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They need to compete in a market -- it doesn't necessarily have to be the one you want them in. I've had a single-digit employee ID number at a VC funded startup, so I know first-hand what it's like trying to get to sustainability before the VC money dries up. You don't try to match the 800lb...

Those other manufacturers have been around for 50+ years and have a diverse product portfolio, a mature supply chain, brand recognition, actual revenue, etc. No one has said that Slate won't eventually offer all kinds of drivetrain options. Slate themselves has clearly said they plan to offer...

Maybe mandatory for you, not mandatory for Slate. They have 150k reservations and most of those are from people who were fully aware that the initial offering is RWD only.

I was. And growing up in Michigan with family in the auto industry, I was probably more keenly aware of it than many. The big difference between Saturn and Slate is that Saturn was never really about the cars. GM divisions at the time were still firmly entrenched in manufacturing "the Detroit...

V2G is still a bit of a dumpster fire. There is a jungle of standards involved and getting automakers, utility companies, and grid operators on the same page has been an uphill battle. There have been some pilot programs, but nothing remotely close to widespread adoption. V2H is simpler from...

Late to the thread, but I think some explanation of EV electrical architecture may be helpful. Modern EVs are designed around either a 400V or 800V architecture. The 400V is most common (and what the Tesla v2/v3 supercharger network supports). The 800v is used by Kia/Hyundai, Cybertruck...

Totally believable. The initial media blitz caught the vast majority of people interested enough to make a reservation. Nothing really new has happened since that would prompt a new wave. Couple that with the loss of the tax credit likely leading to quite a few cancelled reservations and I'm...

Everyone wants the first Slate v1.0 to be perfect for them, but the reality is that it likely won't be perfect for anyone. Being an early adopter carries significant risks. There's really no scenario where buying a Slate at launch is a sound financial decision. If you're looking at Slate as a...

It only seems that way because automakers actually have not heavily infringed on it. What if automakers started going the Apple route of serialized modules so you were unable to use 3rd party replacement parts and even an OEM replacement would have to be installed by an "authorized dealer" so...

It's 600 items on the engineering BOM (bill of material). Most of those items will come from suppliers and may each be made of tens or even thousands of parts (eg. a modern circuit card assembly). From Slate's standpoint a "part" is something they have to specifiy, procure, and inventory. And...

Some people are less concerned about "value" and more about the different ownership paradigm that Slate brings to the table. In a world where we continue to have less and less ownership of the things we buy, Slate is a case where paying more money for less "stuff" and more freedom is perfectly...

Sure, but if you're just going a short distance to a local trail head or if you're shuttling for downhill runs, that's significantly more work. I'm an avid mountain biker and can say from experience that tailgate pads are *by far* the quickest and easiest way to transport bikes in a pickup...