Air Suspension, Carplay, onboard cooler, double din radio, climate control, wi-fi, hands free liftgate, self driving, waffle maker...

[Rocket13foxtrot]

I thought at launch, Slate was going to be a slam dunk. Just a vehicle that does the minimum to get you where you're going without freezing or being drenched in sweat by the time you get there. The perks are that it's cheap and there is peace in simplicity. To get it to work, you just put in your phone and of you go. Don't have to worry about paint chips, kids destroying the interior, or most ICE vehicle related maintenance. Brilliant. Got my reservation. Told other people to get one too.

I hope I'm wrong, but...

The more I'm reading on this forum the more I'm concerned we don't get it and can't help ourselves. We can't NOT have the creature comfort and tech that we have been accustomed to. The Willy's Jeep, if you will. And Slate, to a certain extent and like any other brand, wants to appease customers (looking at all of you who are asking for things captured in the thread title). I think there are far too few buyers of the Slate in it's base, cheapest form for the business case to pay out, especially without incentives. For example, even I will want the SUV kit, wrap, and the larger battery. Without incentives, that will almost certainly put it over the $30k mark (maybe even $35k... Taxes?). Now we're past halfway to a Scout. Or on par with a used Ridgeline/Ranger/Colorado. Scary close to a Rivian R3. Do I suck that up for the principle of supporting a company that sold itself to me on the platform that we're getting back to basics and revolutionizing transportation - or - do I (or anyone else) just buy my Ioniq 5 at the end of its lease for about the same price, and have 4 doors, way more range, way more performance, and all the modern tech and comforts I was willing to give up in the first place, still under warranty?

I'm 100% in on the design concept we've seen so far. The modularity, ability to customize, and no bologna. But it has to make financial sense to buy a vehicle with none of the "things" and not near the performance of other options.

Ball is in your court Slate. Rooting for you. Stick to your guns.

 

[Rocket13foxtrot]

Oh yeah, and a widebody kit...

 

[E90400K]

Yup. Exactly.

 

[skidoofast]

I thought at launch, Slate was going to be a slam dunk. Just a vehicle that does the minimum to get you where you're going without freezing or being drenched in sweat by the time you get there. The perks are that it's cheap and there is peace in simplicity. To get it to work, you just put in your phone and of you go. Don't have to worry about paint chips, kids destroying the interior, or most ICE vehicle related maintenance. Brilliant. Got my reservation. Told other people to get one too.

I hope I'm wrong, but...

The more I'm reading on this forum the more I'm concerned we don't get it and can't help ourselves. We can't NOT have the creature comfort and tech that we have been accustomed to. The Willy's Jeep, if you will. And Slate, to a certain extent and like any other brand, wants to appease customers (looking at all of you who are asking for things captured in the thread title). I think there are far too few buyers of the Slate in it's base, cheapest form for the business case to pay out, especially without incentives. For example, even I will want the SUV kit, wrap, and the larger battery. Without incentives, that will almost certainly put it over the $30k mark (maybe even $35k... Taxes?). Now we're past halfway to a Scout. Or on par with a used Ridgeline/Ranger/Colorado. Scary close to a Rivian R3. Do I suck that up for the principle of supporting a company that sold itself to me on the platform that we're getting back to basics and revolutionizing transportation - or - do I (or anyone else) just buy my Ioniq 5 at the end of its lease for about the same price, and have 4 doors, way more range, way more performance, and all the modern tech and comforts I was willing to give up in the first place, still under warranty?

I'm 100% in on the design concept we've seen so far. The modularity, ability to customize, and no bologna. But it has to make financial sense to buy a vehicle with none of the "things" and not near the performance of other options.

Ball is in your court Slate. Rooting for you. Stick to your guns.

I think there are a lot of people that want the base pickup with the options to add to it, I believe they are quiet and /or not on here

there are well over 100,000 reservations and only a handful here that comment

as far as I know there are Zero small EV pickups in the market, it is a long forgotten market (even in the ICE configuration because of CAFE)

what’s old is new again, I’ve been waiting for any mainstream manufacturer to give it a try

I hope in my 2017 (which is now old) and I turn on the radio and drive, not using XM radio, not using navigation, forget I have heated seats

my wife’s Subaru has 10 million settings in her car, we use maybe 10, lane keep, sucks, car keeps beeping at me to watch the road!! (Note: I am watching the road)

It’s a weird concept that I’m all in on, I’m excited about the EV tech but desire a car stripped of tech, I don’t quite get it myself

 

[cmugler]

The simplicity is exactly what I am interested in I’ve had a Rivian and two Teslas and I really like the idea of bare-bones truck I won’t get any options just use it for local trips and use model Y for longer trips

 

[Saint Alban]

Years ago, my father and I built an S10 that I loved but eventually sold for a wedding ring. We currently have a Hyundai Kona Electric. I have enjoyed having an EV more than I expected, but at over $40k, it definitely has a lot of features we don’t use. The features we wanted were only included in packages bundled with things we didn’t need. Since then, I’ve always said that if someone just makes a small two door pickup EV, I’m jumping on it. I live in queens, ny. Every truck out there is way too big and expensive. Want am I picking up? Bikes, IKEA furniture, planting soil, bags of salt for the winter, etc? We’re all not in construction. The minute I saw the reveal for the Slate, they hooked me. It reminded me too much of me and my dad’s s10, only EV. As for add on’s. I’m pretty much just want speakers and CarPlay. Anything else can come later. Here’s the s10 for reference.

 

[Adam W]

The more I'm reading on this forum the more I'm concerned we don't get it and can't help ourselves

I don't think this is the case. I'm reading these forum posts as people being excited with the possibility of crafting their perfect Slate - taking the blank platform and adding on the things they value most. It's not that we've become soft and can't get away from "creature comfort tech," it's just that some people value different things. If you don't want carplay or lane keeping assist, great! It's not being forced on you here.

Personally, I'm probably going to go with the blankest of blanks to start, but will likely end up with a few speakers and *maybe* a carplay din if I get tired of taking my phone out of my pocket. And that's about it. Though I will admit I must have missed the thread on waffle makers!

 

[skidoofast]

I don't think this is the case. I'm reading these forum posts as people being excited with the possibility of crafting their perfect Slate - taking the blank platform and adding on the things they value most. It's not that we've become soft and can't get away from "creature comfort tech," it's just that some people value different things. If you don't want carplay or lane keeping assist, great! It's not being forced on you here.

Personally, I'm probably going to go with the blankest of blanks to start, but will likely end up with a few speakers and *maybe* a carplay din if I get tired of taking my phone out of my pocket. And that's about it. Though I will admit I must have missed the thread on waffle makers!

I think that Rocket is right for some they miss the point

some think its too expensive
some think it needs a bigger battery
some think it should be an SUV that converts to a pickup
some think it should have AWD
some think it should have power windows
some think it should have a radio
some think it should have a different battery
some think it should have 4 doors

best part is you can do most of that minus the 4 doors, different battery and for now AWD

but that adds to #1

the traction that this vehicle has gotten in 3 weeks shows there is interest (even though a lot of people say this isn't what people want) which may show that this is exactly what some people want

case point, I want to tippy toe into EV but not at the prices others are, I also am getting sensory overload with the options in vehicles now a days so this think checks off most of my needs

AWD would be nice and I would pay extra for that but its not a deal breaker, just means this vehicle will be a 3 season vehicle for me

 

[cvollers]

I think there are a lot of people that want the base pickup with the options to add to it, I believe they are quiet and /or not on here

there are well over 100,000 reservations and only a handful here that comment

as far as I know there are Zero small EV pickups in the market, it is a long forgotten market (even in the ICE configuration because of CAFE)

what’s old is new again, I’ve been waiting for any mainstream manufacturer to give it a try

I hope in my 2017 (which is now old) and I turn on the radio and drive, not using XM radio, not using navigation, forget I have heated seats

my wife’s Subaru has 10 million settings in her car, we use maybe 10, lane keep, sucks, car keeps beeping at me to watch the road!! (Note: I am watching the road)

It’s a weird concept that I’m all in on, I’m excited about the EV tech but desire a car stripped of tech, I don’t quite get it myself

I have a vehicle stripped of tech and I love it. No screens. A real key start. Navigation on my phone. The world’s tiniest backup camera screen in the rear view mirror. It does have power windows and mirrors…and Bluetooth. It can go off road almost anywhere. It’s very easy to maintain and wrench on. No turbo.

What it doesn’t have is anything close to reasonable fuel economy. It’s a terrible daily/commuter. As currently configured it doesn’t haul and I’m guessing it tows barely more than the Slate.

For me, the Slate is a perfect second car. It’s everything I need in a daily/commuter and nothing I don’t.

 

[5ohbrad]

I thought at launch, Slate was going to be a slam dunk. Just a vehicle that does the minimum to get you where you're going without freezing or being drenched in sweat by the time you get there. The perks are that it's cheap and there is peace in simplicity. To get it to work, you just put in your phone and of you go. Don't have to worry about paint chips, kids destroying the interior, or most ICE vehicle related maintenance. Brilliant. Got my reservation. Told other people to get one too.

I hope I'm wrong, but...

The more I'm reading on this forum the more I'm concerned we don't get it and can't help ourselves. We can't NOT have the creature comfort and tech that we have been accustomed to. The Willy's Jeep, if you will. And Slate, to a certain extent and like any other brand, wants to appease customers (looking at all of you who are asking for things captured in the thread title). I think there are far too few buyers of the Slate in it's base, cheapest form for the business case to pay out, especially without incentives. For example, even I will want the SUV kit, wrap, and the larger battery. Without incentives, that will almost certainly put it over the $30k mark (maybe even $35k... Taxes?). Now we're past halfway to a Scout. Or on par with a used Ridgeline/Ranger/Colorado. Scary close to a Rivian R3. Do I suck that up for the principle of supporting a company that sold itself to me on the platform that we're getting back to basics and revolutionizing transportation - or - do I (or anyone else) just buy my Ioniq 5 at the end of its lease for about the same price, and have 4 doors, way more range, way more performance, and all the modern tech and comforts I was willing to give up in the first place, still under warranty?

I'm 100% in on the design concept we've seen so far. The modularity, ability to customize, and no bologna. But it has to make financial sense to buy a vehicle with none of the "things" and not near the performance of other options.

Ball is in your court Slate. Rooting for you. Stick to your guns.

Couldn’t agree more. I plan on a standard range pickup, maybe a wrap for a touch of color. I’m sure the R3 will be great, but it will never offer simplicity of the Slate. Since the mid 90’s consumers have been duped into buying far more features than we actually require. Why does my daily driver need dual motors, glass cockpit, Alexa/Google assist, AWD and 0-60 under 4 seconds? A 1995 Ranger reg cab shortbed 5spd XLT was around $12k in 1995- that’s about $25.6k in 2025. Even those you could get 4x4, power accessories, V6 auto- and it completely missed the point because it would cease to be cheap, simple and reliable.

 

[cvollers]

Couldn’t agree more. I plan on a standard range pickup, maybe a wrap for a touch of color. I’m sure the R3 will be great, but it will never offer simplicity of the Slate. Since the mid 90’s consumers have been duped into buying far more features than we actually require. Why does my daily driver need dual motors, glass cockpit, Alexa/Google assist, AWD and 0-60 under 4 seconds? A 1995 Ranger reg cab shortbed 5spd XLT was around $12k in 1995- that’s about $25.6k in 2025. Even those you could get 4x4, power accessories, V6 auto- and it completely missed the point because it would cease to be cheap, simple and reliable.

I saw a 1995 reg cab Ranger leaving my neighborhood today and thought it looked fantastic.

 

[AZFox]

To get it to work, you just put in your phone and of you go.

Or just go. All you need is the key.

as far as I know there are Zero small EV pickups in the market, it is a long forgotten market (even in the ICE configuration because of CAFE)

This.

I've owned small pickups and want another one.

 

[DRugerH]

I always buy stripped down cars, and refuse to buy anything newer than 2015. Never had a backup camera, no screens in the car, Until recently, always had a manual transmission (herniated disk in my neck makes my right shoulder painful, so I sadly had to go automatic), my truck has crank windows still, with only an AM/FM radio. Every car I have ever owned uses a physical key. I keep it simple as I absolutely hate technology, so the Slate is right up my ally. I even told my sister that when I get mine, I am going to paint the lens of the backup camera. I think cars are required to have them.... I don't think we are required to use them.

So, the blank slate is perfect for me. The only option I will probably get are the dash mounted speakers. I don't need any of that other stuff. I wish it used a real key, but that's the one thing I will have to budge on.

Dan

 

[Dorbiman]

The more I'm reading on this forum the more I'm concerned we don't get it and can't help ourselves. We can't NOT have the creature comfort and tech that we have been accustomed to.

I don't know that I really agree. The promise of the Slate isn't just simplicity and basics; it's customization. Their whole platform is centralized around customization and adding the options you want, not the options you have to get as part of a package.

If customization and freedom of choice wasn't the point, why have a Maker to configure trucks with all these addons and accessories?

 

[metroshot]

I have a vehicle stripped of tech and I love it. No screens. A real key start. Navigation on my phone. ......
For me, the Slate is a perfect second car. It’s everything I need in a daily/commuter and nothing I don’t.

I was at a Ford dealer parts dept for wipers the other day and there was a customer ahead of me that needed a side mirror assembly for his Ford truck because it got smashed at work.

When the Ford parts rep quoted $1800 for just the driver's side mirror, he became unhinged.
Started yelling and screaming!

He could not understand why it's so expensive, when the parts manager came out and explained that his newer, fully loaded Platinum trim truck has built in: advanced BLIS sensors, turn signal lights, marker lights, defrosting heated glass,, and folding motor features.....

This is when I thought I miss my old dad's F100 truck that had manual mirrors without any tech or features - just a plain mirror and steel housing - probably would cost $150 ?

Slate is going to be great because it's going back to the old manual everything days......