Bigger may not be better when it comes to the battery.

[JeffVA]

Slates battery decision will be what kills this truck. When it debuted everyone only saw a small 2 door, low priced truck that could be customized and was something we never seen before. The day it was released and we all watched that 30 minute video NOTHING was mentioned about the battery technology that they were going to use. It was only a matter of time for those of us that knew little about EV's and EV batteries to find out the major flaw in their design and this was actually just a cheap disposable truck.

The Glitter Dust is quickly wearing off

 

[cvollers]

Slates battery decision will be what kills this truck. When it debuted everyone only saw a small 2 door, low priced truck that could be customized and was something we never seen before. The day it was released and we all watched that 30 minute video NOTHING was mentioned about the battery technology that they were going to use. It was only a matter of time for those of us that knew little about EV's and EV batteries to find out the major flaw in their design and this was actually just a cheap disposable truck.

The Glitter Dust is quickly wearing off

All new cars produced today (regardless of price) are disposable. Certainly all Teslas are built that way...they start falling apart in five years...less time if its a Cybertruck. Cars not lasting forever is what keeps the auto makers in business. Even Toyota, the paragon of dependability and long-lasting vehicles, has jumped on the bandwagon. If the battery in a Slate is the only thing that fails in 8-10 years (and I doubt it will be), merely replacing the battery after the vehicle is fully amortized seems like a win to me if the rest of the truck is fully operational...most importantly the motor. There are so few systems to fail that it seems likely that the Slate (other than its battery), might outlast other new cars being produced today. We know the body panels and exterior finish (wrap) are replaceable. Just think about how many ECUs are in a typical new car. How many do you think the Slate will have? Other than those specifically tasked with meeting federally mandated safety standards, I'm guessing very few.

 

[skidoofast]

Slates battery decision will be what kills this truck. When it debuted everyone only saw a small 2 door, low priced truck that could be customized and was something we never seen before. The day it was released and we all watched that 30 minute video NOTHING was mentioned about the battery technology that they were going to use. It was only a matter of time for those of us that knew little about EV's and EV batteries to find out the major flaw in their design and this was actually just a cheap disposable truck.

The Glitter Dust is quickly wearing off

hopefully they will design it to be modernized as time goes on so the next replacement battery can be a newer technology

this is a huge reason Milwaukee Tools has been superior, they designed their platform to be forward thinking

 

[Mad Mac]

It has never been about the environment.
It is about protecting the domestic
car and truck market.
When economical small foreign cars and trucks began flooding the country,
barriers were thrown up to save Detroit.
The "Chicken Tax" tariff, import quotas and burdensome emission and safety requirements blocked the micro vehicles and other small vehicles enjoyed by the rest of the world. The CAFE standards perpetuate the scheme. It is not an unintentional error. It's on purpose.

 

[E90400K]

It has never been about the environment.
It is about protecting the domestic
car and truck market.
When economical small foreign cars and trucks began flooding the country,
barriers were thrown up to save Detroit.
The "Chicken Tax" tariff, import quotas and burdensome emission and safety requirements blocked the micro vehicles and other small vehicles enjoyed by the rest of the world. The CAFE standards perpetuate the scheme. It is not an unintentional error. It's on purpose.

I'd say more on the US has no tax penalty in relation to engine displacement.

 

[AZFox]

hopefully they will design it to be modernized as time goes on so the next replacement battery can be a newer technology

I share this optimistic point of view. Seems to me that batteries will become cheaper, lighter, higher-capacity, faster-charging, etc., in the future.

Even as someone not focused on the topic of Battery Technology I see articles -- well, headlines anyway -- about "breakthrough" battery tech improvements on what seems to be a weekly basis. That said, don't mistake me for someone who believes most of what he reads in the "news".

There's a lot of economic incentive, so improvements will likely happen.

 

[SlateModGarage]

It would be cool if you can get the standard battery and plug in an extra for days you need it. Or have it charging wile doing small trips. I know it will be to heavy and unpredictable but still be cool. I could one day see travel trailers with batteries for long trips for EVs.

 

[The Weatherman]

It would be cool if you can get the standard battery and plug in an extra for days you need it. Or have it charging wile doing small trips. I know it will be to heavy and unpredictable but still be cool. I could one day see travel trailers with batteries for long trips for EVs.

Here you go! There is another manufacture out there also, but I can’t seem to recall it.

https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=p...ate=ive&vld=cid:a66858a2,vid:rpbfLEOH9Dk,st:0

 

[skidoofast]

It would be nice if it had something like the Ryobi Electric Zero Turns had where you could add or remove suitcase batteries as you need, you COULD have some on a charge stand ready to go and hot swap them (i do understand that these are 80v and Slate will be 400v)

 

[SlateModGarage]

It would be nice if it had something like the Ryobi Electric Zero Turns had where you could add or remove suitcase batteries as you need, you COULD have some on a charge stand ready to go and hot swap them (i do understand that these are 80v and Slate will be 400v)

Yes and power levels. LOL.

 

[5ohbrad]

After a little research and some basic math, you should only charge an MNC battery to 80% (120 miles). On average MNC batteries loose up to 30% of their capacity after 10 years (84 mile range) and, loose about 40% below 32 degrees (50.4 miles)

Worst case scenario for the bigger battery is 80.64 miles.

Slate has talked about how great this vehicle will be for the 2nd and even the 3rd owners of this vehicle because they can customize it and make it their own but they never mentioned that the 2nd or possibly 3rd owners will have to drop between $15-20k for a "Small" replacement battery (at today's cost).

Hate to say it but if any of the top 3 auto manufacturers finally wake up and build a small regular cab ICE truck then it's good by Slate.

This truck is looking more and more "Disposable" after about 10 years...

Battery cost per kWh is dropping like a rock. Look at the Nissan Leaf. Over the life of the vehicle, battery tech improved and they offered a larger 62kwh battery. DIY types (a lot of this community) have been upgrading Leafs with 62kwh refurbished batteries for $5000. That’s a larger battery than the Slate! In ten years time, it is not far fetched to think that an affordable upgraded battery will be available. You wouldn’t throw away an ICE vehicle that needed a trans or an engine- same concept but this is simpler.

 

[5ohbrad]

All new cars produced today (regardless of price) are disposable. Certainly all Teslas are built that way...they start falling apart in five years...less time if its a Cybertruck. Cars not lasting forever is what keeps the auto makers in business. Even Toyota, the paragon of dependability and long-lasting vehicles, has jumped on the bandwagon. If the battery in a Slate is the only thing that fails in 8-10 years (and I doubt it will be), merely replacing the battery after the vehicle is fully amortized seems like a win to me if the rest of the truck is fully operational...most importantly the motor. There are so few systems to fail that it seems likely that the Slate (other than its battery), might outlast other new cars being produced today. We know the body panels and exterior finish (wrap) are replaceable. Just think about how many ECUs are in a typical new car. How many do you think the Slate will have? Other than those specifically tasked with meeting federally mandated safety standards, I'm guessing very few.

Couldn’t agree more. As a fleet operator, the complexity and resulting decline in quality since the pandemic has been noticeable. Every automaker seems to struggle with recalls. Our cost to wrap an Explorer is in the thousands of dollars, paint is even pricier. I don’t think people realize how much cheaper to operate the Slate promises to be. Time will tell!

 

[Shay]

A debate Im also having. Better drivability and payload vs range. With the weight and decreased capability the larger battery however comes a better resale position. Will have to see what the upspend is.

 

[5ohbrad]

I’m going to gamble that the standard battery will suffice for my 70 mile round trip daily. My hope is by the time battery degradation is a concern, an upgrade will be available. A similar 57kwh battery should at a minimum be affordable and ideally be lighter by that time- improving performance. Or load it up with a more energy dense battery for additional range, capability and increased towing possibly? If it’s sells well (appears that it will) the aftermarket will step up and offer options.

 

[GeoLogic]

While this is universal across all EV manufacturers, it alas mustn't be forgotten that they're all exaggerating the actual range you're going to get from the battery, including Slate. Cargo/passengers, heat, running audio/accessories... Every single addition is something you know they're not counting when they boast about ranges. Best-case, biggest battery range in the Slate is poor by any reasonable measure, and that, along with daft lack of AWD, severely reduces my confidence in this otherwise compelling vehicle. I'm very disappointed in this. But I do hope Slate might vastly improve range, and offer brain-dead necessary AWD, at some point in the future if these egregious shortcomings don't kill the company before they get the chance to address them.

I must also add, even though the cost is lesser than the average wanton new vehicle, it's still extremely expensive for nothing. Just wait until you add anything the normal person would want, and I bet this truck will cost $35 - $40K. That's a lot of damn money. And let's be honest, Slate: That Federal incentive is GONE. You know it, we know it. There is a probability of Zero that that incentive is still there by the time you go to production.

Anyway, none of this is meant to throw shade on the potential for this vehicle. I just personally feel it suffers from some serious, potentially fatal flaws. And I feel burned by that because I otherwise immensely want one of these.