luxury early-adopters, but it would be nice if startups rewarded their early customers with something like extended warranties for the extra company risk they're taking on, especially with something expected to last 15-20 years. If these guys are around in 8-12 years, they will have ideally 10x'd their volume a few times by then so the extra warranty costs will be minimal. But most startups fail, so odds are this appliance will be e-trash then... would be nice to have some bonus reward for being the first to take on that risk.

searchresults_ 3y ago
It uses LFP batteries which are rated for thousands of cycles. More than anyone outside a professional kitchen would reach in a decade. The battery is also replaceable, which they state in their FAQ. But, yes, it is a risk buying from them.
- floatrock 3y ago
  Thousands of cycles at what depth-of-discharge at what power? This use-case is pretty much the most aggressive, worst-case for batteries: ramp up to max power from a cold start, and then drain the whole thing. The FAQ is also full of subtle weasel language: > Our battery is designed to last beyond the average lifetime of standard appliances, and if a replacement is needed, the battery is modular and can be replaced upon request. It talks about the battery being rated beyond some ambiguously-defined category lifetime. What is the "lifetime of standard appliances"? 3-5 years, going by average consumer dishwashers these days? That's not a lot for a $5k stovetop. Note though how they don't talk about THEIR appliance, and they don't talk about the battery being operated under THEIR usage. My EV has a "10-year / 100,000mile" warranty, including battery, and they define battery performance as dropping below 70%. Unambiguous and straightforward. That the battery is the main justification of the price tag, they don't offer any specifics about the warranty, and they use ambiguous weasel language make for a huge red flag. Best case: they're a startup and haven't figured this out yet. Worst case: the real-world performance will be a replacement money sink and this is vaporware. If you want to convince your early-adopters and instill confidence that this isn't expensive e-waste, offer a de-risking sweetheart warranty deal to your first batch of pre-order customers.

searchresults_ 3y ago

It uses LFP batteries which are rated for thousands of cycles. More than anyone outside a professional kitchen would reach in a decade. The battery is also replaceable, which they state in their FAQ. But, yes, it is a risk buying from them.

floatrock 3y ago
Thousands of cycles at what depth-of-discharge at what power? This use-case is pretty much the most aggressive, worst-case for batteries: ramp up to max power from a cold start, and then drain the whole thing. The FAQ is also full of subtle weasel language: > Our battery is designed to last beyond the average lifetime of standard appliances, and if a replacement is needed, the battery is modular and can be replaced upon request. It talks about the battery being rated beyond some ambiguously-defined category lifetime. What is the "lifetime of standard appliances"? 3-5 years, going by average consumer dishwashers these days? That's not a lot for a $5k stovetop. Note though how they don't talk about THEIR appliance, and they don't talk about the battery being operated under THEIR usage. My EV has a "10-year / 100,000mile" warranty, including battery, and they define battery performance as dropping below 70%. Unambiguous and straightforward. That the battery is the main justification of the price tag, they don't offer any specifics about the warranty, and they use ambiguous weasel language make for a huge red flag. Best case: they're a startup and haven't figured this out yet. Worst case: the real-world performance will be a replacement money sink and this is vaporware. If you want to convince your early-adopters and instill confidence that this isn't expensive e-waste, offer a de-risking sweetheart warranty deal to your first batch of pre-order customers.