The Hypothetical Vehicle I Would Chose Over The Slate

[AZFox]

1) Affordable
2) Simple
3) Small
4) Fun
5) 2-door
6) EV
7) Truck
8) Built in the United States

 

[danielt1263]

I've said this before, but this thread will allow me to repeat it...

I'm looking for the cheapest new vehicle that is electric and rated to tow my boat & trailer (600# total).

There are electric vehicles that are cheaper than Slate's claimed "mid-20s", but they aren't rated to tow. Hell, I don't think there is anything on the market, even gas powered that is less than or equal to $25K yet can still tow.

 

[Fattdogs]

The only hypothetical vehicle I'd buy over the Slate is if they made my 2014 Toyota Tacoma Regular Cab brand new again with all of the same parts as original. I love my 4cyl 2wd base spec with crank windows....

I just traded my 2023 Maverick for a 2014 Tacoma 2 weeks ago and I feel the same, the Taco feels like a breath of fresh air for DIY-ability and reliability compared to modern cars.

I'm still considering the slate for a commuter car, and make the Taco a fun car as the GF does not approve of a bolt or leaf...

 

[atx_ev]

i need a truck form factor (dont care about towing).
Prefer a 5.5 ft bed. 5 ft is ok.
Under about 73 inches wide
under 200 inches long
EV
4wd
4 door
2 rows of seats
under 30K

The new ford EV platform could be it.

 

[Johnny5]

So far I like Slate as a company, a brand. I'm not interested in buying a new vehicle from a legacy brand through a dealership. I like Harbor Freight sockets and my Ryobi drill, I like the coffee at 7-11. Any hypothetical companys vehicle that I might rather buy, would have to sell me on value. They'll have to convince me they aren't likely to sell me subscriptions to the vehicle I just bought. I'd like some assurance that the vehicle isn't likely to leave me stranded or spontaneously catch fire. I'd like for the company's representatives to look like people who know where to rent a stump grinder. Yup, that's what it would take.

 

[RetiredOnPaper]

Utilitarian. It's what I want. Not fast, no fancy interior, it gets me there basic controls.
I love the tech of my Model 3, and it's great on a cross country trip. But when I bought a small freezer and had to drive it home strapped to the roof with the windows down...not ideal.

 

[RedJoker]

I think we can all agree that most of us need a low cost EV that can haul a pair of sheep / goats / potbelly pigs / dogs in the cargo area and tow 2000# worth of hay or straw.

 

[E90400K]

I think we can all agree that most of us need a low cost EV that can haul a pair of sheep / goats / potbelly pigs / dogs in the cargo area and tow 2000# worth of hay or straw.

But can the Slate Truck tow a stump grinder?

 

[danielt1263]

I think we can all agree that most of us need a low cost EV that can haul a pair of sheep / goats / potbelly pigs / dogs in the cargo area and tow 2000# worth of hay or straw.

I don't need a 2000# tow capability. The 1000# already claimed is more than enough.

 

[Ken NH]

The vehicle I'd choose over the Slate is this: www.ironwoodmotorsusa.com but my guess is that Ironwood is fake or will never happen. But that is only because I live in an apartment and will need to charge around town rather than at home.

Ken

 

[ScooterAsheville]

The back and forth on what a truck should do - what it's capable of - is debated endlessly in the Maverick forum. It's a never ending back and forth between those who need to tow, those who don't. Those who need payload and those who don't. Those who, if they're being honest, don't need a truck at all (and they bought a Maverick because it felt good), and those who do.

My answer to "what should a 'truck' be capable of" is always, "whatever you desire".

Slate CLEARLY targeted the super light duty cycle. As a work truck, the stats are pathetic. As a light duty utilitarian runabout, it hit the mark. As a guy who just needs a personal runabout that handles a super light duty cycle, I'm cool with that.

 

[YDR37]

The vehicle I'd choose over the Slate is this: www.ironwoodmotorsusa.com but my guess is that Ironwood is fake or will never happen. But that is only because I live in an apartment and will need to charge around town rather than at home.

It's maybe not a good sign when a car company has no physical address, no named staff, no phone number, and no contact info beyond a gmail address. It's not actually that difficult to get a gmail account; my cat jumped on the keyboard once and accidentally set one up.

They do have a website (thanks to Wix), so I looked them up on whois. The Registrant Contact info is "CA, US". The California Secretary of State has no record of any business named "Ironwood Motors".

 

[GaRailroader]

It's maybe not a good sign when a car company has no physical address, no named staff, no phone number, and no contact info beyond a gmail address. It's not actually that difficult to get a gmail account; my cat jumped on the keyboard once and accidentally set one up.

They do have a website (thanks to Wix), so I looked them up on whois. The Registrant Contact info is "CA, US". The California Secretary of State has no record of any business named "Ironwood Motors".

So you are saying there is a chance that it is legit?

 

[YDR37]

So you are saying there is a chance that it is legit?

I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical at first. But then ... I discovered that Ironwood Motors is also on Instagram ... so they must be for real !!

They do have some catching up to do, in terms of their social media presence. Slate Auto currently has 174,000+ followers on Instagram. Ironwood Motors has 5.

 

[Chapman]

Ironwood Motors looks like someone quickly used AI image generation and slapped it onto a cheap website (which also likely was done with AI because it's that sloppy). Probably took an hour or two total. I can 100% guarantee it won't become a company and there's no chance they will even build a single vehicle. It's just AI slop 😅