Actively considering cancelling reservation.

[Doctors Do Little]

Trust me on this. Once you have a pickup truck in your personal fleet of automobiles, you'll never want to be without one for the rest of your driving life.

This is true. Every time I sell one, I miss it a few weeks later when attempting to haul stuff that is too big for SUV and not quite worth getting the trailer out for.

 

[Cody122]

So many topics to touch!

The form factor, a truck, is actually irrelevant to me. Short of looking like a Kia Soul it could have been basically anything.

I love the concept, as stated above, of Made in America, bare bones, low tech vehicle and a company going against the norm. Low part count and off the shelf. No subscription tech you drive around with but aren't allowed to use.

The AMA would have been in line with their marketing had it just been a random release with questions from the website. Targeting the reservation holders and the invite only link I think I where it went wrong. For me at least, I expected something entirely different because of that.

The business model is interesting. It's been said by others but I can't help but think about Scion. While we did get the FRS/BRZ/GR86 out of that adventure, that whole cheap cars, viral marketing, and customization model didn't pan out for them, and they were backed by Toyota.

I will keep my reservation as long as they let me. After my OP, cancelling seems kind of overkill and final. I don't need the $50 but I also don't think I'll be pulling the trigger right away.

 

[dark star]

I actually appreciated the CEO’s humor and I did get an e-mail follow-up to my unanswered question, with an informative, serious answer. For me, this would be a second car, and while I’m an SUV fan, (not so much a pick-up fan) the increasing real-world cost is a concern. Initially, the Slate was pitched as a budget-friendly EV, with a sub $w0 starting price… but with the loss of the $7,500 rebate and the added costs like the $5,000 SUV kit (+ installation costs?), the price adds up quickly. I don’t mind crank windows and other cost cutting measures, but BSW is important to me - so add another $1500 for a 3rd party install of that safety feature. Plus, installing a Level 2 charger here could run another $2,500 to $5,000.
And, let’s remember this is a version 1 vehicle… with some of the typical version 1 faults/learning curves for Slate.
All in all, it feels like the final cost might not be as sweet as I hoped, for a vehicle with some possible compromises… I am not sure if I want to be the first “test group” for Slate. I’m still interested and will keep my deposit, but it’s a bit less of a dream scenario now.

 

[null98115]

Trust me on this. Once you have a pickup truck in your personal fleet of automobiles, you'll never want to be without one for the rest of your driving life.

Can confirm.

 

[null98115]

- No heat pumps initially. This is a terrible idea in Seattle. I don't want to buy the bigger battery just to run the heater 8 months out of the year. Very disappointed when I learned this.

I haven't been a religious reader of this message board so this bullet point really caught my attention, particularly since I am also in Seattle. Wanting to know more, I asked ChatGPT to elaborate. Pasting that answer here as others might also find it useful. In my case, my reservation is so far down the list, I wouldn't expect delivery until 2028 or later, so hoping something will change.

Heat pump vs. resistive heater (why people care)
Heat pump (what many EVs use):

• Works like an air conditioner in reverse
• Moves heat instead of “making” it
• Uses much less electricity, especially in cool (not arctic) climates
• Big win for range in places like Seattle (40–55°F most of the year)

Resistive heater (what Slate plans initially):

• Basically a giant electric space heater
• Turns battery power directly into heat
• Simple and cheap, but very inefficient
• Can consume 2–5 kW continuously when heating the cabin

Why this is “a terrible idea in Seattle” (from the poster’s POV)
Seattle’s climate is:

• Cool for much of the year
• Rarely extremely cold, but often cold enough to need heat
• Lots of 35–55°F days where heat pumps shine

With no heat pump, the truck:

• Needs cabin heat 7–8 months a year
• Loses significant driving range every time the heater runs
• Forces owners to:
  • Charge more often, or
  • Buy a larger (more expensive) battery just to offset heater losses

That’s what they mean by:

“I don't want to buy the bigger battery just to run the heater 8 months out of the year.”

How big the range hit can be
Rough estimates (real-world varies):

• Resistive heating can reduce range by 15–30% in cool weather
• On short trips, it can be even worse
• Heat pumps typically cut that loss in half or better

So if Slate is targeting affordability and smaller batteries, this decision feels backwards to some buyers.

Why Slate might be doing this anyway
From a manufacturer standpoint:

• Heat pumps add:
  • Cost
  • Engineering complexity
  • Supplier constraints
• Slate is aiming for:
  • Extreme simplicity
  • Low base price
  • Fewer parts initially

They may:

• Add a heat pump later
• Offer it as an upgrade
• Be prioritizing warm-climate buyers early on

But for Pacific Northwest buyers, it’s a legitimate concern.

 

[SparkYellow]

Trust me on this. Once you have a pickup truck in your personal fleet of automobiles, you'll never want to be without one for the rest of your driving life.

Thank you for this! I was debating whether to order with the cargo kit, when the time comes. I will start with the pickup and go from there.

 

[ppanish]

The Q&A is aimed at a mass market. I thought it was fine for what it was. My questions were more technical, and every one was addressed in a separate email in the last couple of weeks. I have no complaints about how Slate has handled this.

 

[SparkYellow]

Back to the OP with your Fusion and fellow with a Fit... They can stay with you as a backup, if space allows. Different cars offer different driving experiences and serve different functions. You can have two, or more. My backup has been a 2011 MINI for many years. It has 202K+ miles and is worth pennies if for sale.

 

[Johnologue]

To be honest, I hadn't made a reservation from the start because my need and ability to pay for a new car next year are pretty uncertain, and I've been hesitant to spend money.

This conversation, reconsidering the value of a place in line, the reassurances that a reservation doesn't mean an obligation to order, etc., almost made me decide to put down the $50, but checking my savings beforehand (and seeing another desperate nonprofit fundraising email) reinforced my hesitation. I'm waiting to secure more income.

I imagine that'll happen before Q4 2026, but it feels weird to make even a fully refundable commitment to buy something I can't yet afford.

I'd very much want a Slate Truck if/when I could get one, and I do wonder how many of the affordability-conscious customers Slate is hoping for have similarly held off on a reservation.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

To be honest, I hadn't made a reservation from the start because my need and ability to pay for a new car next year are pretty uncertain, and I've been hesitant to spend money.

This conversation, reconsidering the value of a place in line, the reassurances that a reservation doesn't mean an obligation to order, etc., almost made me decide to put down the $50, but checking my savings beforehand (and seeing another desperate nonprofit fundraising email) reinforced my hesitation. I'm waiting to secure more income.

I imagine that'll happen before Q4 2026, but it feels weird to make even a fully refundable commitment to buy something I can't yet afford.

I'd very much want a Slate Truck if/when I could get one, and I do wonder how many of the affordability-conscious customers Slate is hoping for have similarly held off on a reservation.

In many ways, this is the beauty of the draw of this truck. On this forum, we've got retired folks, bored folks, nerds, young folks....tight budget, no budget, everything. I like it.

If budget is tight, I'd be prudent and make sure that the juice is worth the squeeze as margins for errors may also be tighter. I'd give that advice for anything over $1K though, honestly.

 

[SparkYellow]

When I was young and fresh out of school, I moved to warmer climates and started looking for a job. Budget was tight, future was dimmed. In the tiny rental, I layered comforters on the floor as my bed. Months later, my mom came to visit and got mad, so mad that she smashed a plate. She said that I was setting myself up for failure. With so little invested, I was ready to pack up and go home. The following day we went and got a futon and a small TV. Things started to look up and soon I found a job.

I complied because I was scared. She was never that mad. Looking back though, it was the mental switch from uncertainty to certainty. Instead of focusing on doubts, I focused on what my future should be. Or maybe I presented myself differently during interviews because I slept better. It was just a futon though, not a premium bed that needed a payment plan.

Bored and older folk here reminiscing about the past... 😅

She mad because her investment was at stake. In that culture/generation there are a set of milestones that one must achieve. When I fell off the wagon later on, she was supportive.

 

[Kopsis]

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 primary (or only) vehicle, the smart play is to wait 2 - 3 years for the first major refresh. If I wasn't comfortable with coin-toss odds of my $30k purchase not working out (and taking a massive depreciation hit), I'd cancel my reservation and wait.

 

[phidauex]

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 primary (or only) vehicle, the smart play is to wait 2 - 3 years for the first major refresh. If I wasn't comfortable with coin-toss odds of my $30k purchase not working out (and taking a massive depreciation hit), I'd cancel my reservation and wait.

This is exactly right - if cost efficiency is the paramount goal, then a lightly used hybrid, or an off-lease or rental 2022/23 EV is by far the way to go. A friend just picked up a Silverado EV with 15k miles, former rental, with a new battery that had been replaced under warranty for $43k. It has a 200kWh battery, >370mi range, giant frunk, seats 5, 240V 30A outlets in the full size bed, etc. It is a giant vehicle to be sure, and I'm not saying it would meet everyone's needs (certainly not mine), but on a "what do you get for your dollar" basis it is pretty amazing.

I was in the first 15k Mach E owners in the US, and knew I'd be in for some growing pains. There were some early issues, but they got ironed out over time, and now I've been enjoying a great EV for 5 years when others were waiting on the sidelines.

I'm willing to jump into something early, as long as the signs remain positive for Slate's health, but I fully admit that it is because I enjoy cars and technology, and it is fun to be the first person owning something unique. Likewise, while I'm aware of the value of my purchases, I'm fortunate to have a fair amount of flexibility, and a few thousand to the left or right doesn't really change my thinking or my needs.

In an ideal world, Slate will do pretty well, there will be some bumps on deliveries, a few early recalls for things like windshield glass sealing, or 12V control module issues, or what-have-you, and they are a little annoying but get resolved. Initial owners get through it and mostly enjoy their trucks, and then year 2, 3, 4 owners reap the benefits.

 

[KevinRS]

Part of the problem with the Q&A is questions submitted weren't that serious.

The serious ones that people wanted are things they probably can't answer yet

Everyone should know there won't be a front bench seat, and the rear in the SUV kit is a bench seat, and the question was "Will there be a bench seat?" not "Will there be a front bench seat option?" A front bench seat would probably require reworking mounting, and a whole new seat design, I doubt anyone has made a bench seat with integrated airbags, the front seats contain airbags in most cars made in the last 10+ years. A front bench seat might also cause side impact crash test issues.

She answered the surfboard question because someone asked it, someone on this forum in fact. That may be something few of us care about, but it was something none of us or even She knew the answer to.

 

[dark star]

As mentioned, I believe many of us who submitted serious questions not answered in the video, did get serious responses via email. I think they are trying…