The author doesn’t need to buy a Slate, and I don’t care that it isn’t perfect for everyone. It should have some configurations that are perfect for some people. I’m glad they’re trying something sifferent.
Going through the author’s complaints:
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No carpet/spartan interior. -> This is perfect for me to clean out crud from hiking or winter roads.
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People won’t want to customize. -> Ok, pay the dealer or a shop, but let others save some money. Jeeps have a cult following.
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2 doors. -> The avg riders per car trip is like 1.5. He acts like demand is the only driver, like the chicken tax and CAFE standards aren’t driving up vehicle sizes.
I don’t think the author is complaining that a Slate truck isn’t for them. They’re concerned that Slate overestimated the demand and the brand won’t get off the ground. I kinda hope they succeed but I have similar concerns. I suspect they might announce a new model in like a year that has 4 doors and factory infotainment.
4WD comes up a lot, too.
Idk, I don’t see them producing enough quantity in the next few years to run into demand issues. And, like you said, I could see them announcing a 4 door SlateUV that would compete with the R2.
I don’t see them producing enough quantity in the next few years to run into demand issues.
I think you might be right. It seems like they’re trying to start pretty small and niche with low volumes.
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Considering what I want is a 1990’s Ford Ranger or Mazda S-10, and the closest I can get, here in the US, is the overpriced Ford Maverick…
I’m just worried about how much the larger battery pack is going to cost, because I know the price they are claiming is with the smaller pack.
I don’t need something the size, capability, or price of the current F-150 very often, just need a cheap truck that can haul a few 2x4s or sheets of plywood. That hasn’t been available on the market for a long time.
Honestly all I want is something that is 1. Electric 2. Disconnected.
I loathe trucks and SUVs but at least this one is small, I guess?
Slightly shorter, but taller than a Nissan Altima based on specs.
If I may ask, why the hate against pickups?
Well I was trying to be succinct but I don’t actually hate pickups, I just:
- Don’t have a personal need for one, and thus don’t want one
- 90% of people that own them just use them to commute back and forth to an office and don’t need them either
- They’ve made our streets into an arms race of size and weight which contribute to major safety issues as well as all the other issues that come with excessive oil consumption like environmental issues, dependency on foreign countries, war, etc.
- EVs seem to be exclusively trucks and SUVs in the US, which is incredibly annoying because that drives up the prices and even further reduces available choices for sensible people.
If you’re a fuckin farmer, construction worker, lumberjack, etc., by all means buy them and use them as originally intended. I have a friend that uses his F150 Lightning to tow giant boats every single day. I have another friend that doesn’t use his Lightning for literally anything he couldn’t do with a sedan.
EVs seem to be exclusively trucks and SUVs in the US, which is incredibly annoying because that drives up the prices
Lol! I’ve been cursing the exact opposite for the last couple of years! Seemed like all anyone wanted to sell were high priced, luxury EV sedans. It wasn’t till recently that I started to see EV and hybrid pickups.
90% of people that own them just use them to commute back and forth to an office and don’t need them either
No kidding. Around where I’m at, we call them beauty queen pickups. And are usually poking fun at their owners.
They’ve made our streets into an arms race of size and weight which contribute to major safety issues as well as all the other issues that come with excessive oil consumption like environmental issues, dependency on foreign countries, war, etc.
That was actually a result of the CAFE standards. Basically killed the light truck market over night. I remember back in 2007ish when the standards were changed and the new models started showing up on the streets, going “Fuck, that’s huge!”. Actually confused them at first for medium duty pickups (Think F250 or F350). Before then, the most common vehicles around me were, if I remember correctly, the F150 in work trim (which was about half the size it is now), the Ford Ranger (usually the 2 door extended cab vesion), and Honda Civics. Time may be playing tricks on me as to what was common at the time, but all of them were smaller.
Might be better off with a foldable trailer if that’s all you need.
That’s basically what I’ve been doing ever since my old F-150 decided to start chunking spark plugs through the hood. Been driving a Nissan Altima since. It’s fuel efficient and does the job 80% of the time, but damn, is it a pain in the ass when a random project pops up unexpectedly. It’s been a damned rare month when I haven’t needed to rent either a trailer or a truck (or both) to get something done.
Basically I miss having a truck bed. Can’t say I miss the fuel bill though.
miss having a truck bed. Can’t say I miss the fuel bill though.
For less than one year’s truck fuel bill, you could buy a trailer and never have to worry about renting one again…
Using rough numbers: for the larger battery pack at 84 vs 53 kWh, at $140ish/kWh, means an extra $4.5k.
This particular truck doesn’t have to be a catch-all solution. Just give people more options.
Right now the North America EV market options are all very expensive, not necessarily in form factors people want to buy, and often privacy-invading or suffering from other “anti-features”.
The more options available to consumers the better.
every photo is a rendering by slate. not one photo of the ‘journalist’ who saw it in person.
Honestly, this is a small work truck. It would be a great fleet vehicle. Most people don’t really need anything too fancy, we want affordable vehicles. I don’t like trucks; they’re far too big for city use. But the idea is good, and I’d love to see small affordable electric cars.
I don’t like trucks; they’re far too big for city use.
The Slate truck is quite a bit shorter than a Corolla. It’s a very small vehicle.
“He thinks that the desire for a small truck is overestimated by the internet…”
We’ll see.
I saw one driving the other day. Its almost exactly what I want. A basic light duty truck thats electric.
Hoping its affordable when its finally available.
Article summary: Chinese EVs blah blah blah, Chinese EVs blah blah blah better than Slate.
