New Information / Updates request

[KevinRS]

SEND A VIDEO FROM THE CAB OF SOMEONE DRIVING ONE. Road noise, wind noise, tire noise...how does it all add up? I need to know how big of a bluetooth speaker to order.

That kind of thing they probably really wouldn't do at this time, the current prototypes are probably lacking most of the sound absorbing insulation they plan to have. Also, depending on the microphone setup and processing they do, so it's going to be really subjective and hard to tell anything. I'm not even thinking about something like that until a test drive.

 

[Neil Nelson]

Yup. And 150 miles on 47 kWh net is 3.2 miles per kWh.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a64564869/2027-slate-truck-revealed/

The company allows customers to shun the standard 47-kWh (net) pack for an accessory unit with a capacity of approximately 75 kWh (net). Your link.

Except Slate has given the current battery packs as

a standard 52.7 kWh pack with a 150-mile range and an optional 84.3 kWh pack providing 240 miles of range. Google AI overview

 

[motorolas]

Sorry, but your guesses as to prices isn’t based on update any from Slate, simply a regurgitation of numbers likely in a dozen places on this forum. Minimal value at best.

Exactly! Hopefully Slate announces pricing next year and they trend lower.

 

[Trace26]

Except Slate has given the current battery packs as

The "net" mean they reserve some battery capacity for degradation. So the physical battery is 52.7 but the net (useable) is 47. This is common on some EVs, I believe the Volt is an example.
It would be interesting to know if the 150 is from a net or the whole capacity.

 

[AZFox]

The "net" mean they reserve some battery capacity for degradation.

And they almost certainly limit charging so 100% indicated is really less than 100%.

I forgot about that. I learned it from a guy who sells lithium golf cart batteries. FWIW, he made 100% on the controller actually be 97%.

 

[Letas]

Sorry, not to be snootty. The big questions indeed, and no reason to suspect that they will not come in time. Then again there are many many little things, some worthy of some discussion, some not. Progress at the factory, feedback from the public showings, up coming events, hints as to distribution, financing, accessories being considered, feedback to any post here. Probably no item too small to escape scrutiny here. Maybe reach to reach out to gather our opinions.

Fair enough! I’ve lowered my expectations for announcements. One thing Tesla does well is announce something and deliver it nearly immediately. 18 months of wait time makes for anxious customers…. Only so much they can share.

I’m also in the camp of “maybe buying a slate” rather than “definitely will”, so if I see another great option, I’ll just keep watching the Slate from afar, and maybe get a v2.

Would love to see someone on the forum from Slate responding to small questions, where they can.

 

[GaRailroader]

The "net" mean they reserve some battery capacity for degradation.

Rather than ‘for degradation’ would it be better to express as ‘for longevity’?

 

[GaRailroader]

And they almost certainly limit charging so 100% indicated is really less than 100%.

I forgot about that. I learned it from a guy who sells lithium golf cart batteries. FWIW, he made 100% on the controller actually be 97%.

This is exactly where I am on the subject. I have charged my 3.5 year old Nissan Leaf with 40 kWh battery pack 399 times. 99% of those times, I charged it to 100%. (it has no provision to limit charging to say 80%, the only way to do that is to set a timer of how long you want it to charge before it cuts off) When I charged it yesterday, it showed I had 169 miles of range at 100%. When I first got the Leaf occasionally it would show 171 miles of range at 100%. Pretty minimal degradation and it makes me think that 100% is 100% of the net not the gross. There is a portion of the battery they aren't letting me use. I am hoping that Slate is doing something similar and they are saying 150 mile usable range on the net.

 

[Neil Nelson]

.

The "net" mean they reserve some battery capacity for degradation. So the physical battery is 52.7 but the net (useable) is 47. This is common on some EVs, I believe the Volt is an example.
It would be interesting to know if the 150 is from a net or the whole capacity.

I agree. 47kWh is usable with 52kWh the total size. That tends toward 3.2 miles per kWh.

 

[hbuck]

What kind of topics would you like an update on? Just curious.

Battery technology, and is their vendor from South Korea involved in the new technology.

 

[AKrietzer]

Battery technology, and is their vendor from South Korea involved in the new technology.

In this article which has been posted before, it says the batteries will be made in USA. Currently they have a plant in Georgia, but 4 more plants are being built by the time Slate is in production.
https://www.slateforums.com/forum/t...tery-deal-between-slate-auto-and-sk-on.13150/

 

[ScooterAsheville]

It's been my observation that Slate is doing a masterful job of keeping potential customers engaged. Way better than any other OEM I've dealt with over the last 50 years. They have a staff that answers questions in hours. They put out a series of fun little video shorts. They're doing tours. They're promising test drives in 2026. They are knocking it out of the park.

But Slate can't share what Slate does not know...

• The market environment is changing so incredibly quickly that I doubt they can even pin some suppliers down to a cost figure right now.
• And if they can, they don't know what the wildly fluctuating tariff might be.
• Or even if any given supplier they selected will be in business in 18 months.
• They don't have a true production line representative vehicle - the ones they've show contain non-functioning buttons and software.
• They don't know what interest rates will be.
• They don't know if anyone will actually buy a BEV without incentives.
• They don't know what the competition is gonna release before the Slate reaches volume production in CY 2027.
• They don't know if they'll even meet the late 2026 target date for initial production (ask Tesla about "production hell").
• They don't know what proportion of reservations will convert to sales (ask Tesla about a million Cybertruck reservations).

The operative phrase is "they don't know". So they can't share what they don't know. Do you really want to end up like the Elon Musk fanboys? Being promised full self driving 10 years ago? Or being promised a Cybertruck with 300 miles range and a $40,000 price. Except it was less range and triple the money at release. Or a hundred other Elon Musk BS promises that never materialized?

Patience is a virtue right now. You ain't gonna get an MSRP until the order banks open. Promising a price today that they can't meet in 2027 is simply going to generate angry customers.

Slate is behaving responsibly. We should appreciate that.

 

[Thutchis]

Since I am eyeing the Slate as a second vehicle (after Hyundai I5) and would also like to flat-tow it behind our motorhome. I would like more information on any work being done to make the Slate towable.

 

[SLATEchad]

150 miles on 52.7 kWh is 2.846 miles per kWh.

Slate said they would sell a blank Slate for just under $20,000 with the federal EV tax credit of up to $7,500. That makes the current Slate price just under $27,500.

Here comes this annoying moron again.

 

[Neil Nelson]

It's been my observation that Slate is doing a masterful job of keeping potential customers engaged. Way better than any other OEM I've dealt with over the last 50 years. They have a staff that answers questions in hours. They put out a series of fun little video shorts. They're doing tours. They're promising test drives in 2026. They are knocking it out of the park.

But Slate can't share what Slate does not know...

• The market environment is changing so incredibly quickly that I doubt they can even pin some suppliers down to a cost figure right now.
• And if they can, they don't know what the wildly fluctuating tariff might be.
• Or even if any given supplier they selected will be in business in 18 months.
• They don't have a true production line representative vehicle - the ones they've show contain non-functioning buttons and software.
• They don't know what interest rates will be.
• They don't know if anyone will actually buy a BEV without incentives.
• They don't know what the competition is gonna release before the Slate reaches volume production in CY 2027.
• They don't know if they'll even meet the late 2026 target date for initial production (ask Tesla about "production hell").
• They don't know what proportion of reservations will convert to sales (ask Tesla about a million Cybertruck reservations).

The operative phrase is "they don't know". So they can't share what they don't know. Do you really want to end up like the Elon Musk fanboys? Being promised full self driving 10 years ago? Or being promised a Cybertruck with 300 miles range and a $40,000 price. Except it was less range and triple the money at release. Or a hundred other Elon Musk BS promises that never materialized?

Patience is a virtue right now. You ain't gonna get an MSRP until the order banks open. Promising a price today that they can't meet in 2027 is simply going to generate angry customers.

Slate is behaving responsibly. We should appreciate that.

The market has changed. There are no more federal discounts for Slate.
A few of Slate's material inputs come from outside the US, but hardly any.
Slate trucks will still be made in the US and Slate is not building anything exotic.
Slate has built around 70 Slate trucks even if they are not entirely complete. Most of those trucks were destroyed in collision testing. Many of the others are traveling around the US.
Interest rates are currently declining and I expect that Trump's tariffs will dampen US business activity. What we may have to worry about is that a recession will occur that will dampen demand, though Slate is very low cost.
I will buy a Slate without incentives and previously here we estimated that roughly at least half of the current reservation holders would buy.
The competition is saying a lot but we are not getting any firm commitments. I doubt any other manufacturer can make an EV truck for the same price.
I think Slate will meet its 2026 target date because building the Slate seems fairly easy.