Article: Slate Auto CEO Chris Barman tells us how exactly it’s making a $25,000 EV

[motorolas]

@motorolas found a good article that has an informative interview of Slate Auto CEO Chris Barman.

Slate Auto CEO Chris Barman tells us how exactly it’s making a $25,000 EV -- The automotive veteran explains why her company can deliver a cheap electric vehicle when others, like Tesla, have failed.

Here's a link to @motorolas' likable post.

Thanks @a]AZFox. Here’s another article from the same site showing a bit more of the Slate, two videos of the Slate slowing driving
https://sherwood.news/culture/inside-slate-auto-michigan-design-studio-factory/

 

[Tinker]

I enjoyed the article. Thanks for posting

 

[AZFox]

Thanks @a]AZFox. Here’s another article from the same site showing a bit more of the Slate, two videos of the Slate slowing driving
https://sherwood.news/culture/inside-slate-auto-michigan-design-studio-factory/

Thanks!

Seeing an actual truck rolling adds a little something. I'll tell you what it doesn't add though: patience.

 

[sodamo]

Thanks!

Seeing an actual truck rolling adds a little something. I'll tell you what it doesn't add though: patience.

Oh me of little patience. 🤪🤪🤪

 

[EverythingSlate]

Here is my observations about a door-less Slate. I speak from experience as I owned a '95 Jeep XJ Wrangler for 12 years and I now own a '22 Bronco.

Both of those vehicles were designed from the onset to have removable doors. The Jeep's doors were half-doors with a removable plastic/vinyl window. One nut secured the top door hinge and the door hinge stuck out from the body. The doors had no electrics in them, so no wire harness, no glass, which cuts the weight down significantly. The door check is a simple strap that loops over a hook on the kick panel.

The modern Bronco doors are much more complex to remove. The doors have electric windows and locks, and side impact sensors, so there is a hefty electrical harness. The harness unplugs at the body door frame. The connector has a watertight cover door that springs closed. The Bronco doors have hard-to-access hinges, which makes it a bit difficult to take the doors easily on and off. And the doors are heavy compared to the old Wrangler's doors. Ford thoughtfully molded into the door card a grab point at the bottom of the door to assist in lifting the door off the hinges. The door checks are built into the hinges.

Now what most people don't understand about the Jeep and Bronco is fit-tolerance. Because the doors are designed to be removed, they do not seal as tightly to the body as a conventional truck or SUV. The body-line gaps are wider and the rubber door seals are looser. All necessary to make the door easier to remove and install, which comes at a cost of noise and water intrusion. One of the complaints about Wranglers, and more so Broncos, are the vehicles are loud inside. That is in part because of the is door designed to be easily removed.

I don't think Slate has developed a door design that purposely makes the door easy to remove as the Wrangler and Bronco are. The Slate looks like it has simple hinges, which have somewhat easy access to the hinge bolts, but it looks like the doors are designed to seal tightly to the door frame, unlike the Wangler and Bronco. My observation is the Slate doors will be not be easily removed and how will the crash protection system be affected. The Bronco and modern Wrangler have workarounds built into the crash protection system that recognizes the doors are removed. That's a whole lot more engineering involved than simply just unbolting the door and pulling it off the body.

Again, not being negative, just discussing the engineering and cost elements involved.

loving your insights E90 and I agree with most your logic.