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

[Karl Childers]

Same, maybe with just a few niceties like Door Cubbies (convenience) and Front Light Upgrade (safety). Probably the under-dash speaker holder too (infotainment).

If it wasn't necessary to upgrade the front and rear bumpers in order to get Fog Lights I'd get those too (if the Fog Lights are white and not amber).

I originally thought un-blanking with All-Terrain tires was a nifty idea, but there are consequences I wasn't considering.

#BlankSlateLife will be a thing, although a lot of Blank Slate types of people don't use hashtags.

I like the idea of oem fog lights, but I haven't had any on any of my cars that were worth a damn. I have tried changing to led bulbs, etc. They still suck. Maybe it is my old eyes.

 

[cvollers]

That's nice if you have an ICE.

EV's are relatively maintenance free.

Most I have done over the 7 years of EV driving: tire replacements and wiper blades.

2 cabin air filter replacement under the glove box, wiper fluid refill without any tools.

No Brake pads - even after 70,000 miles!

Keeping my ICE (FJ Cruiser) so keeping all those tools. I have to believe the Slate suspension will need maintenance if keeping long term…maybe even upgrades if adding weight.

 

[AZFox]

I like the idea of oem fog lights, but I haven't had any on any of my cars that were worth a damn. I have tried changing to led bulbs, etc. They still suck. Maybe it is my old eyes.

The reason I like fog lights is because they can be used as driving lights. They create shadows that make it easier to see irregularities in the road because they're mounted low.

Go to somewhere dark, turn on your headlights, then turn your fog lights on and off to see the effect I'm talking about.

 

[cvollers]

The reason I like fog lights is because they can be used as driving lights. They create shadows that make it easier to see irregularities in the road because they're mounted low.

Go to somewhere dark, turn on your headlights, then turn your fog lights on and off to see the effect I'm talking about.

I really liked my fog lights on my Alltrack, but agree that not all fog lights are equally capable. Definitely helped when driving somewhere with no ambient light at night.

 

[cvollers]

See that's the thing, after driving ICEV for 47 years and doing most all my own maintenance and repairs, I'm already set up with a home DIY shop with a lift, air tools, and cordless tools., which I built over 20 years ago. I'd bet a lot of members here are pretty well equipped for DIY as well.

Outstanding.

 

[Luxrage]

The reason I like fog lights is because they can be used as driving lights. They create shadows that make it easier to see irregularities in the road because they're mounted low.

Go to somewhere dark, turn on your headlights, then turn your fog lights on and off to see the effect I'm talking about.

The aftermarket sells a lot of "square" fog lights that I have seen people install into some of the cars in my fleet. If both of the front square panels are removable, I think they'd be a great spot to mount a pair of fogs. That's what I'd do. The only car I've had with fogs were on a Honda Fit and they were more of a style feature than functional LOL. But I knew someone with the 80s-style under-bumper rectangular lights and they did a great job.

 

[AZFox]

I was just pointing out there is this myth on the internet that modern ICEV are this major maintenance headache and infers EV are a hassle-free maintenance. Modern ICEV require very little preventative maintenance IMO. All cars break, even EV, based on most people's DIY skill set, EV are a new technology that will have a steep learning curve.

I'm pretty sure a Steep Learning Curve is deliberately designed out of the Slate.

I'm an EV n00b, but it does seem ICE vehicles do have significantly more periodic maintenance items, don't they?

Oil changes, spark plugs, fuel filters and air filters, coolant, belts & hoses...

That's not to mention various parts that can go wrong.

O2 sensors, knock sensors, ignition coils, radiator, thermostat, fuel pump, yadda yadda.

EVs require far fewer moving parts that can fail and mechanisms to maintain. I don't think that's a misconception.

Existing EVs have considerably more fancy-schmancy gimmickry than a Slate will have. Some Tesla models have Bioweapon Defense Mode. I've never really found a need for that. 🤷‍♂️

Some might call the Slate a Glorified Golf Cart on Steroids. Well, at least when it comes to maintenance and repair, that could be considered a compliment!

 

[Benjamin Nead]

So, we're on the 3rd page of a thread that includes the words "waffle maker" in the title and I have yet to see someone posting a description of one. To rectify that situation, I present the Dash Mini Waffle Maker, which I think is perfectly proportioned to the Slate EV Truck . . .

https://bydash.com/products/mini-waffle-maker

 

[cvollers]

So, we're on the 3rd page of a thread that includes the words "waffle maker" in the title and I have yet to see someone posting a description of one. To rectify that situation, I present the Dash Mini Waffle Maker, which I think is perfectly proportioned to the Slate EV Truck . . .

https://bydash.com/products/mini-waffle-maker

I have a mini waffle maker and love it. Perfect for camping!

 

[SichuanHot]

I like the idea of oem fog lights, but I haven't had any on any of my cars that were worth a damn. I have tried changing to led bulbs, etc. They still suck. Maybe it is my old eyes.

I've tried LEDs as well and had similar results. The thing with off the shelf LED lights is that their light emission pattern isn't optimized for regular halogen reflectors. You need a lens designed for LEDs to take advantage of their light output at the very least. HIDs are still the better option for plugging into OEM fog light housings.

 

[Benjamin Nead]

Moving parts. Just because parts move doesn't necessarily mean they have a higher propensity to break. ICE are so well engineered they last the lifetime of the vehicle when properly maintained. EV have moving parts associated with propulsion, bearings, halfshafts, differentials, etc.

The EV battery has hundreds of non-moving parts that can fail, as well as moving parts. EV have coolant pumps, numerous temperature sensors, radiators, complex coolant diverter valves (Teslas use a 9-way valve with moving parts), a refrigerant compressor (i.e. pump with moving parts), tens of feet of coolant hoses just associated with battery temperature control (seriously critical to safety), let alone cabin heating and cooling.

Then there is the on-board battery charging system with hundreds of electrical components that constantly heat cycle. All have mean time between failure ratings.

Then there is the shitload of software to safely manage electrical energy input and output. EV are very complex vehicles, no less than a modern ICEV, just different.

I think you've exaggerated the comparison greatly here. Staying with the gasoline engine vs. electric motor, it's something like 300 moving parts vs. about 3. Because torque is constant with an electric motor through the entire RPM range, these is no need for clutches and a complex gearboxes, or byzantine fluid-coupled torque converters and auto tranny combos on an EV.

Most of the complexities you cite with temperature control of the battery pack have evolved as well. As battery chemistry choices change, the cells are generally getting much more tolerant of temperature extremes. It's conceivable we'll soon have packs that won't need any sort of cooling or heating whatsoever (we actually tried that with the Nissan Leaf, but the fragile cell chemistry of the day simply wasn't ready.) Current generation Chinese EVs, like BYD, now use a single heat pump for both cabin and battery pack temperature control. And, related to technological evolution in general, magnetic heat pumps are on the horizon now that won't even require pressurized refrigerants.

Real world personal experience of owning 4 decades worth of gasoline cars vs. 10 years with my singular and current EV indicates that service regimes between them isn't even close. The EV, hands down, has been the most reliable, cost effective car of the bunch. We've had over a century to engineer the living sh*t out of internal combustion engine vehicles. Commercially available EVs have been here for what . . . 15 years now? They're only going to get better. We now need to deploy them at scale, have them succeed and, yes, have them fail in the field, so we can make the successive iterations even better.

 

[Dorbiman]

I think you've exaggerated the comparison greatly here. Staying with the gasoline engine vs. electric motor, it's something like 300 moving parts vs. about 3. Because torque is constant with an electric motor through the entire RPM range, these is no need for clutches and a complex gearboxes, or byzantine fluid-coupled torque converters and auto tranny combos on an EV.

Most of the complexities you cite with temperature control of the battery pack have evolved as well. As battery chemistry choices change, the cells are generally getting much more tolerant of temperature extremes. It's conceivable we'll soon have packs that won't need any sort of cooling or heating whatsoever (we actually tried that with the Nissan Leaf, but the fragile cell chemistry of the day simply wasn't ready.) Current generation Chinese EVs, like BYD, now use a single heat pump for both cabin and battery pack temperature control. And, related to technological evolution in general, magnetic heat pumps are on the horizon now that won't even require pressurized refrigerants.

Real world personal experience of owning 4 decades worth of gasoline cars vs. 10 years with my singular and current EV indicates that service regimes between them isn't even close. The EV, hands down, has been the most reliable, cost effective car of the bunch. We've had over a century to engineer the living sh*t out of internal combustion engine vehicles. Commercially available EVs have been here for what . . . 15 years now? They're only going to get better. We now need to deploy them at scale, have them succeed and, yes, have them fail in the field, so we can make the successive iterations even better.

Very well said. I've owned tons of ICEVs from a 68 C10 up to a 2012 Tahoe. Funnily enough, the C10 was the most reliable by far.

It still doesn't compare to an EV. Especially once you remove software enshitification like the Slate has done.

 

[AZFox]

IMHO the Slate Truck has at least the potential to be more trouble-free (reliable) and hassle-free (require less maintenance) than ICEVs.

Superior reliability can be built in, but that isn't necessarily a given.

Here's hoping Slate Auto's designers and engineers are up to the task of creating a vehicle that Just Works.

I did some AI queries to determine the consensus around whether EVs cost less to maintain than ICEVs. Apparently they do.

AI Query:

How would two similar economy cars (specifically), an EV and and ICEV, compare with regard to repair and maintenance over the first five years of ownership?​

DDG AI Response:

Electric vehicles (EVs) generally have lower repair and maintenance costs compared to internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) due to their simpler mechanical systems, which have fewer moving parts and do not require oil changes or many traditional engine services. Over the first five years, EVs often incur lower costs for maintenance tasks like brake replacements, as they utilize regenerative braking, leading to less wear on brake pads.​

Brave AI Response:

EV vs ICEV Maintenance Costs​

​

When comparing the repair and maintenance costs of an electric vehicle (EV) and an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) over the first five years of ownership, several factors come into play.​

​

Firstly, EVs generally have lower maintenance and operating costs compared to ICEVs. They have fewer moving parts, which means fewer components need regular servicing or repairs. Additionally, EVs typically cost half as much to maintain and repair as gas-powered cars.​

​

However, EVs also have unique maintenance requirements. For instance, EV tires have to withstand heavier loads due to batteries, which may impact how often they need to be replaced. Furthermore, batteries eventually require replacement, although the timing varies as the technology evolves.​

Fortunately Slate batteries will be covered by a federally-mandated warranty for at least 8 years / 100,000 miles (I believe those are the figures) so it's not a matter of much concern.

Regarding tire requirements, the Slate (curb weight: 3,600 lbs) will be significantly lighter than any pickup truck available in the US market. For reference, a Toyota Corolla weighs 2,955 lbs. and a Nissan Altima weighs 3,388 lbs.

 

[5ohbrad]

Pet peeve post...

"... or most ICE vehicle related maintenance"

This is the ICEV maintenance schedule for a 2022 Bronco:

We're all pro-DIY right? So, based on 10,000 annual miles driven:

• one (1) engine oil change every year (DIY - 45 minutes)
• Engine air filter every 3 years (DIY - 10 minutes)
• Spark plugs every 10 years (DIY - 4 plugs in my case - 1 hour)
• Driveline fluids every 15 years (DIY - 3.75 hours)
• Drive belt every 15 years (DIY - 30 minutes)
• Coolant at 10 years (DIY - 2 hours)

Not a big commitment. Just sayin'

I understand that’s what Ford publishes as maintenance guidelines, but for any expectation of longevity, I wouldn’t go past 5k for engine oil or 50k for transmission. A bit like keeping charge rates between 20-80% with LMC battery.

 

[SichuanHot]

I have a '06 BMW. Original owner. Followed BMWs maintenance guidelines. Engine OCI lifetime average is 12,300 miles, manual transmission oil changes just under BMWs 100,000 mile recommendation. Same for the diff, and engine coolant. Just passed 426,000 miles on all the original driveline components, engine included. Component design and chemical properties of fluids are well engineered these days. Jiffy Lube levels of service no longer apply.

Those are really long OCI for a N52 engine assuming that's what your E90 has. BMW guidelines from that era aren't really that good especially with that lifetime automatic transmission fluid stuff they marketed. At 400000+ miles you're definitely due for rod bearings given your OCI.

Modern fluids are good, but the 10k mile OCI is complete nonsense. BMW engines from that era just so happen to take neglect well, especially the venerable M54. The turbo stuff like the N54/55, N20, N63, B48, B58 will all benefit from 5-6k mile OCIs and should definitely not be taken to 10k miles between intervals.