Actively considering cancelling reservation.

[OldGoat]

Plus, installing a Level 2 charger here could run another $2,500 to $5,000.

For some of you perhaps reading the above post: My home charger was paid for by my utility company. And the electrician labor was $570. Check with your utility company to see if they have a program. And his super high estimate might have included changes he needed to make to his home electrical box. Not every home charger install would be this high but some will.
As for the original post here: IF his current vehicle is running well and safe to drive it would be prudent to wait for a Slate after the early version is shipped and the voting comes in from owners. Some of us, with another vehicle to drive should the Slate suffer hiccups, can put up with that. If it's your only vehicle wouldn't you be better off knowing the bugs have been worked out.?

 

[Doctors Do Little]

For some of you perhaps reading the above post: My home charger was paid for by my utility company. And the electrician labor was $570. Check with your utility company to see if they have a program. And his super high estimate might have included changes he needed to make to his home electrical box. Not every home charger install would be this high but some will.
As for the original post here: IF his current vehicle is running well and safe to drive it would be prudent to wait for a Slate after the early version is shipped and the voting comes in from owners. Some of us, with another vehicle to drive should the Slate suffer hiccups, can put up with that. If it's your only vehicle wouldn't you be better off knowing the bugs have been worked out.?

Agreed. My $3K+ investment 3 years ago was when wire was the most expensive, and a new panel was installed and 3 new runs from basement through floor to the garage and resulting in a new 110 with 4 drops and 2 x 240's with locked in conduits to ward off misadventures in garaging. I guessed correctly as I've used both of the new drops for an EV and PHEV and the new 110 for golf cart, all without worrying a bit about loads/shorts/fires. Not cheap, but won't have to repeat it while I own this house.

I did a similar job on an AirBNB at the beach...1 x 240 and 1 x 110 with everything to code...that was $1500. Neither electric co-op was interested in participating in my costs though.

If you have room in your panel and you can get a reasonable electrician, it's not a head-scratcher or a wallet-buster.

New panels and new wiring and breakers and new conduits....add$ up.

 

[zipn]

Also thinking less than a 50% chance I'll wind up using my reservation to get a first-gen Slate. I've a very early reservation, but the value proposition I was expecting has changed to the point I'm probably going to wind up with a gently used off-lease EV like a bolt or Hyundai/Kia.

Originally I was attracted to the Slate by the promise of a simple, reliable, NEW, around-town 2-personEV (not necessarily a pick-up) for ~$20K. But now:

• Starting price now in mid 20s at least.
• Safety features like Blind Spot Monitoring not available.
• No power mirrors (I consider this a safety feature in any home with multiple drivers)
• 150 mile range probably compromised in cold weather (under 100?) due to resistive heating.
• The lack of focus on efficiency / aerodynamics and providing a decent miles/kWh
• And honestly, the idiocy of factory manual windows when power windows are probably cheaper to make as a manufactured standard feature. This smells of a marketing decision, not an engineering one.

All of these combined with the risk of being an early adopter now come into play. I'll still wait and see what they actually offer next year when my number comes up, but I've been disappointed so far.

And, FWIW, I don't give a rat's ass regarding color wraps, dashboard trinkets, or cookie cutters. Maybe SLATE will come through with a pragmatic offering for a reliable, low cost EV that beats the competition, but it's not looking very promising to me right now.

 

[AZFox]

I think the Q&A was a bad idea.

It was a good idea, hastily executed.

As I wrote in the thread on that topic, I'm willing to cut them some slack because I'd prefer they concentrate on getting the design finished, the plant up and running, and Trucks flowing onto train cars.

They should have a blog on their website and post the unanswered Q&As there rather than sending the answers to individuals via email.

 

[phidauex]

• 150 mile range probably compromised in cold weather (under 100?) due to resistive heating.

Your other concerns are well founded, but the PTC heater vs heat pump topic is much overstated. The vast majority of the energy of the car is going to pushing it around, and the vast majority of the winter range decrease is due to the battery chemistry itself, not the increased climate load.

Improvements from a heat pump are really more in the handful of percentage points range - maybe the difference from 150 mi to 158 mi or something. So while big gains are made by stacking many small gains, I wouldn't let a heatpump be a dealbreaker for you on any EV.

For example, the 2025 MachEs have heat pumps now, and people on the Macheforum have been wracking their brains trying to measure the efficiency difference. Even people who own both a 2021 and a 2025 can't tell the difference. Is there one? Logic says yes, but it is smaller than all the environmental variables, and hard to even measure.

 

[Letas]

It was a good idea, hastily executed.

As I wrote in the thread on that topic, I'm willing to cut them some slack because I'd prefer they concentrate on getting the design finished, the plant up and running, and Trucks flowing onto train cars.

They should have a blog on their website and post the unanswered Q&As there rather than sending the answers to individuals via email.

I know you keep cutting the slack because they are "focused on getting the Slate delivered", but they have a team of people meant for Comms. Their marketing team is not going to be wrenching on a car, or sifting through CAD files.

Presumably the CEO is busy these days, but they just as easily could have made a real Q+A Video instead of that mockery they put out, with the same effort from Chris.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

It was a good idea, hastily executed.

As I wrote in the thread on that topic, I'm willing to cut them some slack because I'd prefer they concentrate on getting the design finished, the plant up and running, and Trucks flowing onto train cars.

They should have a blog on their website and post the unanswered Q&As there rather than sending the answers to individuals via email.

You mean Frequently Unanswered Questions (FUQ's)?

 

[AZFox]

I know you keep cutting the slack because they are "focused on getting the Slate delivered", but they have a team of people meant for Comms. Their marketing team is not going to be wrenching on a car, or sifting through CAD files.

To me their marketing team seems completely out of touch with a vast swath of potential buyers.

I doubt it's lack of skill on PR Director Jeff Jablansky's part. I think it might be because, like you say, the personnel can relate to pickleball and cookies better than they can relate to the desires and concerns of someone looking for a workhorse small pickup.

 

[AZFox]

You mean Frequently Unanswered Questions (FUQ's)?

What would you call the queue for those?

 

[Doctors Do Little]

What would you call the queue for those?

I will get some popcorn and await the reply...

 

[zipn]

Your other concerns are well founded, but the PTC heater vs heat pump topic is much overstated. The vast majority of the energy of the car is going to pushing it around, and the vast majority of the winter range decrease is due to the battery chemistry itself, not the increased climate load.

My daughter has a 23 Bolt EV with resistive heat. There's no identical model with heat pump to compare to, but I can tell you that running the Bolt's cabin heater makes a much bigger hit on the battery range than running the AC compressor. Since the Bolt also has heated seats and a heated steering wheel, when it's very cold outside the smart play is to NOT use the car's heater, but just the seat & wheel heater (also resistive, but not as big as an electrical hit).

I don't believe the SLATE will offer heated seats or a heated wheel, so the only option in winter will be the inefficient electric cab heater, and I bet it's not going to be just a trivial hit on the available range. Maybe not 33% but I think it will be significant. Need to see the final product testing and real world results.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

My daughter has a 23 Bolt EV with resistive heat. There's no identical model with heat pump to compare to, but I can tell you that running the Bolt's cabin heater makes a much bigger hit on the battery range than running the AC compressor. Since the Bolt also has heated seats and a heated steering wheel, when it's very cold outside the smart play is to NOT use the car's heater, but just the seat & wheel heater (also resistive, but not as big as an electrical hit).

I don't believe the SLATE will offer heated seats or a heated wheel, so the only option in winter will be the inefficient electric cab heater, and I bet it's not going to be just a trivial hit on the available range. Maybe not 33% but I think it will be significant. Need to see the final product testing and real world results.

Also, if you have the SUV addition, it might be a lot of electrons sucked up to warm the whole thing? (or chilly rear passengers)

 

[AZFox]

I don't believe the SLATE will offer heated seats or a heated wheel, so the only option in winter will be the inefficient electric cab heater,

I seem to recall that heated seat covers will be offered.

 

[AZFox]

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.

Satisfaction happens when results are compared with expectations and the results are favorable.

If someone knows what to expect and gets that or better, it will be Perfect Enough.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Satisfaction happens when results are compared with expectations and the results are favorable.

If someone knows what to expect and gets that or better, it will be Perfect Enough.

As I've been told hundreds of times, "the enemy of good enough is Perfect".