The old Leaf was not very competitive, and the fact that this one comes out cheaper with better specs makes it compelling, at least from my perspective.
That's for the S+ trim. The S trim hasn't been added to their website yet. The $25,360 price comes from the 2026 order guide data book. When they announced the $29,990 price for the S+ trim, they said the S would be coming after launch of the S+ with a smaller battery, and a lower price.
It's also common for EVs to have multiple battery manufacturers, and sometimes even different battery chemistries. The Mustang Mach E had NMC and LFP packs in the same model year. The ID.4 had both LG Chem & SK batteries. I wouldn't be surprised if they ran with multiple suppliers now that there...
Lots of these conversations seem like people looking for problems where none exist. If you have the SUV kit, I’d be surprised if you could even fit 1200 pounds of stuff in the back
I really hope the $25K Leaf lights a fire under Slate. If their whole shtick is “cheap”, it’s hard to compete with that Leaf, if the pickup form factor is negotiable. (Big if)
The Ioniq 3 just got announced too. No confirmation that it's coming to the US, but I'm happy to see another hot hatch rather than another SUV/crossover. I hope it does come to the US as well
I read that they will have both NACS and CCS charge ports, which is pretty neat. Makes it so you don't have to carry around a $200 adapter to use one type of charger
I'd love if it was an LFP pack. I know they're generally less energy dense, but the increased longevity and ability to charge to 100% all the time with little to no effect on battery health is a big bonus to me.
This is definitely part of the fun for me too. Between the R3, the ID.GTI, Slate, and whatever else small & fun pops up, I'm interested, even if I do end up ultimately going with the Slate. It'll be nice to see a wider variety of EVs on the market
It was really nice to see it in person to get a sense of scale, and to make sure I fit in it. Being 6'3", I'm not a giant, but still was nice to make sure. There was surprisingly LOTS of room in the cab.
Slate Truck, Rivian R3, and the VW ID.Polo/GTI (formerly the ID.2) are all on my radar. I want the Slate, but if it ends up being >$30K with the long range pack, then I'll have to really do some consideration
Lightship and Pebble make super cool trailers, but to say this is the solution to towing with an EV is silly, especially in the context of a mid $20K EV with 150 mile range.
Now, if I was rich, I'd totally buy one. They're insanely cool.
I'd love for it to tow more. Not a deal breaker for me, as I've only towed a few times in recent years, but I wouldn't be upset at all if it had 2x the tow capacity