📊 Expected Out-The-Door price for a $25,000 Blank Slate

[RetiredOnPaper]

IMHO Slate should have started with a cost analysis and worked up from there. This should be what it costs Slate to push a blank out the door. And that should be less $$$ that the base purchase price without incentives. If they did that, they have wiggle room and (again IMHO) a bright future.

When I get mine I will drive it for a while and then decide what I want to add to it. And my wife will decide if she wants one.

 

[KevinRS]

IMHO Slate should have started with a cost analysis and worked up from there. This should be what it costs Slate to push a blank out the door. And that should be less $$$ that the base purchase price without incentives. If they did that, they have wiggle room and (again IMHO) a bright future.

When I get mine I will drive it for a while and then decide what I want to add to it. And my wife will decide if she wants one.

What makes you think they didn't do that or something similar? The issue is with the time between design and sales, things change. Supply chains change, commodity prices change, tariffs happen, etc.

 

[Mac-Tyson]

What makes you think they didn't do that or something similar? The issue is with the time between design and sales, things change. Supply chains change, commodity prices change, tariffs happen, etc.

The advantage Slate has though is they have a lot more partners interested in working with them after the announcement than before. More options for suppliers means more of a chance to get a good deal with a quality supplier. The disadvantage is that regardless of all those other factors and the price of the competition at the time of the release. A lot of people don't want to hear a base price of more than 25K for a base Blank Slate. Just won't feel like a good value to them. That's the challenge they need to solve for Slate is how they can get to $25K or less while still delivering a 5 star safety rating, economical quality, and most important making a profit on each Slate sold so they don't end up in a similar position Rivian is in today.

 

[RetiredOnPaper]

What makes you think they didn't do that or something similar? The issue is with the time between design and sales, things change. Supply chains change, commodity prices change, tariffs happen, etc.

They probably did, but did,t say. I've learned not to assume too much. In fact since they started literally in Sandy Monroe's back room, I would expect no less. Living in the motor city I know just how cut throat the auto industry is and, in a way, am glad to see then keeping some things out of sight. Ford jumping in and promising competition, without showing anything, is no surprise. It was a reaction that said Slate is a threat. JMHO

 

[Doug T]

It struck me that you mentioned Sandy Munro. Looking back through his videos, for several years he has been a fan of Tesla vehicles and manufacturing strategy. He and therefor Slate understand the ins and outs and cost tradeoffs.

Tesla builds cars in Gigafactories that are integrated with the production of batteries, motors and many other vehicle components. The Texas Gigaplant is 10M square feet. The body is built using Gigacasting techniques meaning a cost reduction (at least in high volumes) because many fewer parts comprise the body.

The Slate factory is purposely modest in size at 1.4M square feet. Slate is outsourcing many (most?) vehicle components including the battery and motor (EDM). The body is a more or less conventional unibody. My guess is that Slate is minimizing upfront capital expenditures and time to market. They have a plan and understand the tradeoffs.