Bigger may not be better when it comes to the battery.

[Mad Mac]

It has never been about the environment.
It is about protecting the domestic
car and truck market.
When economical small foreign cars and trucks began flooding the country,
barriers were thrown up to save Detroit.
The "Chicken Tax" tariff, import quotas and burdensome emission and safety requirements blocked the micro vehicles and other small vehicles enjoyed by the rest of the world. The CAFE standards perpetuate the scheme. It is not an unintentional error. It's on purpose.

 

[AZFox]

hopefully they will design it to be modernized as time goes on so the next replacement battery can be a newer technology

I share this optimistic point of view. Seems to me that batteries will become cheaper, lighter, higher-capacity, faster-charging, etc., in the future.

Even as someone not focused on the topic of Battery Technology I see articles -- well, headlines anyway -- about "breakthrough" battery tech improvements on what seems to be a weekly basis. That said, don't mistake me for someone who believes most of what he reads in the "news".

There's a lot of economic incentive, so improvements will likely happen.

 

[SlateModGarage]

It would be cool if you can get the standard battery and plug in an extra for days you need it. Or have it charging wile doing small trips. I know it will be to heavy and unpredictable but still be cool. I could one day see travel trailers with batteries for long trips for EVs.

 

[The Weatherman]

It would be cool if you can get the standard battery and plug in an extra for days you need it. Or have it charging wile doing small trips. I know it will be to heavy and unpredictable but still be cool. I could one day see travel trailers with batteries for long trips for EVs.

Here you go! There is another manufacture out there also, but I can’t seem to recall it.

https://www.google.com/gasearch?q=p...ate=ive&vld=cid:a66858a2,vid:rpbfLEOH9Dk,st:0

 

[skidoofast]

It would be nice if it had something like the Ryobi Electric Zero Turns had where you could add or remove suitcase batteries as you need, you COULD have some on a charge stand ready to go and hot swap them (i do understand that these are 80v and Slate will be 400v)

 

[SlateModGarage]

It would be nice if it had something like the Ryobi Electric Zero Turns had where you could add or remove suitcase batteries as you need, you COULD have some on a charge stand ready to go and hot swap them (i do understand that these are 80v and Slate will be 400v)

Yes and power levels. LOL.

 

[5ohbrad]

After a little research and some basic math, you should only charge an MNC battery to 80% (120 miles). On average MNC batteries loose up to 30% of their capacity after 10 years (84 mile range) and, loose about 40% below 32 degrees (50.4 miles)

Worst case scenario for the bigger battery is 80.64 miles.

Slate has talked about how great this vehicle will be for the 2nd and even the 3rd owners of this vehicle because they can customize it and make it their own but they never mentioned that the 2nd or possibly 3rd owners will have to drop between $15-20k for a "Small" replacement battery (at today's cost).

Hate to say it but if any of the top 3 auto manufacturers finally wake up and build a small regular cab ICE truck then it's good by Slate.

This truck is looking more and more "Disposable" after about 10 years...

Battery cost per kWh is dropping like a rock. Look at the Nissan Leaf. Over the life of the vehicle, battery tech improved and they offered a larger 62kwh battery. DIY types (a lot of this community) have been upgrading Leafs with 62kwh refurbished batteries for $5000. That’s a larger battery than the Slate! In ten years time, it is not far fetched to think that an affordable upgraded battery will be available. You wouldn’t throw away an ICE vehicle that needed a trans or an engine- same concept but this is simpler.

 

[5ohbrad]

All new cars produced today (regardless of price) are disposable. Certainly all Teslas are built that way...they start falling apart in five years...less time if its a Cybertruck. Cars not lasting forever is what keeps the auto makers in business. Even Toyota, the paragon of dependability and long-lasting vehicles, has jumped on the bandwagon. If the battery in a Slate is the only thing that fails in 8-10 years (and I doubt it will be), merely replacing the battery after the vehicle is fully amortized seems like a win to me if the rest of the truck is fully operational...most importantly the motor. There are so few systems to fail that it seems likely that the Slate (other than its battery), might outlast other new cars being produced today. We know the body panels and exterior finish (wrap) are replaceable. Just think about how many ECUs are in a typical new car. How many do you think the Slate will have? Other than those specifically tasked with meeting federally mandated safety standards, I'm guessing very few.

Couldn’t agree more. As a fleet operator, the complexity and resulting decline in quality since the pandemic has been noticeable. Every automaker seems to struggle with recalls. Our cost to wrap an Explorer is in the thousands of dollars, paint is even pricier. I don’t think people realize how much cheaper to operate the Slate promises to be. Time will tell!

 

[Shay]

A debate Im also having. Better drivability and payload vs range. With the weight and decreased capability the larger battery however comes a better resale position. Will have to see what the upspend is.

 

[5ohbrad]

I’m going to gamble that the standard battery will suffice for my 70 mile round trip daily. My hope is by the time battery degradation is a concern, an upgrade will be available. A similar 57kwh battery should at a minimum be affordable and ideally be lighter by that time- improving performance. Or load it up with a more energy dense battery for additional range, capability and increased towing possibly? If it’s sells well (appears that it will) the aftermarket will step up and offer options.

 

[GeoLogic]

While this is universal across all EV manufacturers, it alas mustn't be forgotten that they're all exaggerating the actual range you're going to get from the battery, including Slate. Cargo/passengers, heat, running audio/accessories... Every single addition is something you know they're not counting when they boast about ranges. Best-case, biggest battery range in the Slate is poor by any reasonable measure, and that, along with daft lack of AWD, severely reduces my confidence in this otherwise compelling vehicle. I'm very disappointed in this. But I do hope Slate might vastly improve range, and offer brain-dead necessary AWD, at some point in the future if these egregious shortcomings don't kill the company before they get the chance to address them.

I must also add, even though the cost is lesser than the average wanton new vehicle, it's still extremely expensive for nothing. Just wait until you add anything the normal person would want, and I bet this truck will cost $35 - $40K. That's a lot of damn money. And let's be honest, Slate: That Federal incentive is GONE. You know it, we know it. There is a probability of Zero that that incentive is still there by the time you go to production.

Anyway, none of this is meant to throw shade on the potential for this vehicle. I just personally feel it suffers from some serious, potentially fatal flaws. And I feel burned by that because I otherwise immensely want one of these.

 

[Mad Mac]

Air conditioning, cruise control, power door locks and a shiftless transmission are standard equipment.
What else could anyone possibly desire.

 

[skidoofast]

While this is universal across all EV manufacturers, it alas mustn't be forgotten that they're all exaggerating the actual range you're going to get from the battery, including Slate. Cargo/passengers, heat, running audio/accessories... Every single addition is something you know they're not counting when they boast about ranges. Best-case, biggest battery range in the Slate is poor by any reasonable measure, and that, along with daft lack of AWD, severely reduces my confidence in this otherwise compelling vehicle. I'm very disappointed in this. But I do hope Slate might vastly improve range, and offer brain-dead necessary AWD, at some point in the future if these egregious shortcomings don't kill the company before they get the chance to address them.

I must also add, even though the cost is lesser than the average wanton new vehicle, it's still extremely expensive for nothing. Just wait until you add anything the normal person would want, and I bet this truck will cost $35 - $40K. That's a lot of damn money. And let's be honest, Slate: That Federal incentive is GONE. You know it, we know it. There is a probability of Zero that that incentive is still there by the time you go to production.

Anyway, none of this is meant to throw shade on the potential for this vehicle. I just personally feel it suffers from some serious, potentially fatal flaws. And I feel burned by that because I otherwise immensely want one of these.

well 100 miles is going to cost $3,000 - how many more $3,000 do you want them to add?

the reality is that for what this pickup is 150 - 250 miles advertised should be plenty

I'll use my wife's daily driving as an example:
40 miles to town
lets estimate high and say 20 miles driving around town
40 miles home
that is a total of 100 miles per day
even if she had to run to town an extra time and not drive around town she still would be able to make it at about 180 miles (with the extended battery) and if she questioned it she could take another vehicle

an estimate is she could do her regular driving for less than $2 per day, thats 22 miles in her Subaru and 180 miles on the Slate so take that same trip in her Subaru =$13.64

Subaru Fuel Estimated Per Year =$3,545.50
Slate Estimated Home Charging Per Year = $520 I know in Minnesota there is an extra EV License Fee of $75

now I lost what I was trying to get at, too much math LOL - oh ya, 250 miles should be plenty, 150 is probably enough for most

 

[GeoLogic]

I personally would expect elements such as:

Color
Alloy wheels
Audio Equipment
Tonneau Cover
Mud Flaps
Floor Mats
**AWD**
Industry matching range

As with any business, accessories and better performance additions are typically where the entity makes their greater profits, so nothing will be cheap to acquire. Including the wraps, which, by the time production is realized, will not be "$500". More than double that cost and you're closer to reality, I think.

This concept remains outstanding, and I love it-- I'm just saying the out-the-door-cost for a realistically equipped vehicle that most consumers would want is going to be much higher than is being quoted. Including zero tax incentives. I will say the beauty of this sort of vehicle is you can at least get accessories later on if you need to, as you're able to afford it. That difference vs. every other car maker is something to immensely applaud.

For me, I'd wish all of the above elements, along with the full SUV cover and rear seats, all heated, and in leather. Count on such a Slate costing a minimum of $40,000 - $45,000 U.S. dollars. To me that's a LOT of money.

 

[GeoLogic]

What I indeed wish is to outright replace what my present CR-V is capable of, including, I'm talking to you Slate, AWD. I recognize the cost savings and lifetime carbon reductions that EVs offer, and wish to use that in hitting skiing trips there and back without having to worry about charging, road trips, around-town hauling... Things most people would want from a vehicle. Enthusiasm for this car notwithstanding, these are not unreasonable wishes. They're what most normal people want in a car. And to survive as a company you need sales numbers. The better Slate meets these above noted wishes, the better their chance to actually succeed. Not hitting those marks guarantees a poorer outlook. I speak from a real-world perspective, not from an excited apologists one. And I am the latter: I love this vehicle already-- I just wish it to surpass the low bar it's been set to. In fact, I'm willing to overlook all the other shortcomings if they'd include AWD. But without it, NO DEAL. I'm not going backwards from 2006 in 2026.