2008 Ford Ranger vs Slate

[E90400K]

I'm not worried about the quality of the Slate Truck, I believe they are using quality parts and motors and batteries. It's the business side that worries me.

If they go bankrupt after a few years; where do we get parts or a new battery years later?

Of course they won't go out of business if we the people keep buying their trucks.

I just plan on just buying one...

 

[ScooterAsheville]

The best approach for retaining sanity with a startup is to remain highly emotionally detached. There's a real vacuum of information at the moment. Ford has arguably done a far better job of releasing meaningful information on their "vaporware" BEV truck than Slate.

Slate has been gaslighting everyone since the original reveal of not-production-representative prototypes, containing fake buttons, fake software, fake body panels, and fake "a lot of things". That's cool - they didn't have a production line, or suppliers, or even a finished design. And a startup famously has to "fake it till you make it".

I'm not trying to slam Slate. It's just pointing out that all of us on this forum have been inventing almost everything we post since that reveal. It's all made up baloney until an actual production Slate rolls off an actual production line, with actual specs, actual pricing, actual software, actual battery and ranges, actual body, and an actual list of RepairPal shops that have signed on to service Slates.

Even the dozens of prototypes were gaslighting. Prototypes are famously easy. Telo has two on the road, and they only had $7 million in venture capital. You hire a contract manufacturer and you get your prototype back in a month or so. It means you have some plans, nothing more.

So stay detached. Wait for facts. Speculate all we want, but lets all be honest (especially with ourselves) that we are making it all up out of thin air. Hey, facts aren't that far away. This June, right?

 

[drizzle]

The best approach for retaining sanity with a startup is to remain highly emotionally detached. There's a real vacuum of information at the moment. Ford has arguably done a far better job of releasing meaningful information on their "vaporware" BEV truck than Slate.

Slate has been gaslighting everyone since the original reveal of not-production-representative prototypes, containing fake buttons, fake software, fake body panels, and fake "a lot of things". That's cool - they didn't have a production line, or suppliers, or even a finished design. And a startup famously has to "fake it till you make it".

I'm not trying to slam Slate. It's just pointing out that all of us on this forum have been inventing almost everything we post since that reveal. It's all made up baloney until an actual production Slate rolls off an actual production line, with actual specs, actual pricing, actual software, actual battery and ranges, actual body, and an actual list of RepairPal shops that have signed on to service Slates.

Even the dozens of prototypes were gaslighting. Prototypes are famously easy. Telo has two on the road, and they only had $7 million in venture capital. You hire a contract manufacturer and you get your prototype back in a month or so. It means you have some plans, nothing more.

So stay detached. Wait for facts. Speculate all we want, but lets all be honest (especially with ourselves) that we are making it all up out of thin air. Hey, facts aren't that far away. This June, right?

Yeah I was so excited about the slate and put in a reservation, but I think reality is kicking in. I think the slate is a wet dream and has no chance on delivering what people actually want. Why make the bed so small? Only seem to really advertise the 150 mile battery whitch seems way to limiting to anyone converting from gas to ev owner? And seems like by the time you have the truck you kinda want your going to be over 40 k in. I am starting to get pretty sad about this as it just don’t seem to make sense to be an actual useful truck but more of just a toy.

 

[drizzle]

I can see comments ” well the slate is not for you” but who is it for? Seems like only for people who can afforded a 25k plus toy.

I and pretty much anyone I know, can’t afford that type of toy.

Wish I could though.

btw I’m a 35 year old man with a full time job.

 

[AKrietzer]

For me it would be to replace a 14 year old Tundra which I rarely drive since it only gets about 16 mpg. I still need to haul yard waste, mulch, and garbage since we don't have trash pickup. My farthest trip I would need it for is about a 60 mile round trip. I don't need a 6 foot bed. We take a large cooler when we do our grocery run about every week. I think the Slate fits my needs perfectly.

 

[drizzle]

For me it would be to replace a 14 year old Tundra which I rarely drive since it only gets about 16 mpg. I still need to haul yard waste, mulch, and garbage since we don't have trash pickup. My farthest trip I would need it for is about a 60 mile round trip. I don't need a 6 foot bed. We take a large cooler when we do our grocery run about every week. I think the Slate fits my needs perfectly.

But you also have another car correct?

 

[AKrietzer]

But you also have another car correct?

Yes, too many right now. 😄
I tend to keep them a long time. The 2012 Tundra is the newest.

 

[drizzle]

Yes, too many right now. 😄

That’s kind of what I’m saying the slate does not seem to be capable of replacing your daily driver, falls more into a weekend fun toy car.

 

[AKrietzer]

It wouldn't replace the Sonata which we use for long drives and travel. We can pack the trunk full on that, travel, and get about 33 mpg. Most of my daily driving is less than 60 miles a day.

 

[drizzle]

It wouldn't replace the Sonata which we use for long drives and travel. We can pack the trunk full on that, travel, and get about 33 mpg. Most of my daily driving is less than 60 miles a day.

Exhibit A lol

 

[MadKemist]

I currently have a 2008 ford ranger that is starting to show its age, and was looking for a new truck but as well all know small compact trucks are all pretty much gone, you pretty much have a Tacoma and newer rangers.

I really really want the slate to be my blessing and solution to my needs but I am really worried about being an early adopter.

anyone els feel this way? And are in a similar predicament?

I am with you 100%. I had a 98 Ranger and sold it to my Dad in 2012, I was going to buy it back when I returned from working abroad. The transmission went (manual) and he sold it. I have not been that mad at him since I was a teenager.

 

[E90400K]

I can see comments ” well the slate is not for you” but who is it for? Seems like only for people who can afforded a 25k plus toy.

I and pretty much anyone I know, can’t afford that type of toy.

Wish I could though.

btw I’m a 35 year old man with a full time job.

I will use my Slate as a transportation appliance. Like @AKrietzer I use my current pickup as a trash hauler, petroleum fuel hauler, and other crap hauler, which is all local and within a 60-mile/day use case. I have a few other cars too (I keep mine a long time too) for road trip duty. Gasoline will be around long after I'm dead, so no worries if I buy another ICEV truck vs. the EV Slate. My interest is (a) the lowish price, (b) to satisfy my engineering curiosity of owning an EV automobile. I have an electric golf cart and had a 1973 GE Electrak (back in 1973 - so yeah, I'm an EV early adopter too - LOL)

 

[E90400K]

That’s kind of what I’m saying the slate does not seem to be capable of replacing your daily driver, falls more into a weekend fun toy car.

Eh, I think the Slate will easily fulfil a 100 to 120 mile per-day use case if you can charge it overnight at home. Wintertime in Massachusetts might be a bit tight. But hell, most of the truck is plastic, which is a big bonus for MA. Trade-offs. Just get the 84 kWh battery.

 

[ElectricShitbox]

There's 2 factors at play here, the fact that it's a small truck and the fact that it's an EV. I see a lot of people that seem to be slowing realizing that a Slate isn't for them because they don't actually want a small truck. I get the feeling this isn't you, since you have a Ranger. So the big factor you're doubting is that it's an EV. I'm an EV fan, but actually living with one is entirely dependent on your lifestyle. If you commute a few miles a day and you park within 25 feet of a 110 outlet, or if you commute up to the winter range of the EV and you park within 25 feet of a 240 outlet, or if your work has level 2 charging, then you can switch to an EV for daily use and never look back. If you need it for longer trips too, then it needs decently fast charging, and how fast it charges basically determines how fast you can road trip it. To get an idea of this, check out Out Of Spec Testing on youtube. They do what they call the 10% Challenge that tests how far you can go at 80mph after charging for 15 minutes. Results range from the Taycan that goes damn near 200 miles on 15 minutes of charge down to something like the Bolt that's more like 40. Both are road trip-able, depending on how casual of a trip you want to take.
I never went particularly far in my Spark EV because the tiny battery and 50kw charging made it painfully slow, but I've done a trip in a mach-e and it was honestly fine. For now, my wife and I take her Yaris on road trips, but it's getting pretty beat. Whatever I get for my daily needs to be road trip-able, which is why I want to know more about the battery specifications. They claim 120kw charging which isn't fantastic, but if the charge curve is good, it's perfectly workable, but if it has bolt-like charging times I'll probably be out.

 

[E90400K]

I already bought the metal Slate Warsaw sign, so I kinda have to buy one, right?