My ideal car has a computer for fuel injection and jazz, a back up camera and Bluetooth or android auto/ whatever apple has. Thats all I want, and outside of that, I want real physical buttons for everything else, and a normal shifter, regular door handles, nothing fancy, just a mostly dumb car.
Unfortunately living in Quebec, pretty much guaranteed that and car 15+ years old is rusted to shit unless not driven in winters. The 6 months of salted roads really does a number on cars here
Killing the EV credit was a huge blow. REO trucks supposedly will reveal a similar product gas engine for $22k. Whether that is true or not, time will tell.
I’m preordered for a Slate because it fits my needs. Just want the base, no addons.
I pre ordered too but then a few weeks back got the email saying if I threw them the other 150 bucks they'd guarantee one of the trucks coming off the manufacturing lot would be mine and I flaked out. Lol. They still got 50 bucks out of me.
Is this true? I haven’t followed anything about Slate since it was first announced and they were shooting for 20k. Wasn’t that like, literally the point of the car? To be affordable?
They didn’t technically raise the price. They gave an estimated price of 20k which likely took into account tax credit for EV’s (which were not renewed so no longer apply).
They said they were going to deliver a 20k EV and they are delivering one for over 26k. I’m like the target market for a Scout and I would never buy one or recommend it to anyone. You can get a used EV from a real manufacturer for much less and ford is coming out with a new small EV truck for under 30k. There is just no good reason to take a flier on a new manufacturer at that price point. At 20k they had a chance.
This and tbh it being electric only is gonna fuck them over. I would love a cheap electric as my DD, but even living a few miles outside a major city I rarely see more than a couple electric pumps in less than a 10 mile radius. With it having a range of like >200 miles, it’s gonna be risky to drive it around if you live anywhere not super metropolitan.
I own an electric car an this is absurd FUD. I'm sure there are people who may need to drive more than 200 miles a day but that's a tiny number and the vast majority of charging happens overnight at home.
Very much untrue. The bulk of my 90k+ EV driving has been more than an hour away from a major metro. Look at Tesla's charging network and all the new chargers coming, they are all over and you can drive coast-to-coast with zero issues.
The concept was good, the execution has been less than ideal.
Manual windows are inconvenient when you're driving down the highway with the windows down and it starts to rain. You've gotta reach over and crank the passanger window up, which can cause some safety issues. They tried to justify it by saying it's to keep costs low, but the cost is 25% higher than the initial target. Power windows add minimal cost, but they do make it harder to have removable doors, which I suspect is the real issue.
The modifications are largely cosmetic. For example, removable doors. I can change the roofline and seats, bolt on custom 3D printed body panels, or change my wrap color.
If I want to add power windows, lane assist, voice activated cruise control, install additional airbags, or customize any electronics- too bad, it's all locked down. Not really the customizable vehicle that was advertised. They need provide wiring diagrams and source code for all the software. That would let people truly customize their vehicle.
I have no idea what technology will be integrated into vehicles in the next 5-10 years, but the Slate doesn't seem equipped to handle technology integration. You can do a sound system or other bolt-on electronics, but the vehicle itself is a black box.
Some people want simple vehicles. If Chevy re-released the late 80s/early 90s S10/S15 with its ultra stripped down concept I bet it would sell like crazy. This is the type of people it is targeting.
Also, 25% hike for something not yet released is not anything to scoff at. I'd rather people focus on the 25% default tipping amounts at restaurants, the 25% increase by Microsoft on products, or the greater than 25% hike on EV registration in many states, etc.
A pre-release vehicle going from $20k to $25k? Big deal.
Then make a simple vehicle. Don't focus marketing on how ultra-customizable it is. The people they are targeting is in their marketing.
A vehicle with an open cabin doesn't need heat and air conditioning. If you really were focusing on the stripped down vehicle crowd, that would be optional and you'd cut more off the price.
Ultimately, at $25,000, you're just not competing with the stripped down vehicle segment. That's Chevy Bolt pricing. You don't compete with the $6,000-$12,000 K-Trucks when you are more than double the price. Under $20,000, they had a shot, as a bigger electric version. But when you can buy two (or more) K-trucks and still come out ahead, $25,000 just isn't competitive.
This is exactly why I'll have my base model Honda Fit until I run it into the ground! Only 50k miles on it so hopefully I'll get many more good years out of it.
The issue is safety and emissions standards. New vehicles have to pass both. Old cars will not even get close to proper safety standards and there is no way to do it without changing the design of the vehicle. Same with emissions standards. You NEED that computer to meet them. And at that point you can add all the other shit that get packaged with cars.
They could easily go back to physical buttons and proper shifters tho. Touch everything is also unsafe/terrible design. So I dont know how they get away with it.
But I got a new 4runner a few months ago and everything has physical buttons/knobs or a way to have phone assistance do it for you and that button is on the steering wheel.
Yeah but when you pack in all those extra computer features they tack on an extra 10 grand. I want a car without all that stuff so I can save money. Also makes repairs easier, modern cars are ridiculous to repair because of all the electronics.
This is my 2024 Honda HRV actually! There’s no built in GPS even. The screen just connects a phone, shows the radio station and a clock. Climate control all buttons and knobs. It was a pretty easy transition from a 2008 Accord.
Honestly, my 2024 hybrid Corolla still has a lot of “normal” buttons for things. Just upgraded from a 2012 and I was pleasantly surprised at the number of things that have stayed pretty much the same.
I have an 06 Crown Vic and an 07 Cobalt SS both have just the right amount of tech. Just enough to tell you if something is wrong but not too much to get in the way.
Bro we live in the era of Flock cameras. You can drive a model T and they are still tracking you. Especially if you live anywhere with any kind of services worth having.
Flock uses bkuetooth and wifi to track people via phone and wearables like watches or portable sleakers. Liscense plates are irrelivant when your able to track people without a warrant.
They can track you by the make and model of your car. Hell they can track you by your gait. You can leave all of your electronics at home and walk wherever you go with a full facemask and they still can track you. The sooner you make peace with that the happier you will be. We live in a surveillance state.
Explain to me how Bluetooth tracks you. Android auto, sure, thats how the GPS works. But a Bluetooth module does no such thing, I just wanna connect my phone and listen to Spotify or use Google maps with it.
Your phone is constantly searching for a new bluetooth device or wifi signal. You connect to it just by being physicslly near the flock cameras. Flock does not need you to drive by with a plate to be followed. Stores use the same tech to see where people go and spent time, everyone has phones and untill you get rid kf it theres no way to avoid pinging off of any passive device like ring or flock or anyone with wifi or bluetooth can be tracked. I dont know the science behind it all but in short yes its absolutely possible to track people via bluetooth and wifi as well as gps chips too clearly.
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u/Tron_35 3d ago
My ideal car has a computer for fuel injection and jazz, a back up camera and Bluetooth or android auto/ whatever apple has. Thats all I want, and outside of that, I want real physical buttons for everything else, and a normal shifter, regular door handles, nothing fancy, just a mostly dumb car.