The Slate is a Coupe Utility Vehicle (CUV)

[Driven5]

You've got to compare apples to apples.

Apparently not.

Might as well be the "Whose line is it anyway" of towing discussions... Where the capacities are made up and the ratings don't matter.

 

[AZFox]

In multiple threads here I've seen mention of "even a civic can tow 1000 lbs" though I can't find them at the moment

No worries, that's not important.

You've got to compare apples to apples.

OK, let's do that.

Regarding towing capacity,

Slate Truck = apple 🍎​

[some economy car that tows] = apple 🍏​

[some pickup truck] = [some other fruit] 🍊​

Compact economy cars that tow only have on the order of 1,000 pounds of Towing Capacity.

The Slate Truck is an compact and economical vehicle that's sold in the form of a familiar and timeless pickup truck. It has only 1,000 pounds of towing capacity because it's designed for economical transportation with utility, but not Tow Mule utility.

 

[GaRailroader]

Those are compact SUVs, not CUVs

I think they are CUVs(Crossover Utility Vehicles). Where as an SUV is more of a truck based vehicle.

 

[Driven5]

The fact of the matter is that there simply are no current 'compact economy cars that tow', and the compact economy CUV's basically jump from 0 straight to 1,500+ pounds. The only 1,000 pound exceptions seem to be CRV hybrid and Encore/Trailblazer.

So the apples to apples for Slate is really it has either 1,000 lb more or at least 500 lb less towing capacity, depending on individual perspective.

 

[AZFox]

I think they are CUVs(Crossover Utility Vehicles). Where as an SUV is more of a truck based vehicle.

I like that idea. It hasn't caught on with the general public. Maybe it will.

I my collection of word meanings SUV originally meant a truck-based K-5 Blazer, Bronco, Cherokee, and whatnot.

Flash forward to now and the meaning has been watered down.

FWIW, here's an AI summary of SUV attributes:

• High ground clearance and elevated ride height
• Spacious, flexible interior with ample cargo room
• Availability of four-wheel or all-wheel drive for enhanced traction
• Rugged exterior styling and durable construction
• A blend of on-road comfort and off-road capability
• Larger tires and increased vehicle height compared to standard passenger car

A unibody hatchback on a car platform with a slightly elevated stance and slightly longer length compared to what's called a "hatchback" is now called a "Crossover SUV".

I suppose that's just how languages work when Marketing Departments are involved.

I call Crossovers "crossovers". Everybody knows what you're describing when you say "The neighbors traded in their sedan for a crossover".

A Crossover is a Hatchback that's been hitting the gym.

The RAV4 and CR-V are compact Crossover SUVs.

 

[GaRailroader]

I like that idea. It hasn't caught on with the general public. Maybe it will.

I my collection of word meanings SUV originally meant a truck-based K-5 Blazer, Bronco, Cherokee, and whatnot.

Flash forward to now and the meaning has been watered down.

FWIW, here's an AI summary of SUV attributes:

• High ground clearance and elevated ride height
• Spacious, flexible interior with ample cargo room
• Availability of four-wheel or all-wheel drive for enhanced traction
• Rugged exterior styling and durable construction
• A blend of on-road comfort and off-road capability
• Larger tires and increased vehicle height compared to standard passenger car

A unibody hatchback on a car platform with a slightly elevated stance and slightly longer length compared to what's called a "hatchback" is now called a "Crossover SUV".

I suppose that's just how languages work when Marketing Departments are involved.

I call Crossovers "crossovers". Everybody knows what you're describing when you say "The neighbors traded in their sedan for a crossover".

A Crossover is a Hatchback that's been hitting the gym.

The RAV4 and CR-V are compact Crossover SUVs.

AI Overview
+8

CUV stands for Crossover Utility Vehicle, an automotive term for a vehicle that blends features of a car and a traditional Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Unlike most traditional SUVs built on a truck-like body-on-frame chassis, CUVs utilize a car-like unibody construction. This results in a vehicle with the higher ride height and practicality of an SUV but with a smoother, more comfortable, and fuel-efficient ride comparable to a passenger car.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

The Slate has as much in common with the R3X as I have with Idris Elba. And my wife tells me that's not much.

 

[AZFox]

AI Overview
+8

CUV stands for Crossover Utility Vehicle, an automotive term for a vehicle that blends features of a car and a traditional Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Unlike most traditional SUVs built on a truck-like body-on-frame chassis, CUVs utilize a car-like unibody construction. This results in a vehicle with the higher ride height and practicality of an SUV but with a smoother, more comfortable, and fuel-efficient ride comparable to a passenger car.

I'm aware that Coupe Utility and Crossover Utility Vehicle share a TLA (three-letter acronym). The newer sense doesn't nullify the older.

Like I wrote in the quoted post, the newer meaning hasn't caught on. I hope it does because crossovers aren't what I consider SUVs.

Honda and Toyota don't appear to have caught on.

 

[AZFox]

The purpose of this thread wasn't to quibble about TLAs.

I started the tread because I saw people expecting more from the Truck than its car-like platform can deliver.

If you want to do overlanding or towing the Slate Truck isn't the vehicle for you.

 

[FunkyFinch57]

Skirting past the semantics conversation...

I do agree with OP that expectations need to be managed, and I am curious as to the demographics of utility expectation for those who reserved a Slate. A forum is more likely to pull certain demographics which may inflate the quantity of certain perspectives within. I hear a lot of voices on this forum, and I hear many current pickup owners who expect a Slate to perform similarly to their Chevrolet RAM-350. I do totally get the psychology of this - nobody wants to pay additional money to get less than what they currently have.

I would like to offer my perspective, which informs my expectations from the Slate.

I'm in my mid-twenties and newly married, we're both business professionals, and I'm driving around the car my parents gave me in high school: a seaside blue 2008 Toyota Prius. I remember the day they bought it off the lot when gas was ~$5.15 a gallon. I love my car; it's super reliable, still gets 50 MPG, and I can comfortably fit either 4 people and some cargo, or two people with the back seats down and almost anything I could want to haul. There is only one screen in it, and I keep it OFF unless I absolutely have to. New cars with all these fandangled screens make my eyes hurt. There are only two problems I have with it:
1. As I have started working on "dirty" projects more, I have been hampered many times by my vehicle being a sedan. I've had people refusing to dump loose mulch in the back of my car, even when I have it lined with a tarp and everything! Not to mention it feels wrong to be hotboxing with heaps of grass cuttings, or lining the storage area with old sheets just to carry a muddy push mower around. A bed would sure be nice!
2. The car just hit 200k miles. No major service issues, and no indication of anything wanting to grenade itself, but I'm told she won't live forever...

So, doing the math of what I love about that car into my expectations for the Slate:
-A small, low-tech vehicle that is as efficient or more efficient than 50 MPG(e)
-Something simple and reliable that I can service myself
-Two seats and the ability to haul free furniture from the side of the road, mulch, and muddy tools and equipment without using every towel and tarp I have

As a bonus, I am constantly beating up on the underside of my car, usually from driving "off-road" (nothing crazy, dirt paths with the occasional boulder I should have been looking out for, etc), so a few more inches clearance than a Prius would greatly help.

All these things considered, it feels like the Slate truck was made for me and my vehicle usage habits. I'm not trying to tow around my third boat or haul 15 cubic yards of solid granite. The only thing I am a little worried about is the range, as I have a 50 mi commute to work and average driving 49.2 mi/day, and I am renting at a location that does not have Lv. 2 charging service, but I am committed to making the Lv. 1 charging thing work.

Thanks for reading! What informs your expectations of this "Coupe Utility Vehicle," and do you think your expectations will be met?

 

[KevinRS]

That is a major target audience for the Slate. People who don't need more than 2 seats, and may need to haul some stuff sometimes.

On towing, Maybe sometime you need to tow some relatively light rental equipment from the local lowes/home depot etc for a project, or tow a small utility trailer, but short distances on both. Maybe you will tow a real small boat. Anything more than those cases, and you probably need a truck that costs 2-4 times what the slate does. In that case, get what you really need.

 

[RedJoker]

If you want to do overlanding or towing the Slate Truck isn't the vehicle for you.

On towing, Maybe sometime you need to tow some relatively light rental equipment from the local lowes/home depot etc for a project, or tow a small utility trailer, but short distances on both. Maybe you will tow a real small boat.

The Slate is SOOOOO close to being perfect for me, and yet apparently so far away. I only need #1500 of towing for those short project tow trips but it appears the Slate isn't for me. My current, car based, mini cargo van with 140 HP can do it but since no one makes anything like it anymore, I was really hopeful that the Slate would work. So disappointing.

Maybe in the future Slate will make something that fits my needs.

 

[AZFox]

The Slate is SOOOOO close to being perfect for me, and yet apparently so far away. I only need #1500 of towing for those short project tow trips but it appears the Slate isn't for me. My current, car based, mini cargo van with 140 HP can do it but since no one makes anything like it anymore, I was really hopeful that the Slate would work. So disappointing.

Maybe in the future Slate will make something that fits my needs.

This is one reason why IMHO Slate's next vehicle should be an HD Truck (for lack of a better name) with AWD and heavier-duty specifications that would include more towing capacity.

I think the demand will be there for Slate to fulfill.

Releasing an up-spec'd AWD Truck could even improve the value of existing OG Trucks because of the economic Network Effect it would have.

 

[atx_ev]

This is one reason why IMHO Slate's next vehicle should be an HD Truck (for lack of a better name) with AWD and heavier-duty specifications that would include more towing capacity.

I think the demand will be there for Slate to fulfill.

Releasing an up-spec'd AWD Truck could even improve the value of existing OG Trucks because of the economic Network Effect it would have.

I agree, still 2 door, awd, heavier duty, under 30K would still put it cheaper than any other EV truck and most ICE trucks.