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I think she should have been a little more specific. Slate could offer XT60 plugs backed by thicker copper wiring. This would let you bring your own inverter and get about 700 watts. Definitely keeps with the "blank Slate" theme. Or maybe they'll have "smart" outputs that the truck sees via...

I dunno, looks like the top of a 5-15P to me. The top looks flat like the slots of the receptacle are at the top since the plug is flat on top. I found a higher res version: Those little egg cookers draw 350-400w which puts it in line with what the Maverick can output from its inverter. Not...

That's the nice part about backfeeding through the charging port. It can be DC out to an external inverter. Nothing needed on the truck for AC. I only mention the Ecoflow if there is a weak 400w inverter to use to charge it. Depending on what you're running and how many miles you need to...

I was thinking more about fleet sales, and how a lot of fleet sales for the Lightning were because of its robust onboard inverter. This is great for power companies, remote welding, air compressors, etc. The Slate hasn't really gone into much detail about running heavier electrical loads from...

In 2021, Ford advertised the Lightning as starting at $40k, but very few people were able to buy them at that price. The other trims' prices were not set until January 2022, with deliveries starting 4 months later in May. The Silverado EV didn't even stick to its $40k entry price. By the time...

They did the same thing on the northern VA HOV lanes back in 2014 for EVs/hybrids. You previously used to be able to take the HOV lanes even with no passengers. TBH though it is way too congested in this area to just allow hybrids/EVs ride solo, especially with as prevalent as they are...

The BMS will also balance the cells/modules when the pack gets close to full, and this "balancing act" also wastes energy. IIRC Tesla started to balance at 93%.

If the tax were based on weight, impact, and mileage, motorcycles would effectively be tax free, and it would cost $600k in tax alone to drive an 80k load across the country - one time! The impact on the road is exponential based on vehicle weight. Here's just how crazy the tax structure would...

Yes, good catch!

The body looks good, but I get Dodge Charger EV vibes from the front. It's too bad the interior looks horrible. Using the battery as a structural component is nice to save weight, but it makes for higher insurance premiums since the car is more likely to be written off in an accident...

When you charge, the vehicle is "awake" and burning more electrons to run the BMS, coolant pumps, charger, and other systems. When you charge at a super slow rate like 120v @ 12A, all those systems have to stay online longer which wastes energy. This is especially pronounced in cold...

I don't think traditional automakers will swing low to undercut the Slate. Even if they do, dealers will likely mark up the product. Just look at the Maverick's pricing rollercoaster. They also risk undercutting their own higher priced vehicles by creating such a gap that upselling someone to...

To be fair, tow ratings prior to 2008 and the SAE J2807 standard were kind of pulled out of the air. Under the SAE J2807 standard, I wouldn't tow more than 2000-2500 lbs with the Ranger. That's still much higher than the Slate's rating which is probably held back by its frame more than...

As a potential pickup buyer, I can see the struggle with the value of the Slate SUV. Its price quickly gets out of hand and starts to into better equipped options from established manufacturers. A new Leaf is $30k and gets 300 miles of range, a Kia EV3 is $35k and gets 270. This is also...

In truth, every new EV sold today has a liquid cooled battery. The Santa Cruz has a 5-star safety rating from NHTSA, and is a top safety pick by the IIHS. The Maverick gets 4 stars, but isn't a top pick.

My guess is they will put this off as long as they can unless they plan to monetize what data they collect. Remote app functionality and vampire drain are scourges of EVs. One of my biggest complaints about Rivian is their flaky app (still). The Ford app is not much better. Tesla seems to be...

With the residuals being higher in almost all cases, you'd be pretty foolish to buy out your lease. When mine is up in June of 2027, I'll be walking away from it. There will be some churn as those go to auction and are put back in, but the overall prices will be depressed. Many of those...

Pretty cool. That's a Windrose, not a VW though: https://www.freightwaves.com/news/chinese-class-8-ev-truck-maker-announces-factory-in-georgia Reminds me of when I stopped in Bedford, PA to charge my Lightning back in 2022. I talked to this guy for a good 10-15 minutes about the trucks.

It's a good datapoint for someone who is cross shopping small, inexpensive EVs of any body type. Not everyone is though. I love the Slate, but I'm also thinking of going back to a "split fleet" with a Ridgeline for long trips /hauling and a small EV for commuting - likely a Mini Cooper SE...

Some parts of the country have speed limits that are higher. In Texas there is even a road that has an 85 mph limit, though that's not common. It is common, however, to have speed limits of 75 or even 80 further west. Highway speed limits are 65-70 here, and most do about 6-9 over. That's...