Slate EV Pickup

E

E365

Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
2,460
Location
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Slate, a new EV company, just unveiled their first truck. Funded by Jeff Bezos, apparently. www.slate.auto

Designed to be very basic, and highly customizable.
RWD only
Under $20k after Federal Rebate
Made in USA
No infortainment screen
No speakers
Manual windows
J3400 charge port
150 miles range, upgradable to 240 miles
Payload around 1,400 lbs
Towing around 1,000 lbs
Only comes in Grey and designed to be easily vinyl wrapped.
Optional “SUV kit”
20-80% DCFC around 30 minutes.
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AZjeff said:
The Luddite dream truck
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I must point out a glaring mistake here.

Luddites was a defamatory name given to those who thought advancements made during the industrial revolution threatened their jobs.
Making a "stripped version" can result a less expensive, simpler and more reliable vehicle. It's just a practical thing to do.

My mother wanted, sought and finally found a sewing machine which just ran basic stiches.
She didn't want one with an electro-mechanically controlled menu of 150 different stitches. Nor did she want one with a swing arm.
Are you going to make fun of people like her too?
She merely didn't want to pay for options she didn't want.

Just because you may prefer a raft of options.........

NOTES + PREDICTIONS:
1. I read that the slender guts of power windows are cheaper to make than crank window hardware so I predict power windows will be available. I also assume plants which can turn out crank window hardware (CWH?) can be tooled up, even in Mechanically Sunset America.

2. It has AC.

3. If they're smart, they'll include a power line to the seats for customization (addition of motorized seat/heated seat).

4. Ford will take 'em to court because it looks like an older Ranger and a Flex had a baby.

5. 3rd picture down: Mimicking Tesla's 'tabbed wheel cover' is beyond inexcusably unoriginal.
 
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I love the concept. There used to be a time in the USA where you could pick up a vehicle (remember custom vans?) and customize it the way you want. I doubt we will go back to those days. The youth today is "plug and play" no interest.

With that said I think this truck is a slam dunk and will sell. I can see fleets of them for contractors. More or less employer supply worker trucks.
I live in a state with massive new home building and I can imagine these things all over the place.

This was my custom van ... the interior was more amazing than the exterior. Is was a party vechile for sure. over 4 decades ago 😞 gosh I miss those days. I paid for it myself with no help from my parents at around age 20.

Who knows? If the "Slate" became popular an after market may develop but something tells me a cheap Chevy gas pick up might be around the same price or less. Pretty cool ideas and photos if one took the time to click through the OP's link. But wait! I thought the taxpayer gift was going away... ? Ha. we will see but I have my doubts. All the actions taken and nothing about stopping giving away $7,500 to car buyers.

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Kira said:
I must point out a glaring mistake here.

Luddites was a defamatory name given to those who thought advancements made during the industrial revolution threatened their jobs.
Making a "stripped version" can result a less expensive, simpler and more reliable vehicle. It's just a practical thing to do.......

Just because you may prefer a raft of options.........
Click to expand...
In today's culture Luddite describes a person opposed to new technology. Guys here have been wishing for a simple cheap truck and car forever. This truck fits that description except for the EV part instead of ICE. Modern Luddites will definitely wish it had ICE. Luddite is more of a descriptor than an insult today and yes I try to wear the title.

And I always buy the lowest trim version with the fewest options that I can find. It's hard. Do you? ;)

This is the size of a 1985 Toyota truck and oddly the payload is higher that the towing capacity. Predict guys will immediately double the purchase price with all options, a wrap, etc.
 
alarmguy said:
I love the concept. There used to be a time in the USA where you could pick up a vehicle (remember custom vans?) and customize it the way you want. I doubt we will go back to those days. The youth today is "plug and play" no interest.
Click to expand...

Respectfully disagree. I see trucks suvs cars and motorcycles every day that have been customized to the owner's taste. Raised, lowered, wings, flaps, lights, wheels, tires, tents, loud exhaust, wraps, tint, etc etc. I think there are more far more options today than when I was young and dumb in the 70s. I had a van too, a 1969 GMC dogbox van with chrome reverse wheels and a round porthole window in the rear quarter. Used it to haul motocross bikes and other things. We won't talk about it.
 
Loving the column shifter but since it's electric having 4 mechanical keyboard buttons for prnd would be more utilitarian, space efficient, cost effective. and reliable. Same for automatics that are electronically actuated and don't have a mechanical linkage like my 10 speed. I'd rather have 4 buttons than the huge worthless fake shifter taking up space and being more junk to go wrong.
 
AZjeff said:
Respectfully disagree. I see trucks suvs cars and motorcycles every day that have been customized to the owner's taste. Raised, lowered, wings, flaps, lights, wheels, tires, tents, loud exhaust, wraps, tint, etc etc. I think there are more far more options today than when I was young and dumb in the 70s. I had a van too, a 1969 GMC dogbox van with chrome reverse wheels and a round porthole window in the rear quarter. Used it to haul motocross bikes and other things. We won't talk about it.
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Growing up on Long Island in the 70's and 80's there were a lot of places. Mine was done at East Coast Vans. I dont know of places like that, soup to nuts. Rolled and pleated interior front to back with button tuffs, full installation in the walls. Air brushed murals, I had them install the air horns, the real deal with air tank and compressor, it was loud *LOL*
. All those places closed down where I grew up. Actually this place so big, dealers bought stripped down versions and sent them there for customization. Missing from the photo was the front air dam under the bumper. two feet of snow over the winter took it off. It wrapped around to the front wheel wells. I think I re-installed it some time later. My photos limited, as the X threw them away.

If you REALLY wanted it done right, many of these places were great. Most of the stuff you buy now, like the vehicle itself comes pretty loaded. I dont know but I think hard to order a stripped down model, though I havent tried. Im sure anything is possible. I just don't see a lot around here.

IN Columbia SC before we moved there was a place that did awesome jobs on pick-ups.
 
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An EV startup based in Troy, with auto industry veterans running the show and big money backing, building a no-frills vehicles in Indiana?

Man does this story sound familiar.

Oh, yeah, now I remember!

Electric Last Mile Solutions! They were an EV startup based in Troy, just a few miles from Slate. They had big dollar investors and former auto industry executives on-board. They had a manufacturing facility lined up in Indiana too, just like Slate. They weren't going to build quirky small pickups though, they were going to build quirky small delivery vans. Same concept though: Nothing extravagant, very modular, just inexpensive, purpose build vehicles to satisfy a niche.

They filed Chapter 7 in 2022.
 
alarmguy said:
Growing up on Long Island in the 70's and 80's there were a lot of places. Mine was done at East Coast Vans. I dont know of places like that, soup to nuts. Rolled and pleated interior front to back with button tuffs, full installation in the walls. Air brushed murals, I had them install the air horns, the real deal with air tank and compressor, it was loud *LOL*
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OK you're talking about driving in and handing them a pile of money. My crowd was dirt poor, we did the mods DIY, sometimes with good results sometimes janky.
 
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I like the concept of a less expensive, "stripper" EV - but RWD only is a deal breaker for me. If I lived somewhere that didn't see ice, snow, or any of the other conditions that make AWD desirable, I'd be interested.

And yes, I've driven multiple RWD (and FWD) vehicles in the winter and survived to tell the tale. AWD is objectively better in those conditions, if all else is equal.
 
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