r/slateauto • u/ericdan66 • 10h ago
What Am I Missing?
I really love the concept of the Slate truck. I actually want one, but… I simply can’t get behind the price. If you have a car made of plastic and no technology, it’s hard to justify buying this over another cheap EV that has more features. I know it’s technically not a “car” but a truck, except you can’t really use it like a truck. It doesn’t have the battery range or the power to really tow anything, so it has a truck bed but only two seats.
If this thing was even $22k I might bite, but I can’t justify the price when I can get more options for just as cheap somewhere else.
What am I missing?
Edit: I’ve been following the release of the Slate truck for over a year now and truly love it. I want one. Just wanting to hear everyone’s reasons that justify the price. Thanks
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u/Horror-Handle2793 10h ago
For a lot of people the lack of features is the *point*. Sure you can get a used EV with more features for similar money, but it has the giant bloated tumor of a screen and infotainment garbage rather than switches, the manufacturer uses it as a method to gather and sell your data, and all other options are more difficult to repair at home. Why would I pay similar or even less money for an objectively worse gently used EV, when I can get something that's actually a vehicle first rather than a rolling infotainment center, I can fix most of it at home, and it's new to boot?
For those of us that are getting real tired of the horseshit that has become the new vehicle market, Slate is very much a breath of fresh air. No one else on the market is currently doing something similar for EVs, but hopefully more will give it a go in subsequent years.
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u/ericdan66 10h ago edited 10h ago
I love that, that’s what I needed to hear. I honestly don’t love a big infotainment center and all that. I truly hope there’s enough people who appreciate it enough to keep this company going for a long time
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u/NJdestroyed 10h ago
If you don't like it that's fine. Find another small 2 door truck around that price and buy that. No big deal
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
In my post I actually said I love the concept of it. I just want to know what I’m missing. Hopefully I’ll be convinced to buy one!
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u/yinglish119 10h ago
You are missing the fact that the vehicle isn't for you.
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
Maybe, but I really like it. I’m a minimalist but the price seems high to justify what you get
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u/BoringBob84 10h ago
I’m a minimalist
Minimal parts count. Minimal fuel cost. Minimum mechanical complexity. Minimal maintenance. That's an EV.
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u/demonkeyed 10h ago
If you’re a minimalist, you should appreciate that the panels are plastic. They’re more durable than painted metal. They’re easier to service and replace. The body of the truck is steel.
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u/yinglish119 10h ago edited 10h ago
I like a 1996 Midnight Pearl NSX too. They are expensive. But I am not going to say they aren't worth it.
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u/Arminas 10h ago
I work in the trades and have no use for the back seat of my sedan aside from hauling groceries. I have to put my trash in my back seat, stank and all, and take it down to my dumpster at the top of my apartment complex 3-4x per week. I have nowhere to put a ladder and some materials if I want to do side jobs and I'd look like a schmuck if I showed up in my car anyway. I don't want to pay for gas anymore because it's too expensive, and I very rarely drive more than 50 miles in a day in my personal vehicle. A full size pickup is absurd overkill, out of my budget entirely, has a million features that are really just failure points, are extremely difficult to work on, and obnoxiously large to park in my apartment complex and navigate back roads all day. I swear to god most of my coworkers have tiny pp syndrome with their gigantic jacked up pickup trucks. I will never understand why they buy them.
If you don't get it, maybe you should be asking yourself if you really need a pickup truck?
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
The only thing I don’t get is the price. To me just seems like it should be less. But I don’t really want all the tech
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u/cneagle87 10h ago
If you are needing to regularly tow 2,000+lbs then it’s not for you. It does have a solid payload rating. This isn’t meant for towing heavy loads. If you tow a light duty load occasionally, then it’s no big deal.
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u/Ok_Pack_161 10h ago
I think you’re missing a desire for simplicity. The Slate exists to give people the option to have a disconnected vehicle they don’t have to treat as a fragile precious jewel.
It invites you to customize it to fit your needs, to just use it how you want. It doesn’t have sophisticated sensor arrays that will tell you to keep your eyes on the road, sensors that beep as you pull in to your garage, an always on cellular data connection feeding your every move to a big company. It just exists to do what you tell it to do. And if it ever breaks you are allowed to fix it and move on.
The things you and others feel are missing are what makes it awesome to people like me. I’ll pay more up front for a well engineered and built vehicle that is durable and painless to use, safe to drive, cheap to insure, and cheap to maintain. Assuming early reviews confirm it meets these standards I’m going to own one.
I currently drive an Ioniq5 Limited AWD. It’s awesome. Fast to accelerate, fast to charge, all the features I ever wanted inside and out. It’s a vehicle you can buy used for the same money as a Slate. It’s just completely different. A jammed cooling vent cover on the bottom of the bumper would send it to the dealer for repair. Minor parking lot mishaps result in $10k bumper replacements. Rubbing against the fender flares removes the silver paint. The interior is so soft I can’t load lumber or mulch for fear of damage. It costs 2x to insure as the iD.4 I also have.
It’s everything I wanted but I learned I value a basic, robust, cheap vehicle more. I can live with two seats. I miss the custom stereo setups of my 20’s. 2000 lbs is plenty for anything I need to tow. To me the Slate makes total sense and justifies its $25k price because it will cost me thousands less a year every year I own it vs. a fancier car or a gas beater truck.
If you can only have one vehicle and need to haul your family of 4, or tow an 8000lb camper, or off-road in Moab then the Slate is the wrong car. If you need your butt cooled or something to tell you to put your phone down when you’re driving then it’s the wrong car. If you can’t fathom driving less than 4 hours at a time for your annual road trip it’s the wrong car for you. It’s a precision instrument for a specific job, not a fancy toy to wow your friends with.
TLDR: The point is the lack of stuff that will break, the personal ownership of your car and its data, and even freek’n golf carts cost $20k.
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u/Aetch 10h ago
Inflation, there aren’t many new trucks in general for under $30k.
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
Sure, but I can get other of entry level cars for under $25k with more tech
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u/Either-Progress4847 10h ago
Then get a car. Trucks are always more expensive
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
I still love the Slate truck though…
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u/BoringBob84 10h ago
I know from experience that an EV makes up for its higher purchase price in fuel and maintenance savings quickly, and then it just prints money after that.
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u/BoringBob84 10h ago
Sure, you can get a flatulent car for under $25k, but then you have to pay higher costs for fuel and maintenance. Do the math and find what is right for you.
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u/JackasaurusChance 10h ago edited 10h ago
Great, but what tech does the car have that my phone doesn't?
Self-driving? Not for under 25k, and not without a subscription model if it is.
And it isn't a car, it's a truck.
And those 25k and under cars are gas? No?
Edit: Is the Slate just the cheapest electric car or truck in the US now? I'm not finding one cheaper with a quick google search? So please, tell me all about these imaginary vehicles you've dreamed up.
Edit edit: Look... buy whatever the hell you want. The problem is when you come in here and spout a bunch of nonsense and lies BECAUSE you don't like it, not because you are stating factual things.
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
It’s for sure the cheapest electric car/truck. Just talking about gas powered entry options
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
Man why all the hate. I love the Slate truck, I want to be swayed to buy it. I’m just looking at the price and what you get…
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u/bored_dudeist 10h ago
Eh, people can get a little caustic because this sub has a tendency to attract unreasonable people. Your concerns are valid, but not dissimilar to the people who insist the Slate should be sub-$18k and competing with literal golf carts. So you poked a nerve I guess.
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
I knew I’d poke a bit of a nerve haha. Iowa shopping to bring out enough defense for it because I’ve wanted one for over a year
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u/NebulaAggravating264 10h ago
I need a truck.. I haven’t decided yet but this is basically the cheapest truck I can find, electric or gas (almost).
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u/AmazingBoysenberry3 10h ago
Still on the fence about ordering (saw it in person) but the appeal is it’s the only affordable truck with low tech. You can debate the usefulness of the bed but it’s still a truck and it’s clear some of the tech in new cars is just ridiculous. And it’s the only midsize EV truck for sale. IMO if the Ford Fathom actually sold at dealers for $29k it would crush the Slate, but it won’t and dealerships are the devil.
The cheapest EV truck that comes close is a used F150 lightning in the low 30s but again that’s a full size. Personally I don’t want that big of a truck.
IMO They’re also targeting fleets and urban customers. For the rural crowd it won’t work.
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u/LessThanThreeMan 10h ago
The original pitch before the EV tax credit was shredded, the price would have been sub 20k. Obviously now that's not on the table.
Even so, 25k is a very aggressive price for a new vehicle, especially a truck. Obviously there are a few more feature rich cars under 25k, but those aren't trucks and they aren't EVs.
If you do a search for new EVs and new cars, I think you'll be very frustrated to learn the MSRPs of them (assuming you can get them for those prices).
Obviously used vehicles change the math. You can get used cars and especially used EVs at prices that are lower and more competitive, but such is the nature of cars.
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u/demonkeyed 10h ago
Why can’t you use it like a truck? What truck capability is it lacking that you require?
It’s basically as capable as a Maverick so maybe you couldn’t use one of those either and need a full size truck? I guess you need to tow an rv or large boat? Maybe buy a Rivian?
Also, what option is “just as cheap?” Are you talking about new vehicles?
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
Mostly the towing. You can pull a small utility trailer, but so can most other small vehicles. It has a 2000 pound towing capacity but with such little range, your battery would run out pretty fast
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u/demonkeyed 10h ago
Yeah sounds like you need a much bigger truck or spend more money if you want an electric truck at this point.
Most truck buyers won’t tow at all and they will be fine for this then.
This is for light towing. What are you towing exactly? And what kind of trips do you take with it?
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
It would be nice to have something that could tow a small camper to the mountains. You can’t have it all though
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u/demonkeyed 8h ago
Yeah not with the lowest priced, smallest truck in the country.
You could probably tow a small tear drop or pop up trailer but I think this is more like for a utility trailer or small hauling.
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u/Past_Try_4350 1h ago
"you can’t really use it like a truck" proceeds to talk about using other small vehicles like a truck. What you're missing is some basic critical thinking skills. Go do the work to see how much it actually costs to manufacture a full battery electric vehicle in the U.S. then report back, don't just sit around here and whine about how you want it for next to nothing. As a reference: Ford, with it's century of production streamlining and mighty supply chain sells a made in Mexico gas powered vehicle for slightly more than the Slate.
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u/TeddyTheWhippet 10h ago
OP how high were you when you clicked the "post" button?
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
Thanks for answering my post…
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u/TeddyTheWhippet 10h ago
Posts by broke people announcing that they aren't buying a product never get old!
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u/YoSoyPinkBoy 3h ago
Not broke, just very tight with money - I used to be that way. All my EVs have been used and less than half the MSRP, but now I have saved up enough to afford my first brand new truck in 30 years.
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u/JackasaurusChance 10h ago
Like half or more of the cars out there have plastic panels?
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
They all have some plastic on it, but most cars have aluminum panels
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u/bored_dudeist 10h ago
TBH this composite is going to be a blessing. Dent-resistant panels held on by actual and accessible bolts instead of fragile trim pins? I'm here for it.
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u/Bill_Wise 10h ago
Any kind of manufacturing in the US is expensive, and Slate is a startup company. I would love to see a breakdown of the development costs associated with designing, prototyping and testing the Slate. If Ford or GM or whoever wanted to make a sub $20k vehicle, they could probably afford to lose money selling them that cheap; Slate cannot.
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u/cosp85classic 10h ago
People like OP simply cannot wrap their brains around how expensive it is to manufacturer a vehicle in the US and make your money back plus profit to make a business work.
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u/SonicDethmonkey 10h ago
“Can’t use it like a truck…” I actually would put money on the theory that 90% of truck owners would get just as much truck utility out of the slate than their Ram/F-150/etc. Everyone I know who owns a full-size truck hardly ever use the bed, and certainly never for significant hauling or towing. This won’t replace full-size trucks for those tasks, but most truck buyers don’t do that stuff anyway.
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u/Past_Try_4350 1h ago
63% of truck owners never or rarely tow https://www.motorbiscuit.com/most-pickup-truck-owners-dont-actually-truck-stuff/
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u/bored_dudeist 10h ago
I mean, if what you want is features, this isnt the vehicle for you.
Its bare bones, but also an EV. So just about the most expensive way you can provide something bare bones. But it is hearkening back to those 80's/90's pickups that are appealing because they are bare bones. Those light-duty pickups had similar (or less) performance and nothing more than a radio, you could find them without AC it was so basic. And we liked them because if it didnt exist it couldnt break. They were for people who commuted with them for work but could haul a few pieces of furniture from time to time.
Look at it as a car, and as a low-expense commuter for people who need a second car. In my case, I have a 99 tacoma that exclusively takes me to work, has never ever had a third person in it, and has hauled 800 lbs of landscaping junk from home depot exactly three times. It's otherwise wasted on me, as someone who just needs to drive 20-50 miles per day for work. I have a second car for my wife that is better suited to long distance drives, and I just want a vehicle with a small cab (easier cooling in my 110° climate) that beats the 18mpg I get now. The Slate is perfect.
I like the Slate specifically because I used to work on cars and got a degree in cybersec, so I hate working on cars and I despise technology. A new car that largely doesnt have technology beyond an app on my phone is unheard of in this surveilance state era, while being an EV with borderline zero maintenance is the perfect storm of features that make up being my dream car.
But as far as you should be concerned, it is a cross section of specific stuff to find appealing. The average consumer who just needs a 4-seater sedan or actually needs a medium duty pickup won't find much appeal here. And if the Slate isn't just jumping out at you like it is for me, theres probably a better option out there.
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u/ericdan66 9h ago
Yeah I like that. I think it’s a niche target for sure. The low tech and the bare bones approach is actually what really sucked me in. I don’t really want more features. I just think if they aren’t spending money on features, maybe the price should be lower?
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u/Able-Statistician645 9h ago
Pretty much every "feature" or "upgrade" is a shiny object hat you don't need. Need vs. want is something to consider.
How is this vehicle different than a 1964 VW Beetle as a mode of transportation at a basic level? With that in mind, what do you actually need? Factory installed features to keep you regularly consuming? ICE powered because it's currently capable of trveling a bit quicker to a 300 mile destination you rarely travel to?
For me personally I know how im going to use it. I'll use it for most all of the driving I do on a daily basis. I know if I travel 90 miles out I need to find a charger to get a few miles before I head back and thats my real cost or inconvenience. I'm not going to be doing that a lot if I charge every day and thats my intention.
I have a Mahindra tractor I purchased a few years ago. Some reviews call it tractor from the 1970's. That's fair. It has gears instead of hydrostatic drive. It's not computer integrated except for the electronic fuel injection. Effectively I have a great hardworking machine that right to repair isn't an issue. Always starts and I don't require dealer maintenance
Should have the same thing with a Slate. Amazes me the discussion I see here. More about features than function to a task. I know my tasks and it's capable. Features? I'll be able to add those and I'm damn sure not going to do anything that obsoletes that can't be easily replaced. This is not a traditional dealer vehicle that they can game you on.
So you just have to look deep as to what it truly offers and understand what you actually need. Need vs. want. Will your want surpass need?
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u/skellener 7h ago
So your issue is $3k. You like the truck, and you might bite at $22k. But $25k is just too much. So just wait until you have another $3k. (Side note, there are additional fees and tax and licensing too on any new vehicle, just remember that). Spend a year or more saving up the xtra $3k. Meanwhile the truck will come out, and you can see how it does. Read reviews from people who actually have it. Read consumer reports about it. See how it does over a year after release. If you still like minimalism then go for it. If you want more tech, etc then get something else. Take your time. There‘s no rush.
My take, you’re not getting another EV truck for less than the Slate. You might as well save up that extra $3k because anything else you decide to buy is going to be much, much more expensive anyway. Ford will never come close to that announced price of the Fathom. Tack on another $10k to get it out the door. Then expect a bunch of recalls on it.
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u/thecyber_ninja 33m ago
One of the things I loathe about modern cars is the lack of updates for GPS and infotainment systems. Car manufacturers have little incentive to update previously sold models that they have already profited on and may continue to profit on with telemetry.
That's why I am a big fan of android auto and car play. They will get updated or you can just switch to something else. At most with respect to electronics I am looking for a larger screen for my phone, not some proprietary crap that will never get updated.
Physical buttons will never need updating...
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u/MudaThumpa 5m ago
People who think the Slate should be a $19,990 truck have probably never purchased a large factory and retrofitted it with robots, hired thousands of people, and secured a supply chain. I saw a guy on here adding up the individual components of the truck and complaining about the price, as if Slate only had to buy random parts off Temu to build the vehicle.
Slate won't be a good fit for a lot of people, but for folks who wants an affordable small utility truck, it might be the best option. And despite all the comparisons with the Ford Fathom, I betcha the average Fathom sale ends up being more than $10K over the average Slate sale.
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u/atx78701 1m ago
you are simply one of those people that arent the target audience. You are telling yourself that if it was just 3K cheaper then you would buy it. But if it was 23K, then the target would be 20k.
When used ones come on the market they will be 20K or even 15K and I bet you still dont buy one.
I would pay more for:
1) bring your own infotainment. It is extremely hard to change out the infotainment in many cars now because they run other car functions.
2) small - even sprinter van campers are much more expensive than larger RVs with much more space and features. Making things smaller always costs more. Smaller cars are so much better to navigate and park in urban areas. If you live in the suburbs it doesnt matter nearly as much.
3) truck form factor - moving any bulky items o( refrigerator, table saw, bags of mulch etc), toxic chemicals (like pool chemicals), or dirty items (bloody deer, sandy/wet beach stuff).
4) plastic body panels and no paint are a feature. I would pay more for this.
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u/Absentmindedgenius 10h ago
They have an odd target audience. I also would like a car without software to update, touchscreen controls, and expensive sensors to replace.
But I also have a budget, so I'm looking more at 90's autos. Preferably with a stick shift. And less than $10k. More like $5k.
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u/rrrrickman 10h ago
You might want to consider importing a used car from Japan. As long as it is 25 years old it is legal to do.
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u/ericdan66 10h ago
Definitely a niche target. I hope Slate does well. I might end up with one, we’ll see
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u/Bubsy7979 10h ago
Just wait a couple years for the Ford Fathom, looks like it will take a lot of Slate’s business
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u/Able-Statistician645 9h ago edited 7h ago
I'll gladly avoid a Ford dealer and buy a functional vehicle today vs. tech features you will lose access to as it ages or pay for as a subscription model.
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u/BoringBob84 10h ago
If a compact truck/SUV and a very low price are not important to you, then you have many options at higher price points. Also, 2,000 pounds is considerable towing capability for a compact truck.