The Slate EV might be the most interesting planned car launch of the year, not because it’s a technological moonshot or a revamp of a wildly successful existing model, but because it’s a litmus test: Are Americans ready for true entry-level EVs? When it was first unveiled last year, it piqued our interests but questions remained around whether it could make it to market. Now it seems to be one big step closer, with actual pre-orders opening soon.
The premise behind the Slate is a rather interesting one: At a time when cars are growing increasingly expensive and DIY-unfriendly, what if someone made an EV in America that did the opposite of those thing? In addition to standard features not seen in ages like crank windows, Slate has some other bold ideas for this little truck. A pair of SUV conversions including curtain airbags that you can supposedly install yourself, a standard battery pack with an estimated range of just 150-ish miles, molded-in-color grey plastic panels instead of paint.
It’s a neat concept and has some serious backing, but I’ll admit, I’ve had my questions about viability. Will Americans be receptive to a short-range EV, even if it’s reasonably cheap? What happens now that federal tax credits have gone away? And will the Slate actually see production? While reservation slots opened at $50 a pop, that sort of thing often doesn’t mean much. I’ve seen plenty of EV efforts fizzle out, and proposed projects get stuck in reservation purgatory. Has anyone seen the second-generation Tesla Roadster recently?
Well, color me delightfully surprised: Slate has announced via email to reservation holders that actual pre-orders for the little EV open up on June 24. To make it into the first delivery window, you’ll have to pay a deposit of $250 if you have a reservation and $300 if you don’t, within 30 days of the portal opening. Otherwise, you’ll simply be bumped down the queue. Slate claims that if you complete that step, they’ll reach out to you as early as this autumn to spec wraps and accessories, finalize the purchase, and arrange delivery. Time flies, right?
Mind you, the one thing we don’t have yet is an actual price for the Slate. While the marque claimed a starting price under $20,000 with EV rebates, those federal rebates have completely evaporated. As such, Slate’s only claiming a base price “in the mid-twenties,” but that’s both subject to change and before any taxes and fees. Is the freight fee factored in there? I haven’t the foggiest, but we should know more come mid-June. Beyond the bottom line, I’m especially interested in learning what the longer-range model with an estimated 240-ish miles of range costs.
Regardless, Slate marching towards production gives me hope. Hope that people still want basic cars. Hope that some automakers are still willing to support DIY maintenance. Hope that North American EVs don’t have to be expensive. It seems like there’s only about a month to go until we learn a whole lot more, so I’m definitely keeping my eyes peeled.
Top graphic image: Slate
I still love the concept and I think it’s a great looking little trucklet. But especially with the EV credit gone it’s going to be $35k (unless they reeeeealy beat my expectations) by the time you get the back seats, suv cover, a wrap and odds and ends on it, in which case I’d just get a Civic hybrid. But I hope there are enough less logical people who buy them to prove to others that the premise of a cheap simple car is appealing. But I’m not holding my breath.
I said this then I remembered Honda selling customer data and now I’m thinking a lot harder about preferring the Slates lack of a infotainment system…
The only new car (especially EV) with any concept of digital privacy!
Hell, if they managed to include surveillance systems as part of the vehicle or in a companion app, that would still give “I want a private car” people a single point to hack out that isn’t connected with every other system in their car in some weird cloud-services and touchscreens way.
Yeah, honestly they should be marketing the digital privacy angle along with the simplicity/affordability.
I can almost guarantee this Slate will still be a connected vehicle with onboard cellular and GPS. The cost to add those modems is nothing, and it would be insanity for a modern vehicle not to have those features- especially one intended for fleet use. It just won’t have an accessible interface.
An EV without all the doodads. I don’t care that for the nearly the same money I could have twice as many doodads. And for just a little bit more than that, all the doodads!
I would pay extra to NOT have the doodads.
The crap/dollar ratio only matters if you value the crap. I don’t. Give me those crank windows and a Bluetooth speaker all day.
Hell yea, I’ll even skip the Bluetooth speaker because I already own two.
That Bluetooth speaker is dead on arrival. But my wife’s working overtime this weekend so that she can get that spare off-road tire carrier. For the 2wd suv that doesn’t have enough range to get to any of our local trailheads.
Skip that option, instead you could save a bunch of $$$ by drilling some holes in the body with a drill and bolting on some hardware from Home Depot.
Oh I will absolutely be drilling random holes for rope cleats in mine and my spare tire might live in the bed so that it can catch leaves and breed mosquitoes. But my wife has a different set of priorities. And they center around that spare tire carrier. And I’m being told also the armrest. She is all in on the armrest for some reason. Irrationally so.
An armrest?! Talk about high maintenance, isn’t that what legs are for. Legs are free too.
But can the 10s of you out there with this criteria make this a hot seller?
How about a 7′ bed? Even better, an 8′ bed?
That way they can fit a few more batteries underneath it and get a longer range, and we can put enough trash bags, old furniture and miscellaneous junk in it to make it worth paying the load fee at the dump.
Why does your dump charge a fee if you already pay for your trash service?
Because they can
Because you are dumping a truckload of stuff in addition to the weekly curbside toter collection. If you get free dumping in addition to home service, you have a heck of a deal going for you!
We get free dumping (limit of 2per month) and it makes sense. You will eventually throw the trash away anyway self dump saves the trash company money on gas and manpower.
My local company gives four free dump passes per year, mostly to discourage low-lifes from leaving mattresses and appliances at the side of the road during the middle of the night.
I just don’t get this thing. Like the idea is neat but at 20k it makes no sense in our current reality. When you can buy a barely used Mach-E with double the range and luxurish interior for 25-30 k used. Even at 20k it’s basically pointless. The buyers are going to be tech guys in like Denver or SF that make 250k a year and they use their bonus check to buy one. They already have a Tesla or ICE car. Basically it’s an electric side by side atv
Also other issues with this thing:
1. There no way it’ll be safe.
2. It’s going to be miserable to drive/sit in
3. Range will be 150ish or lower in real world usage
4. Slow charging (maybe they upgraded that but at this price point it’ll be slow)
5. No market outside the tech bros
How can it be less safe than my rusted-out regular-cab, RWD, 5-speed GMC Canyon? It’s a regular-cab with crank windows and it’s not at all miserable to sit in. I once took it on a work trip 700 miles away and it was just fine.
Now that I’m retired, I just want a small basic truck that I can use to haul a lawnmower or a snowblower. I installed a 50A/240VAC circuit in my garage in preparation for getting a Slate.
I haven’t decided between the regular battery or the larger one, but I’m usually in the ‘I’d rather have something and not need it than need something and not have it’ mindset, so I’m leaning towards the bigger battery – depending on cost.
I get your use case and I hope this thing works for you. However your use case is awfully niche. They can’t build a company on sales like that. Most retired guys with your use case don’t like EVs and instead buy a base Canyon/Ranger/Frontier..
I wouldn’t want a base model Canyon/Ranger/Frontier – they’re all huge 4-doors now, and they’re all getting close to $35K – $40K! Plus they all weigh more than 4,200 lbs. and are all over 210 inches in length.
The Slate electric pickup has an overall length of 174.6 inches and a curb weight of approximately 3,602 lbs. (Small battery?)
I just want a simple, small truck.
Agree. Like every fully electric car, this is a novelty for wealthy people.
$25k for a truck is for the wealthy?
Have you seen the prices of the average new car? Its double that.
Yep, the entire appeal of this was that it was an EV for the average person.
But at 25-30k, it’s just an overpriced curiosity.
Hey means like 3rd car because it’s a fun novelty kinda thing. The majority of the buyers are going to be that type, not some guy making 60k a year wishing he could replace his 2005 Ranger
I’m just some guy who used to make around $60K a year (now in retirement we live off less than that) who wishes to replace his 2010 Canyon.
If it was unsafe it would not be available to sell, did you forget crash tests are required on all cars?
With that said, any small car is less safe versus a huge 6000 pound SUV.
Unsafe maybe isn’t the right word but there’s now way it’s as safe as other cars in the 20-30k price range especially factoring used EVs. In SUV mode the rear passengers will
Have very little protection as an example. Even in the front airbags will not be as comprehensive as other cars.
A lot of people want to die on a hill over this thing which is fine. With this thing mostly likely hitting near 30k it’s just really hard to understand the appeal at this point.
Maybe they live In a state or jurisdiction with big EV credits that will bring it close to 20k.
Or their work will pay $780 a month to own a new EV.
I do really love the idea of this thing, but this basically can’t tow. Most compact crossovers can tow for more weight than this. In my head, the point of a truck is to have a bed to carry things and tow. This is missing half of that. If this started at 20K I think they would have a lot of success, but I have a feeling the larger battery pack on this will be flirting with 30k which will kill it. You can get many other cars with many features and longer range for the same $30k.
It can tow more than our 2024 Trax can.
I own a 4X8 single axle utility trailer. I’m sure it will tow that just fine.
It is spec’d for only 1000 lbs towing max. Might be okay for some, but that’s really not very much. Small riding lawnmower + trailer maybe, or small boat / jet ski. Of course the miles/kWh will suffer when towing as well, so the range will be even less.
RWD only, so has me wondering what the grip will be if you use it on a wet boat ram to launch your (very small) boat?
A Trax is one of the cheapest cars you can buy period, and is a sub-compact. Of course it tows more than that. But 1000lbs for a TRUCK? Absurdly low. Sure, range will suffer, but it does with every tow vehicle. Most people will want to do stuff around town with this. 1000lbs can’t even tow most jetskis on a single trailer any longer. The Maverick can do 4k, or 2k without the max tow package. The worse Maverick can still tow double the Slate.
It’ll be $28.5k base and DOA.
I guess I’m the odd one out who’s still somewhat excited about the idea of owning one of these as a daily driver – electric, basic, and (optional) square-back checks most of my boxes – with the caveat that I’ve been saying this entire time “it’ll depend on final pricing and product”. One way or another, I’m going to have some things to consider come June 24th.
Though it is not for me I’m glad it seems to be coming to market and will be available to those who want such a truck. If you do get one I’m sure I’m not the only one who wants to hear how it works for you.
I would love to own and DD this thing. Like you it checks all of my boxes… but not for the price it will be.
Other things check my boxes and have a LOT more on top for the same price, even if lightly used.
I’m Sooooo interested in this little truck. I’m going to be in Indiana at Elcofest at the beginning of August and I’m thinking about seeing if I can tour the factory or at least speak to some salespeople.
I’d love to know what kind of corrosion-resistance warranty they plan on offering, and also if a small-truck lover who does not own a cell-phone would have any chance of being able to own, drive, and maintain one of these cool little trucks. (I already installed a 50A, 240VAC subpanel in my garage for future-proofing in case I ever found an EV I wanted to own)
This story reminds of another truck release from my past. Anyone else old enough to remember the original truly small Luv, Ranger, Ram 50, VW with no model name? These things were tiny pickups with bench seats, crank windows, AC optional, 5 foot bed, rear bumper optional. Running around $9,999. Yet college kids and females with pre Subaru tendencies bought these in the hundreds of thousands. They could also be the next beetle. It comes down to price but mid twenties gets you a real nice used Camry or even new Corolla so maybe not.
I have a reservation so I went to check out the configurator. There isn’t much to configure, that being the point, but the options that were present were presented awfully. There are no details about anything and the picture quality is poor. Or rather, the render quality, as I couldn’t find any actual photos of the interior and many of the options.
They should have worked a little harder on the configurator and providing actual detailed images before inviting all 150,000 or however many reservation holders to look at the truck.
I won’t be placing my order. Not because of the above or anything about the product, itself.
I don’t want to buy the first model year of the first product from a new companyI want to see what Ford releasesI want to see what the next admin’s EV policies are
I was really looking forward to getting my hands on one and pulling it apart and designing products for the community. I wish Slate the best. It’ll be fun seeing them on the road.
The configurator is well done if you look at it as a gamification of the typical build and price tool. Slates goal was for you to get attached and build a couple to put in your “garage”. Your garage that is gatekept behind your email address. Which they can use to spam you and or as an aggregate number on investor calls.
Now as the disappointing news of ADAS sensor arrays, emergency breaking, 2027 distracted driving monitoring, connected cell services, customer data harvesting and resell, price in the mid-upper-20s, mid-30s for the upgraded battery, mid-40s with suv kit, dealer markups in states without direct to consumer sales, delivery delays, reliability issues….
You are still hooked because you’ve built a cute stable of little Easter egg like cars that remind you of the things that have been outlawed from your youth. That gamified garage is every rusty slap bracelet, every road trip where your parents let you ride in the truck bed with your sleeping bag and the cooler, every huge white McDonald’s sea turtle killing blt packaging container. Every Suzuki samurai in your highschool parking lot, Every ride on that Honda 3-wheel atv without a helmet. Every time you watched crocodile dundy 2 dynamite fishing in the Hudson and realized there were things you could get a way with in Australia but not in America. It’s yours. You built it. It’s personal and you still want it.
But you’re right as a build and price tool it’s worthless.
Why do Americans find so much joy in destroying the world around them, and feel so entitled to the right to do so?
I blame it on the movies and broth I grew up in.
Hm. I don’t find anything nostalgic about the Slate whatsoever. Not in the way you’re describing at least. Maybe the crank windows but I don’t have nostalgia for them as much as having used them makes me appreciate electric windows.
I tried to build the most basic version I could as that is what I want. A blank Slate for me to design my own graphics, add my own stereo, etc. Basic steelie looking wheels. I thought that was the point.
I am at odds with most consumers about most things though so /shrug/
That last block of text was supposed to be a bulleted list.
andnowthey
workDoes anyone else think it’s insane they want non refundable money before we can even sit in one? I was really excited about slate until that announcement.
Not since people stated buying used cars online with no test driving
The internet used car exists, at the very least. In most cases…
Yes but no tryouts
Not sure about other online sellers, but Carvana lets you test drive the car for a week and return it.
Now is that buy it and you can return it or test drive and then decide?
Potential Cybertruck buyers learned their lesson about deposits the hard way.
I knew a coworker who would spend lots of non-refundable money at a bar that specialized in “sitting”.
I was never going to buy one. The bed is too small and the whole EV thing doesn’t fit my life. Still, I am surprised by the amount of “Nope” this thing has generated after all the screaming and rejoicing of the “Second Coming” of the mini truck.
It’s at the bottom end of the market, and had a $10k price jump between announcement / reservations and delivery.
Unfortunately for them, they are well below the bottom of the market equipment-wise.
I’d pay a small premium to be a little fun, but giving up so much in almost every way and paying a premium for it is probably going to be a deal killer for me. I’d probably just get a tractor.
Kubota or John Deere?
I won’t be placing my order early.
It is the first effort from a new manufacturer, and I haven’t even seen a driving video of this. Leno did one, and spent the time babbling 47-style about how great American workers are instead of making a single comment about the driving experience.
I also guarantee they will not have the toppers ready for delivery. I do not want a pickup. I want enclosed cargo space. I’m not silly enough to buy today on promises of tomorrow’s awesomeness (or even suitability).
I will hold off on the rest until the pricing comes out, then I’ll cancel my reservation and join the rest of the ‘Why did they make this?’ club.
The personal use market for this close to zero. I hope Slate has figured out the commercial/fleet markets well enough to afford to bring other products to market.
I can’t risk being an early adopter; I have to drive it and see that it’s reliable. But if it can do 150 to a charge, can be bought with the wagon body for under $30k, and I can drive it from the passenger seat, I’ll be buying one for my 70 mile a day mail route.
And if you hadn’t noticed…
SLATE is an anagram of TESLA
Yeah but Teslas are an Anagram of Asslet. Things that make you go hmmm
Now that you mention it, Tesla is an anagram of stale. Appropriate?
Used Teslas are listed on Cargurus starting around ten grand, including dealer markup and detailing. The trade-in value must be nearly nothing.
Also LATES, and SALTE?
And if you add an in and take away a t you get ALIENS!!! Not a coincidence.
I have a reservation and I think it looks cool and has a good concept. But it could only ever work as a 2nd or 3rd vehicle which is even less compelling with the headwinds. Not only because incentives are gone but you’ll be paying full insurance on one of these, which have taken the wind out of car hoarding for me.
I think they could do good to pivot to take on side by sides. Not for pure off road performance but at their size they could be really useful on properties. Providing similar or improved capabilities, still be driving on the road legally, and not feel like a death trap compared to Kei trucks (which have also seen prices jump with popularity) .
I am considering it as a 3rd car, but if the price is what I would pay for a full-featured truck / car / cuv (the SLATE is stripped down even as an entry-level vehicle), I’m probably just going somewhere else.
It’s a cute toy, but not cool or fun enough to pay 20%+ more for less vehicle. It’s cheap enough that I’d buy one if I had a business to promote just for the attention.
So, echoing Nsane In The MembraNe below in the first comment, “fuck Jeff Bezos!”
However, having said that, I do want to buy one of these even if the economics of it don’t totally work now that the $7,500 EV credit is gone. Yes, a Maverick is probably a better bang for your buck but I don’t want a 4-door pick-up that burns dead dinosaurs, just a little truck for my various projects that I can charge at home. Hopefully, there are enough other weekend warriors like me out there that this will sell okay.
Agree on the Bezos comment, perhaps he could cough up the Federal tax credit in Amazon purchase credits? Oh wait. Fuck Amazon too.Having gotten that out of the way, I sent them 50 US bucks and thought that a plain little pick up truck would be perfect for the ongoing trips to nurseries, hardware stores, food stores, farmers markets, synagogue, and picking up a grandkid within 40 miles one way. I love the idea of just plugging the damn thing in overnight in the garage. But then the specter of 27,500 US Bucks on an unknown new product is daunting knowing I could snag a used (very lightly used) Mach E, Ionic 5 or 6 and that KIA EV that has real range. What a time to be alive eh?
But we have not researched the people behind those vehicles. I mean sure the Mach E Henry Ford a disciple of Hitler who was a great guy right, but how about the other companies?
Not exactly parallel situations. Bezos is a currently active doer of the things he does, while Ford was forced out of Ford 81 years ago, already stroke-addled and not running the company at the time, and not a majority owner..
It would be great as a part time DIY truck that people would keep around for occasional truck needs especially when EVs don’t mind sitting nearly as much as gasoline, but it seems a bit expensive for that, IMO. I hope it does well if only to send a message to the other OEMs that there’s a market for a vehicle—an EV, even—with less BS.
I just bought a truck for those exact reasons, and it was hard enough to part with $5k for that. Theoretically the Slate would be perfect for my needs (if they made a snowplow attachment), but it’s hard to justify a new vehicle purchase price for a spare truck.
What did you buy?
A part time DIY truck for occasional use is a $3,000 Craigslist Ranger/B-Series, or a rental. Spending $25-30k for something that moves every once in awhile to pick up something from Rickel isn’t really worth it
Find me a Ranger or other decent small truck running well for $3k
Around here, what was a $2k truck is now closer to $5k. Rangers in particular seem to command higher prices than you’d expect.
I think you just answered my question of what did you buy.
Not quite! I got a 97 F150 with less than 100k miles on it, in decent enough shape. Nicer than any Ranger I found for the same price. 4×4 was a requirement for me so that made things a bit pricier.
Nice score!
There’s quite a number around me for sale right now, a few of them I’m familiar with. A 1989 for $2500, a 1990 for $2800, a ’92 for $2500, a ’96 for $5k, but the owner will definitely take $4400, I mean, a truck just has to be able to carry stuff in the bed, move under its own power, and maybe move a little utility trailer around the yard with the ball on the bumper, all of them will do it. Intact clear coat and a working a/c are not functional requirements, every landscaper with a startup business knows that
Could be region dependent, but $3k in my area will get you a decent Colorado, or early 2000’s Frontier. If you’re not married to the idea of it being small, I just bought a 02 Escalade EXT that runs and drives perfectly for about that amount.
There is a market but the manufacturers don’t care unless there is an obscene profit behind them. I saw a story today that it will be 10 years before new car sales will be up to the 17 million pre COVID mark
I respect your holding fast on buying one. I look forward to your future comments on them.
Why do so many people care about buying or not buying a car based on the guy who spent billions of their own money to make new cars clean and affordable to poor people. I mean Hitler was the mind behind the VW Beetle but we have fans of them here. I am so tired of the ” I need to find something to complain about crowd” and pretending it is for a righteous reason. We can’t even escape it on a car blog
Probably because there is so very little we can do to right the ship of state. A few dollars less to Amazon or the Koch brothers. ( Brother ) while the entire rest of the republic is in flames may be small relief but it is something. Also a 78 Fiat sounds like a blast.
I was an early reservation holder (+3 hours or so on day-1). I was hoping to get a bare-bones $20K EV as an around-town vehicle, and at first the Slate looked like the ticket. Not really interested in a truck, just something new, safe, seats 2 people, and (with a topper) take care of almost any local trip.
As more information on the vehicle came out coupled with the change in the market, I became much less enthusiastic.
Slate is up against the trifecta of marketing headwinds:
The loss of the $7500 tax credit (which we would have qualified for)The massive depreciation of used EVs depressing the new EV marketThe explosion of off-lease EVs flooding the market
On top of that, the finer details of the SLATE of come out… mainly:
No AWD optionSilly manual windows (power windows would be cheaper!)150 mile range on small battery (maybe much less in the winter?)No heat pump (see note above re: battery winter range)Lack of a full suite of safety features (no Blind Spot Monitoring for example)Minimal towing capacity (1,000 lbs).
As a low cost 2-person basic EV, where you’d still have to add some $$$ for a larger battery if needed + $$ for a radio/speakers + elec window kit, there’s just way to many better equipped new and gently used EV options in the $25K to $30K range for SLATE to beat. In the past 9 months:
I purchased a 24 Ioniq 6 Limited AWD CPO w 6,000 miles for under $28,000My wife’s sig. other purchased a 24 Kia AWD EV-6 w 4,000 miles for $25,000My brother just last month purchased a new 25′ Ioniq 5 SEL for $31,5000
As a small truck, the SLATE barely qualifies as it only tows 1000 lbs and is 2 wheel drive. Hybrid Mavericks can tow up to 4,000 lbs, can come in AWD, and manage low 40s mpg in the city, and of course seat 5 (4 really).
I wish SLATE well, I really do, I like the idea of the plastic panels, I like the idea of a simple entertainment system, I like the idea of a low cost EV, but for the $25K to $30K+ money we were able to get so much more vehicle (with 4+ seating), more safety features, a somewhat reliable dealer and service network, and with the 2-motor AWD crazy good performance (0-60 4.5 secs).
If I were SLATE I’d skip the manual windows, and the missing safety nannies, and stick with just the one-size larger battery and try to get it to market around the $27K price. Work on a AWD variant and towing up to at least 4,500 lbs and maybe look at a extended cab version.
Wouldn’t your wife’s significant other be you? I should probably have taken more from this post, but there’s where I got stuck. 🙂
Oops – child’s sig. other. The Ioniq 6 replaced my wife’s car.
Something very funky with the edit feature of these posts. I edit, I see the edit, then it reverts ! I also see the formatting of my list with bullets and numbers appear then disappear.
I can’t re-edit the original post now for some reason.
I don’t judge anyone’s polycule or other relationship situation. If Zipn’s wife’s significant other wants a Kia, that’s their business.
I just hope they never need work on it, because Kia dealerships suck for that in my experience, but I do like the EV6. Would have bought one if the dealership hadn’t been awful to work with on my Niro.
I ready the same part three times. Nice polycule.
Don’t judge…
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my typos
I do, too. But not a completely missing one. I don’t want to mount a tablet or phone to the dash. I’d prefer a DIN/double DIN slot to put in a stereo.
Yeah, especially if there’s no leasing option, there is no compelling reason to get one of these instead of a lightly used and heavily depreciated EV unless you absolutely need a pickup bed and can live with the short range. Even then, it’s iffy.
I’m also really iffy on the customization options. I assume the ability to customize well before pricing was an intentional strategy to get people to get attached to the add-ons and justify spending too much on them.
This was one of the small tells early on that this whole thing was built on selling it as a cheap vehicle, not just making it affordable.
Yeah, the manual windows is almost purely performative and weird. It also should at least offer a basic stereo as a cheap option for the people who don’t want to drive home in their new car in silence to immediately have to start working on installing a stereo like it’s a bottom barrel used economy car in the ’90s.
It only tows 1k? I tow more with my GR86. OK, it’s not rated at all, but the cars it was based on were rated for 2k+ and this thing is a truck that would be great for towing a small boat to local places, maybe even leaving this as a summer house runabout.
What car was it based on? Thought the 86 chassis was its own thing (but probably still uses the same ball joints as every Subaru since ’88).
It’s based on the (later named) SI platform, which is a development of the platform that initially underpinned the Legacy, then the Impreza and Forester, design of which began in 1986. A big change was in ’07 when the rear suspension went from MacPherson to multilink. The BRZ/GR86 is the remaining car on that platform.
Didn’t realize that, but I have had to string together three extensions and a couple of wobble joints to change the rear bearings on an 09 outback. I wish they stuck with the struts.
(BTW, they’re Chapman struts when used in the rear)
Right, but does anybody really use that term? As an alien anthropologist, some correct terms are largely unrecognized by the majority, so I’ve taken to using the close enough ones that people recognize to streamline communication even if they’re not completely correct. Of course, doing so contributes to dumbing down, but stopping to explain things also makes communicating a point less likely, so I don’t always know which to go with.
The GR86 reminds me of my ’90 Legacy, but the FWD wagon was more fun because the limits were lower and the balance a bit better, so it was slidable more of the time, the steering feel with an aftermarket steering wheel was better, throttle response instant and linear, and clutch feel was great, but I can accept giving up a cable clutch.
I didn’t mean to be that guy.
I knew they were called something different in the rear and had to think for a while to remember the term. If I put that much effort in, I’m posting.
No, I get it and that’s fine! It didn’t read like it, but I found it kind of funny that I used the common term in spite of my instinct and got called for the correct one. I’m among other nerds here and that’s great!
My Sportwagen TDI can supposedly tow double what the Slate can.
This is a really nice overview and echoes how I feel about this car. I wish them well, but it’s not looking good.
Thanks. It’s worth pointing out that all 3 of the EVs that have joined our families (Used / Used CPO / new) all had at ~4 years (or more) on the bumper-to-bumper and ~ 9 (or more) on the EV power train warranties. and still over 50,000 (or more) miles.
Even with the renewed interests in EVs as gas prices have spiked, gently used / low mileage EVs can be found for about 1/2 of the original MSRP. Hard for Slate to compete with that.
…and after all, ALL VEHICLES BECOME USED once you drive it off the lot!
…and I forgot. NO SPARE IN THE SLATW! Not even space for adding one under the bed.
I’ve spares in all our vehicles, even if I sacrifice a little trunk space in the IONIQ 6.
It’s part of the plan to nickel and dime you. You can get the bumper mounted spare carrier for an additional fee. Well, you can spend that extra after you spring for the upgraded rear bumper. And you’ll probably want to add the upgraded front bumper to make sure everything looks cohesive…
Never been a fan of bumper-mounted spares… easy to steal, and more importantly, become a nice wedge to ruin the rear hatch/tailgate in even a minor bump.
I just want to know if the phone cradle will fit my Trump phone.
100%. 120, 300, 600%. What a question. You’re a nasty person.
Wait, so the Slate only comes in Slate Gray?
Yep, they designed the panels to be easily wrapped. Which is better imo. change it everyone couple of years easily.
I don’t know about easily unless you pay a shop to do it. I’m guessing at least $1000 for a nice wrap job? If you have to do that every few years it can add up. Personally I’d stick with the plain grey plastic and -maybe- add a stripe or flame or fleur-de-lis or something just for fun, but not wrap the entire truck. Seems like a poor long-term play.
Yeah, the whole “you can wrap it any color you want!” is just fantasy. If someone is buying such a cost conscious vehicle, they are spending $1k+ on a nice wrap.
Assuming it is easy to wrap, you might get a $1k wrap, but I’d expect at least $1500–more if you want something other than just a basic color, probably.
Don’t wraps have like a 5 year lifespan? That seems like a poor trade-off for being “cheap”.
Panels are raw gray plastic.
I had read that you can order it with certain wraps and that they will also sell pre-cut wrap kits.
Let’s see what the actual configurator allows when it goes live.
Let’s see where the chips fall, but if the proposed E-Maverick (name tbd) is contented with cruise control, power windows, and an actual infotainment system for around the stated 30k mark as well as being a full four door truck I can’t see the retail demand for the Slate being very good. As a stripped down fleet truck for in town usage sure, but for just a few pennies less it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Of course Ford hasn’t been great with keeping prices where they announced it, but they also didn’t announce their new EV trucklet before the tax credits went away
It’s neat and I think will be great for fleets and trades especially with their built in upfitting. They can probably eke it out in that space. For everyone else its highly dependant on a few thousand dollars. I was just talking to someone claiming they had some early brochure from a trade show that said $15k. I had never seen or heard that claim but apparently it was made. I will be shocked if they can do it for low or even actual mid 20s. But if they can maybe there is hope for them in the retail market.
Some states have their own EV incentives. I think it’s $3500 here in MA and I think CO has a generous one also. If they were guessing at a price in the high 20s, the incentives in some states (when the fed credit was live) could have brought it close to $15k.
That was my initial thought. But he said no was just federal credit and asked them that at the show. I know in Colorado it was projected to be under $15k with the fed credit and $6500 from the state. Could be fleet price as it was a trade show. Colorado has all sorts of programs. You can get $6k and another $7500 for a vehicle exchange. There is some kind of $9k deal as well as different grants from various entities. California is doing all sorts of fleet grants. Lots of utilities and states doing commerical grants.
This so needs AWD. For my uses that include actual winter and driving on slippery surfaces like campground mud and algae slicked boat launches, AWD makes life a lot easier. Although a mechanical parking brake and letting us throttle up with a few clicks on to make a poor man’s limited slip diff would go 60% of the way there.
As long as I’m wishing, a driver selectable AWD bias from full RWD to full FWD to automatic would be great. And a place to tie my pony.
So true. I look to the Ford Mav, which looks to have a 55% take rate for FWD, but that’s because of the hybrid system on that one. 45% AWD, giving up the hybrid, makes a strong case that AWD is more valuable than hybrid efficiency for a ton of buyers. AWD + electrification would be the holy grail.
I’m pretty sure they added AWD to the hybrid Mav with the mid-cycle refresh. But I may be mistaken.
Yup, post 2025MY the FHEV was also available with AWD.
You can get the hybrid Mav with AWD now. And even 4k towing.
We have a 25 Maverick Lariat AWD Hybrid with 4K tow package. Ordered and purchased new from Grainger Ford for under $38K last April. Hell of a deal at the time. We see low 40s in town and mid 30s driving 75 mph. It’s our road-trip vehicle / our need a truck bed vehicle / need to tow something (5×8 utility trailer) vehicle. All the truck we need around here.
I’m really tempted by the AWD Hybrid Maverick. Good to hear real world MPG from someone.
Milage will take a hit at highway speeds, you see it drop every extra MPH or two, but it’s still damn good considering the size of the truck. It has the Ford/Toyota hybrid drive train that’s really dialed in and we often see it run on electric-only mode for 10-30% of the total miles on of some short trips in the city. It’s seamless and it works.
We had a large (for us) snow storm here last winter and they don’t treat the local roads. The Maverick had no trouble getting us on the highway after being snowed in for a few days with its AWD. Was very glad to have it.
Good to hear about the 4wd capability. I’m a huge fan of the Ford Hybrids, we’ve had several over the years of all generations and wouldn’t consider anything else for a daily driver.
Any boat you could tow with this could be carried to the water by four average men.
1000 lbs is a jon boat or jetski on a trailer. Plenty of people around me trailer those. RWD on a slick boat ramp isn’t going up, it’s going in.
Yeah.
I’m saying to stay a safe distance away and give some guys a few beers to carry it to / from the water.
Plenty of people hanging around the boat ramp, it’s true.
I love watching boat ramp fail videos. I wonder how quickly I’ll see a Slate go submarine.
On one hand: this is neat
On the other: fuck Jeff Bezos
Fuck Jeff Bezos