Factory Delivery option

[hbuck]

If the timing is right, would a customer be able to pick up their Slate at the factory instead of having it delivered?

 

[ScooterAsheville]

Good question. No OEM in the USA does this that I know or. Tesla had a typical Elon huckster clown show going where they had a car deliver itself to a single customer (in Austin I think).

My car, Volvo, used to have a European factory delivery option. In fact, they'd fly you to Europe free, and arrange the shipment to the USA for you. And you got a price discount.

My guess is that Slate won't do this, because they want a capital light model. For factory deliveries, they'd need extra staff, connections with the licensing agencies in 50 states, a customer-facing facility to do the delivery, etc.

But it's a great question. It'd be awesome to get a factory tour and pick up your Slate in one stop.

 

[hbuck]

Good question. No OEM in the USA does this that I know or. Tesla had a typical Elon huckster clown show going where they had a car deliver itself to a single customer (in Austin I think).

My car, Volvo, used to have a European factory delivery option. In fact, they'd fly you to Europe free, and arrange the shipment to the USA for you. And you got a price discount.

My guess is that Slate won't do this, because they want a capital light model. For factory deliveries, they'd need extra staff, connections with the licensing agencies in 50 states, a customer-facing facility to do the delivery, etc.

But it's a great question. It'd be awesome to get a factory tour and pick up your Slate in one stop.

We take the ever up to Michigan from Texas in early May and stay until October. The perfect time would be have the Slate ready for me on the way fup north. I would just rent a U-Haul trailer for the stuff I would normally put in my jeep.

 

[AZFox]

Good question. No OEM in the USA does this that I know or.

Chevrolet has something like that for the Corvette.

Corvette enthusiasts can order the $1,500 Museum Delivery Experience option.

The Corvette Museum Delivery Experience, known as the R8C program, allows new Corvette owners to take delivery of their car at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. For an additional fee, owners enjoy a special day with a guided tour, vehicle orientation, and the chance to see their Corvette on display.​

​

Video at the link. People enjoy Museum Delivery and think it's well worth the cost, many considering it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

[KevinRS]

If we are just talking the factory being the location you pick it up, I don't see why not, but it could just as easily be down the street from the factory, somewhere they rent a lot. Any of their pickup points are going to have to have a bit of space where you can at least sign the paperwork saying you received the truck, even if everything else is handled online. It seems like I read they planned to contract that out though, maybe to the same locations that will be service centers.

 

[hbuck]

If we are just talking the factory being the location you pick it up, I don't see why not, but it could just as easily be down the street from the factory, somewhere they rent a lot. Any of their pickup points are going to have to have a bit of space where you can at least sign the paperwork saying you received the truck, even if everything else is handled online. It seems like I read they planned to contract that out though, maybe to the same locations that will be service centers.

My main use of the Slate would be a Toad behind our Mororhome. We leave Texas in early May and will not return until October. And we spend the summer all over Michigan. It would be very convenient to pick up the slate in Indiana if the timing is right. That’s why I am asking. Surely I’m not the only one in this situation

 

[KevinRS]

I'm sure when the time comes to convert your reservation to an order, you will be able to request delivery in the area you will be in. The paperwork might be a little more complicated, because you will still need to register for your home state.

 

[RetiredOnPaper]

I would be more than happy to pick mine up at their Troy location (main office). Realistically, any way it gets me in the drivers seat ASAP. (I am more hyped about this then I was about my Tesla.)

 

[GaRailroader]

Probably during ramp up factory pick-up might be feasible. Once they are at a 10k monthly run rate I think factory pick-up will be unwieldy. If the factory only runs 5 days per week then that is about 500 trucks a day they have to get out of there. If they are loading on bi-level rail cars then that is about 42 89’ rail cars coming out of their per day. (28 railcar if they fit in tri-levels)Perhaps the overall height is such that they will fit in tri-levels and can get 50% more in the railcar. Also, the 174 inch length will help to get more per railcar lengthwise. I think we could get 6 per level on 89’ multilevel where as most vehicles fit 5 per level.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

The interesting thing about taking delivery of a Slate, though, is that if you ordered it blank, they would simply give you the key and tell you to press the brake button to start with key and wish you well? (My Lightning was a 30-minute overview.)

 

[AZFox]

The company is driven by simplicity. If Factory Delivery is seen as a complication it will be left out, at least for a while.

 

[haroldd1963]

If the timing is right, would a customer be able to pick up their Slate at the factory instead of having it delivered?

I would definitely be interested in picking mine up at the factory. I actually sent a message to Slate suggesting an option for factory delivery.

 

[AZFox]

First let's acknowledge that the factory will create only Blank Slates. We all can agree on that by now.

People (not I) seem to believe that "factory installed accessories" will be custom-added to freshly-minted Blank Slates at or near the factory. This would require some sort of Configuration Facility.

The way this idea goes, custom-accessorized Trucks would be individually shipped and tracked from the Configuration Facility either to a Delivery Partner's location or directly to the owner.

If indeed that's the plan, the Configuration Facility would be the place for a Delivery Experience type of program, possibly with accessorization workshops.

 

[KevinRS]

From what I had read early on, it seemed like accessory installs would be done at the same contracted service centers slate will be sending us to for repairs and after purchase accessory installations.

 

[AZFox]

From what I had read early on, it seemed like accessory installs would be done at the same contracted service centers slate will be sending us to for repairs and after purchase accessory installations.

IMHO that would be way smarter.

Localize and de-centralize FTW.