Why is Slate relevant vs. legacy automaker offerings?

[5ohbrad]

Interesting interview. I work with new vehicles from Chevy, Ford, Dodge and Toyota and can say with confidence every year the issues get worse. Here an inside engineer’s account of what he observed:



P.S. This also explains my reasoning for being dead against any unnecessary features and options.

 

[AZFox]

There's lots of good information in there. Thanks for posting it.

Planned Obsolescence has become pervasive.

Here's hoping Slate Auto bucks that trend.

 

[Mac-Tyson]

There's lots of good information in there. Thanks for posting it.

Planned Obsolescence has become pervasive.

Here's hoping Slate Auto bucks that trend.

Currently it seems like Slate plans on making most of their money from add ons that can be bought throughout the life of the vehicle. So if they can still make money on a vehicle even after it's 2nd or 3rd owner there's a built in incentive for Slate to make their truck as durable and reliable as possible while keeping the price down.

 

[cadblu]

Currently it seems like Slate plans on making most of their money from add ons that can be bought throughout the life of the vehicle. So if they can still make money on a vehicle even after it's 2nd or 3rd owner there's a built in incentive for Slate to make their truck as durable and reliable as possible while keeping the price down.

Do we really believe Slate is going to cash in on future upgrades for years to come? Didn’t they say, and even encourage enterprising 3rd party suppliers to provide aftermarket equipment and parts? STL files and open sourcing should be readily available to flood the market with Slate add ons, likely at a fraction of the OEM price.

I can totally envision that Amazon, eBay, and even Aliexpress will be flooded with sellers of aftermarket parts for interior, exterior, appearance items, etc. within a few months after Slate begins initial deliveries.

While I admire Slate’s marketing strategy for customization, it’s not a guaranteed source of revenue once 3rd party suppliers get into the game.

 

[Duke Slater]

Do we really believe Slate is going to cash in on future upgrades for years to come? Didn’t they say, and even encourage enterprising 3rd party suppliers to provide aftermarket equipment and parts? STL files and open sourcing should be readily available to flood the market with Slate add ons, likely at a fraction of the OEM price.

I can totally envision that Amazon, eBay, and even Aliexpress will be flooded with sellers of aftermarket parts for interior, exterior, appearance items, etc. within a few months after Slate begins initial deliveries.

While I admire Slate’s marketing strategy for customization, it’s not a guaranteed source of revenue once 3rd party suppliers get into the game.

I’ve been burned by 3rd party accessories too many times to keep doing that. I’ll be buying OEM parts only. If they don’t offer something I want, it must not be all that important.

 

[Adam W]

While I admire Slate’s marketing strategy for customization, it’s not a guaranteed source of revenue once 3rd party suppliers get into the game.

Someone recently mentioned that Slate has a few ex-Harley Davidson people on board, and I think that's a good point of comparison. Harley owners are swimming in 3rd party aftermarket part and customization options, and they have only strengthened people's connection to the brand.

 

[SichuanHot]

Someone recently mentioned that Slate has a few ex-Harley Davidson people on board, and I think that's a good point of comparison. Harley owners are swimming in 3rd party aftermarket part and customization options, and they have only strengthened people's connection to the brand.

Harley owners and fans are something else though. I've heard that Harley is more a lifestyle and merchandise company and a motorcycle company second.

 

[Shay]

Slate is relevant against legacy car makers because they are willing to offer a product. The legacy car makers are not.

 

[Luxrage]

Harley owners and fans are something else though. I've heard that Harley is more a lifestyle and merchandise company and a motorcycle company second.

Slate is definitely pushing this pickup as a lifestyle vehicle with some of their pre-built examples on the site (looking at you, Neon Echo DJ Build). But that can work in their favor, as it did with Saturn in the early years, gaining a loyal fanbase who will happily sell the cars for you via word of mouth and attend the yearly factory meetup.

Harley has name recognition that many brands would die for, but I think they've latched onto their core userbase a little too much and hasn't updated with the times. I know quite a few bikers who would never touch Harleys due to what they see at Sturgis or the Wild Hogs stereotypes, but will happily ogle over Indians and other bikes of that style. That being said you see a LOT of Harley branded stuff wherever you look.

Our local Harley dealer had a wall of death set up outside and did shows on the weekend all last month. I'd like to see Slate do that too!

 

[AZFox]

Our local Harley dealer had a wall of death set up outside and did shows on the weekend all last month. I'd like to see Slate do that too!

No offense, but that's pretty much the opposite of what I'd like to see.

What I'd like to see is a truck that's so well-designed and well-made that it sells by word of mouth because owners enjoy having theirs so much.

 

[Luxrage]

No offense, but that's pretty much the opposite of what I'd like to see.

What I'd like to see is a truck that's so well-designed and well-made that it sells by word of mouth because owners enjoy having theirs so much.

I meant that part in jest, but I do mean what I said before that about Saturn having having such a good ownership experience and 'culture' for the owners that they spread the word on how good the trucks are. Saturn even had an ad about it:

Edit, with these modern online sales maybe they'll do referral codes.

 

[AZFox]

[...] but I do mean what I said before that about Saturn having having such a good ownership experience and 'culture' for the owners that they spread the word on how good the trucks are. Saturn even had an ad about it:

No doubt! I knew some people who were very dedicated to the Saturn brand. One in particular. To say he liked owning his Saturn(s) would be an understatement.

Slate's unique proposition (well, one of them) is that you can transmorgrify the vehicle over time. I think that will help a lot. People get bored driving the same car year after year after year. Rather than trade away a perfectly good car you're bored with you can just reconfigure the one you have and get that Fresh Car Feeling from the same Slate.

 

[cadblu]

Well said, I can recall over the years I traded in perfectly fine cars simply because I became bored with them. Slate promises a fresh, new driving experience like open air, SUV, or pickup in an afternoon spent in your garage. And nothing feels more like a new car than a new color wrap.

 

[brian10x]

This is going to ruffle a few feathers, but Harley people are used to pushing lifestyle over poor engineering and outdated technology, and my preference would be to employ people who stand firmly behind solid engineering and a quality product over lifestyle and "being in the club"

Yes, just one opinion.

 

[SichuanHot]

Slate is definitely pushing this pickup as a lifestyle vehicle with some of their pre-built examples on the site (looking at you, Neon Echo DJ Build). But that can work in their favor, as it did with Saturn in the early years, gaining a loyal fanbase who will happily sell the cars for you via word of mouth and attend the yearly factory meetup.

Harley has name recognition that many brands would die for, but I think they've latched onto their core userbase a little too much and hasn't updated with the times. I know quite a few bikers who would never touch Harleys due to what they see at Sturgis or the Wild Hogs stereotypes, but will happily ogle over Indians and other bikes of that style. That being said you see a LOT of Harley branded stuff wherever you look.

Our local Harley dealer had a wall of death set up outside and did shows on the weekend all last month. I'd like to see Slate do that too!

I think Slate and Harley are two very different beasts. The Slate truck can definitely be a lifestyle truck considering it'll be a second vehicle for many, but the difference is Slate isn't from the getgo trying to sell people Slate branded trinkets and shirts the way Harley does. Slate is focused on getting their first product out the door.

I'd argue Toyota's truck and SUV offerings are also lifestyle vehicles, the difference being Toyota actually has desirable products that people want where dealerships don't try to sell you stickers and tank tops as you make your purchase.

That said, Harley's name and brand isn't as strong or important anymore in the internet age. Bikers know what they want and they'll buy a Kawasaki KLR if they want a fun adventure bike or a BMW R18 if they want to show off or a Honda CBR if they want speed.