Why Doug DeMuro Thinks the Slate Truck Will Fail

[Marty1000]

I think Doug may have a good point about 2 doors vs. 4 doors. I once drove with in the back bench seat of my friends RAM 2 door pickup and I hated that ride. Maybe the SUV version of the SLATE will be better if they can add some more seats and ease way of getting in and out of there? I still think 4 doors on any vehicle is a plus when you have to drive with more then two people in the vehicle.

 

[Sojourner]

this truck is an intro EV, techy, fun

^^^ This ^^^

For me, anyway.

 

[Ewwgas]

This truck will be successful as long as they keep the design as clean and classic as possible. I just like the looks of it and price. All the other stats are horrible but I'm okay with that.

 

[dcgray2]

I actually agree with Doug that the price is too high.

I have a reservation for one but will be watching what the price does over the next year and a half.

I'm probably interested enough (I think it's neat) and have enough disposable income that I will buy one anyway but as things like the Cybertruck have shown, initial excitement by a small group of weirdos like us does not alway equal ongoing sustained demand.

Who knows maybe Slate will pull a Ford Model T move and drop the price over time... Model pricing went from $850 in 1908 to a low of $260 in 1924

 

[cvollers]

Doug is a shill for Big Auto. They keep him in business.

 

[cvollers]

What is techy and fun about it? Its slow to accelerate, slow to charge, and is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).

The lack of tech makes it fun. Is driving a golf cart fun? It sure is and it’s not because of tech. It’s just a pure driving experience.

 

[cvollers]

The four door thing Doug is struck on assumes that the Slate is being targeted to families or to people as a "lifestyle" vehicle (eg. Jeep, Bronco, 4Runner, etc.). I can with almost complete certainty say that this is an incorrect assumption. The Slate is a commuter for 1-2 people. Its a light duty hauler for small businesses. Its a low cost way to get 1-2 mountain bikes to the trail. Its a first car for a kid about to head off to college. It is not a family car that needs to transport 3+ people. The target buyer doesn't need the extra two doors. Some really good examples of cars with two doors that have succeeded: Mazda Miata, Porsche 911, BMW coupes, Mercedes coupes and SLs. What do they all have in common? The target buyer only has 1-2 people in the car at one time. On top of that, if the Slate buyer's needs change, he/she can buy the SUV kit and move more people. You can't do that with a Miata.

 

[GaRailroader]

I actually agree with Doug that the price is too high.

I have a reservation for one but will be watching what the price does over the next year and a half.

I'm probably interested enough (I think it's neat) and have enough disposable income that I will buy one anyway but as things like the Cybertruck have shown, initial excitement by a small group of weirdos like us does not alway equal ongoing sustained demand.

Who knows maybe Slate will pull a Ford Model T move and drop the price over time... Model pricing went from $850 in 1908 to a low of $260 in 1924

Don’t forget when Cybertruck was announced in 2019 it was to start at $39,990. I wanted the $39,990 version. I cancelled my Cybertruck order the day after I reserved a Slate. Cybertruck would have sold a lot better if it came closer to the price they estimated in 2019.

 

[kcht66]

I saw the video again and I read and Cars article… and both have the same position.

Well anyone can think wherever they want… that’s true. But there’s position supported by the competition. I lost my respect with Demuro. You can compare prices of ICE (maverick) against EV (slate) if the price is the point anyone doesn’t buy a rivian t1 because you have a lots of models like Tahoes and all the cheapest.. silverados… Ranger, f150, etc… Hondas, Kia’s, Toyota etc…. And the same logic works with any other Ev compare with used market car. Even news ICE.

And maverick are growing to 29k the basic XL. The XLT quickly rise to 38 with some adds. Is not cheap anymore.

So I saw a lots of Demuro car videos but now not anymore. He lost all the respect. I don’t believe in his opinions anymore.

 

[MotoGary]

Doug has become quite wealthy understanding the automotive market.

Which only proves that you don't have to be very bright to make YouTube money. I don't know anything about this guy, but his argument is full of logical flaws. He rattles off all of the failed/canceled 2-door vehicles, which is actually a great argument for why Slate could succeed. It's like saying there's no market for a dumb phone because most people want a smart phone. The Slate team sees an opportunity and is perfectly positioned to take advantage.

 

[E90400K]

The lack of tech makes it fun. Is driving a golf cart fun? It sure is and it’s not because of tech. It’s just a pure driving experience.

Gotta love the manual steering.

 

[E90400K]

Which only proves that you don't have to be very bright to make YouTube money. I don't know anything about this guy, but his argument is full of logical flaws. He rattles off all of the failed/canceled 2-door vehicles, which is actually a great argument for why Slate could succeed. It's like saying there's no market for a dumb phone because most people want a smart phone. The Slate team sees an opportunity and is perfectly positioned to take advantage.

His auction site got a $37M investment in 2023.

I'm sure there is some market for the Slate. But the question is, is it sustainable?

 

[skidoofast]

Gotta love the manual steering.

did they state manual steering??

 

[E90400K]

did they state manual steering??

No, I meant the golfcart, it has manual steering.

 

[E90400K]

I think he is right in that most people want 4 doors, I think he is wrong in thinking there will be no demand for an inexpensive 2 door truck. I won't buy a Maverick because it is not an EV. I won't buy any of the current EV pick-ups because they are too big. Keep in mind the compact trucks were actually killed by the EPA not the lack of demand. EPA structured their regulations by producing a chart of allowable emissions based on the product of the wheelbase and the wheel track. Small truck manufacturers quickly learned it was much easier to make the truck a little bigger than to invest in the technology to clean the emissions. Every year the EPA tightened the regulations which forced the automakers to make the vehicle a little bigger so they could meet a more lax EPA regulation. When the wheelbases start getting longer you got to add more bed or more cab or both. Trucks the size of the Slate were very popular for commercial applications prior to EPA intervention. Remember driving by Autozones and Advance Auto Parts Stores and seeing 2 white regular cab Rangers in the parking lot that they were using for delivering auto parts to repair shops? I have my reservation and hope they are getting enough interest to bring it to market. When I first saw the spy photos, I thought as long as they have a frunk under that hood to address the primary drawback of a small regular cab truck they will have a winner.

I guess the question is since the market is now "trained" to want larger vehicles as a result of the asinine footprint-based CAFE regulations (seems oxymoronic) will there be enough of a market share that 140,000 Slates get bought by consumers. Is the bulk of the market familiar with and have a longing for the compact pickup trucks of the 1980's? Most of us who do are in our late 50's to mid 60's. Do we need a small truck now based on a near retirement lifestyle? How would a Dale Webb community look with hundreds of slate gray 2-door compact pickups in every driveway?

The problem I see here, and maybe DeMuro does too, is the Slate is not a family-oriented vehicle. I think the bulk of the market buys family-oriented vehicles. That said, for me the Slate is a perfect answer for what I need heading into my mid-60's, but I live in the woods on 40 acres, not a Dale Webb property. LOL. I need my Slate to make a run to the trash dump (err... Waste Transfer Station) every few weeks and haul gasoline and diesel back home.