2008 Ford Ranger vs Slate

[ElectricShitbox]

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

*whispers*
merch from dead companies is always cooler

 

[E90400K]

*whispers*
merch from dead companies is always cooler

Still in the box unopened. Maybe I'll get rich!

 

[phidauex]

For me the Slate would be a 2nd vehicle, but not a toy. I manage a few properties and a non-profit makerspace/community workshop, as well as my own various projects, so a small truck is a real need - I can't get a Leaf or a Bolt for this application. However, it won't be a daily driver or commuter.

The vehicle it would replace is a '97 Tacoma, which is very long in the tooth, but still running and doing the job for me. I've been driving an EV for 5 years now and don't want to go back to ICE. I also live in a historic neighborhood with limited parking and only one tiny off-street space, so that sets a maximum size of the vehicle. I'm not very price sensitive here, my budget is healthy, but I do want a good value.

So for me, it has to be truck, EV, and small, which remains an uncommon combo. Right now, Slate is in the lead position, Ford EV Truck-like-thing in 2nd, and waiting around to see if there is a Rivian R2T or R3T would be third. And of course if nothing pans out, the Tacoma will probably just keep on running.

 

[Kopsis]

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.

Who it's for and who should actually buy the initial production are two different things. I think people need to accept that the 2027 Slate is very much as you describe it -- a "25k plus toy". There's a very real chance that early adopters will be left holding the bag on a vehicle that doesn't do what they expect, and may never be "fixed". If piling up $25k in my driveway and lighting it on fire would be a life-altering catastrophe, I would not be considering a 2027 Slate.

 

[KevinRS]

But what really is customizable vs. add-on because the Slate doesn't come with it as standard equipment? If you want a different color than gray you have to wrap it, but you can wrap any car any color. If you want an audio system, you have to buy the components and install them, but you can upgrade nearly any car's audio system with amps and better speakers. If you want electric windows, you can add them to a Slate, but nearly every vehicle sold in the US comes standard with electric windows, so you don't have to add them. If you want a screen interface, you need to bring your own, either a phone or a tablet. If you don't want any screen, then Slate has all other manufacturers beat on that front.

If you want an SUV, sure you can convert the Slate, but then and with the 84kWh battery (for better Range), you'll be up in the $34K price range, which gives a lot of choice either EV or ICEV.

I just suggested the Frontier as a near-best replacement for your 2008 Ranger.

Sure you can wrap any car, but how much does it cost to wrap it?
No, you can't just swap out the radio and add an amp etc with most cars now, the backup camera at the very least is integrated, and many now have a whole lot more integrated.

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.

No, Ford has released hardly anything at all: It's going to be trucklike, but not a truck, will have a bed of some size, 4 doors, infotainment system like we have never seen, be priced starting around $30k, and released some time in 2027 with a 2028 model year. We have no real info on what it will even look like

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.

How many miles do you drive your daily driver, daily? I think that is the number 1 most important thing for everyone to look at when considering an EV.
If it is over 120 miles round trip, and there is no charging at work, you probably need the extended battery. Maybe 100 miles if you are somewhere where it snows a lot.
If it is over 200, then yes, you need something other than the Slate.
If you take lots of long road trips, then again, probably not a Slate customer. If it's only occasional, you might consider renting something fun for the trip.
This is all assuming the Slate would be your only, or strongly your primary vehicle.

 

[AKrietzer]

What I notice is the Amazon Auto prices are less than 5% below MSRP. These were all Hyundai vehicles from one dealer, but I wonder if you could get a better price straight from the dealer. Cut out the Amazon fees. Hopefully it will be different if we will be able to buy a Slate on Amazon, a set price.

 

[atx_ev]

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.

It would be my daily driver, though I dont drive everyday.
Ill buy a minivan to take my whole family (my parents and my family) which is maybe once/week.

I just want something small and easy to park when Im by myself, that still lets me put dirty/large things in the bed.

 

[E90400K]

Sure you can wrap any car, but how much does it cost to wrap it?
No, you can't just swap out the radio and add an amp etc with most cars now, the backup camera at the very least is integrated, and many now have a whole lot more integrated.

Please read carefully when I write. I said one can add amplifiers and replace factory speakers. I did not say replace the radio. Check Crutchfield for verification of what I said. Crutchfield has amplifiers and speakers for nearly every car or truck on the market.

My Bronco has exactly what you describe, a fully integrated audio system within the infotainment screen, including the reverse camera. In December I replaced all six speakers. I could have added plug and play amps but did not want to invest that much into the system upgrade.

Yes, wrapping a car to change its color does cost money to do so. Slate says its pre-cut kit may cost $500 + installation and installation is easier than other cars. Marketing...

 

[KevinRS]

Please read carefully when I write. I said one can add amplifiers and replace factory speakers. I did not say replace the radio. Check Crutchfield for verification of what I said. Crutchfield field has amplifiers and speakers for nearly every car or truck on the market.

My Bronco has exactly what you describe, a fully integrated audio system within the infotainment screen, including the reverse camera. In December I replaced all six speakers. I could have added plug and play amps but did not want to invest that much into the system upgrade.

Yes, wrapping a car to change its color does cost money to do so. Slate says its pre-cut kit may cost $500 + installation and installation is easier than other cars. Marketing...

Wraps for other cars tend to start around $2000, for a simple job. More for bigger vehicles. Cost more in materials, because there is a lot of waste in custom cutting per job, and more in labor.
With Slate, it's probably not more than $500 for the labor, less if you DIY.

 

[E90400K]

Wraps for other cars tend to start around $2000, for a simple job. More for bigger vehicles. Cost more in materials, because there is a lot of waste in custom cutting per job, and more in labor.
With Slate, it's probably not more than $500 for the labor, less if you DIY.

So what? The price to wrap it is not the point. The point is about the misnomer that the Slate is "customizable". Having to wrap the Slate so it will be a different color than everyone else's Slate is a necessity because they don't color it but one shade of gray at the factory. If you own any vehicle and want a custom color, you can either wrap it or paint it.

It's silly to believe there is something special about the Slate because it is "easily" wrappable and place it under the bin of "customizable". It is easier to just buy a vehicle in the color you best like that it is offered from the manufacturer.

 

[beatle]

With the color offerings on today's cars, they all basically look like the Slate anyway.

Unlike days gone, today it often costs extra to get your car in a different paint color aside from a couple of base colors - and that premium only one of the few available from the manufacturer. It could be $500 for or several thousand depending on the brand. If you like the paint colors offered, paying the premium is the smarter choice.

But if you want a different color, or more than one color, wrapping becomes very appealing. Businesses frequently wrap their vehicles which I believe is actually who Slate will be banking on for success. For someone wrapping the vehicle in a custom logo or design, factory paint is a wasted expense.

I think Slate's paintless approach may even be adopted by other manufacturers. The painting portion of the factory is actually the largest and most expensive part.

 

[E90400K]

As an example, the Ranger has seven (7) color choices; two are grays. The no-cost colors are white, black, and carbonized gray metallic. Three of the colors are just $395 extra. The ruby red is $495. All come with no extra work to install on the truck other than checking a box on the order sheet. All of those color choices are less than the $500 - $1,000 it will cost to wrap a Slate using Slate's wrap kit. A customer commercial vehicle wrap will not be the $500 pre-cut Slate kit, which puts the wrap cost on par with any other commercial mid-sized pickup truck. Look at Nissan's Fronter King cab (2-door) 6' bed inventory on Nissan's website and there are hundreds of white, S-trim 4x2 trucks for sale in any given locality, with the obvious intent they are meant for the commercial market.

Based on my observation of the auto industry for the past 45+ years, the go-to color for commercial vehicles is white. One could argue that if Slate was truly more interested in commercial fleet sales as work trucks, they would have chosen white as the base color rather than gray (please let's not get into the plastic pigment issue discussion again). The industry does pretty much follow Slate's one-color approach for commercial fleet sales; the color is white.

 

[beatle]

I wasn't commenting on a pre-cut kit from Slate, only that wrapping a vehicle has distinct advantages over choosing a color from the 7 available from a manufacturer, as does a vehicle that comes sans-paint. I also think Slate will be able to offer a wider variety of wraps than a traditional manufacturer can offer paint.

You may already know this, but white is chosen for fleets because it's the cheapest color. It matches pretty easily, logos pop against it, flaws are less visible, and it's fairly unoffensive for resale. I'm not sure what the conversation was around plastic pigment.

Assuming there wasn't a technological reason for not using white, I'm guessing they didn't do it because they didn't just want to appear exclusively as a work truck for the masses, even though that's exactly what the truck is. Gray gives a novel edge, and the plastic construction lends itself to (hopefully) hiding and resisting flaws. As a monochrome tone, it's also unoffensive and has a good take rate on sales.

 

[E90400K]

I wasn't commenting on a pre-cut kit from Slate, only that wrapping a vehicle has distinct advantages over choosing a color from the 7 available from a manufacturer, as does a vehicle that comes sans-paint. I also think Slate will be able to offer a wider variety of wraps than a traditional manufacturer can offer paint.

You may already know this, but white is chosen for fleets because it's the cheapest color. It matches pretty easily, logos pop against it, flaws are less visible, and it's fairly unoffensive for resale. I'm not sure what the conversation was around plastic pigment.

Assuming there wasn't a technological reason for not using white, I'm guessing they didn't do it because they didn't just want to appear exclusively as a work truck for the masses, even though that's exactly what the truck is. Gray gives a novel edge, and the plastic construction lends itself to (hopefully) hiding and resisting flaws. As a monochrome tone, it's also unoffensive and has a good take rate on sales.

That's my point though, regardless if the manufacturer offers 7 color choices or just 1 color choice, any vehicle can be wrapped in nearly any color the owner wants assuming the color is available as a wrap vinyl.

 

[AZFox]

Gray gives a novel edge, and the plastic construction lends itself to (hopefully) hiding and resisting flaws.

It's the opposite. Highlighted, not hidden.

"Highlighting rather than hiding battle scars is key to the Slate ethos" according to Slate's Head of Design Tisha Johnson.

For some reason this is rarely acknowledged, much less discussed.

Thread: Embracing Visible Wear and Tear (Shark Battle Scars)