California: SB168 passed for $3500 instant POS rebate! $21,450 for a base Slate ? Anyone know if Slate will participate ?

[Doctors Do Little]

Electricity in Georgia is WAY cheaper. Also if you are a tourist doing tourist things then you are probably surrounded by other tourists who primarily rent gas cars.

Gasoline and electricity are both much cheaper so I that’s a wash.

 

[Frozen North]

10+ years ago I took the kids to every ghost town and abandoned site that I could get to with my Mazda5 then R56. Almost every other weekend when they were with me, for about 8 years, to as north as Helena and as south as Salton Sea. There was a crisis in the State Park system and many were scheduled to shut down. Back then we would stay at motels for under $80/night or camp sites.

Disney was priced way out of my league and I didn't enjoy it much as a kid. I would have liked to visit the abandoned amusement park in Guerneville. We never went because access was not guaranteed. The closest amusement-park experience was the Calico Ghost Town and the Halloween evening at Preston's Castle in Ione. We've also hiked a few decommissioned railway tunnels, one in Oroville, one at Donner Pass, and the Wrights Tunnel in the Santa Cruz mountains that had been sealed for decades.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/oroville-train-tunnel

https://share.google/2YRmNCWzVBkPC3Iyo

https://share.google/35Wdz0GEfUIuAH0v6

I think the Slate SUV for a family of 4 could be an amazing (Or at least memorable) summer trip vehicle for a trip like you described. For parents willing and able to get their kids to interact, it could be great.
Heres why.
Having kids spend 4+ hours in the back of a giant SUV or Minivan just watching video monitors or staring at their phones really isn't spending memorable time together.
With the Slate you could reenact the old school road trips, playing road trip games, plotting site seeing stops 150 miles apart all around the country, like you described.
The safe, basic nature of the Slate forces everyone to interact and stop more frequently to enjoy the scenery.
It would certainly take a lot more planning and time, but I think that would be worth it in the end.
I bet Us 101 would be a good one.

 

[MotoGary]

The solution is simple: Slate could do a Limited Edition "California Special" that has some cheap graphics, Slatelets, badges and interior logos and charge $1,750 more. That effectively passes most of the cost on to CA buyers, but they still save $1,750 and get something "Special" in return.

I have an idea to do an AI "California Special" Edition but don't have time. Maybe one of you could take a stab at it?

 

[FC49er]

If Slate chooses to do this, it would make my decision a lot easier, I fell they may not though.

 

[FC49er]

Hate to break it to you, but we Californians pay extra on our annual DMV registration for having a ZEV.

Just paid $750 for 1 year registration on my Mach E.

Extra EV and Standard Fees for California:

• Road Improvement Fee (RIF): An extra charge around $100 to $121 annually for zero-emission vehicles (model year 2020 and newer) to replace lost gas tax revenue for road work.
• Transportation Improvement Fee (TIF): A sliding fee based on the vehicle's market value, ranging from $33 to $231, which applies to all vehicle types including EVs.
• Vehicle License Fee (VLF): A property tax fee charged at 0.65% of the vehicle's purchase price or current value.
• Base Registration & CHP Fees: Standard flat state registration costs and California Highway Patrol funding fees that apply to all cars.

and soon you'll be taxed by the mile

 

[jobrated.man]

I rented a dual master bedroom apt with a parking garage in LaJolla in the very late 90s. Even then it was almost $2500 a month. I can't imagine living there now. I wanted to buy in Chula Vista but homes were 500k plus even back then.

I live in SD now, have since 1968. We see tons of EV cars all around mostly Teslas. Btw, the homes in Chula Vista are NIW $850,000.00 for typical suburban stucco house.

 

[52Maverick]

Slate Truck meets the strict pricing requirements for California's new $3,500 instant EV rebate program, but its final qualification depends on a corporate decision by Slate Auto.

Here is how the Slate Truck stacks up against the new SB 168 rebate rules:

1. The Price Easily Qualifies
The new program requires eligible new EVs to have an MSRP under $50,000. Starting at an ultra-affordable $24,950, the Slate Truck is well below the state's cap. Even if you choose the convertible SUV kit ($29,950) or heavily customize it with accessories, it will easily remain under the limit. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

2. The Direct-to-Consumer Hurdle
The new rebate is applied instantly at the point of sale. However, Slate Auto utilizes a direct-to-consumer sales model with no traditional independent dealership franchise network. CARB is still adapting the system to seamlessly accommodate direct-sales automakers for this specific program. [1, 2]

3. The Automaker Matching "Catch"
The biggest factor is that the state's $1,750 contribution must be matched dollar-for-dollar by the manufacturer to total $3,500. Since Slate is a startup selling a low-margin vehicle, it is currently unconfirmed whether Slate Auto will officially sign on to participate and absorb that $1,750 matching cost per vehicle. [1, 2]


Summary of What You Pay if Approved
If Slate Auto formally joins the program, first-time EV buyers in California could stack the discount to get a historic deal: [1, 2]

• Slate Truck Base Price: $24,950
• New CA Instant Rebate: -$3,500
• Your Effective Price: $21,450 (plus destination charges) [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

I asked SLATE if they will be participating in any California's incentive programs and this was their reply, "
We'll be able to confirm which incentive programs the Slate qualifies for once the vehicle completes production and becomes eligible for each program.

As soon as that information is available, we'll share it on our website so customers can easily see which incentives may apply in their area." So it looks like we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Patrick D.]

Reading a great book right now. "The Hardest, Longest Race" by Eric Moskowitz. Its about the New York to Seattle transcontinental race in 1909. Two Model Ts participating against much larger more expensive vehicles. Cost was $850 in 1909, that would be $ 31,302.70 in 2026 dollars (according to Google). So the Slate really is the modern equivalent of a Model T.

 

[Frozen North]

Reading a great book right now. "The Hardest, Longest Race" by Eric Moskowitz. Its about the New York to Seattle transcontinental race in 1909. Two Model Ts participating against much larger more expensive vehicles. Cost was $850 in 1909, that would be $ 31,302.70 in 2026 dollars (according to Google). So the Slate really is the modern equivalent of a Model T.

In more ways than one.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

I live in SD now, have since 1968. We see tons of EV cars all around mostly Teslas. Btw, the homes in Chula Vista are NIW $850,000.00 for typical suburban stucco house.

The cheapest 2 bedroom place with ocean view seems to be $1.1M in La Jolla?

 

[Frozen North]

The cheapest 2 bedroom place with ocean view seems to be $1.1M in La Jolla?

I can offer a pair of old worn Hey Dudes, some pocket lint, a stick of Juicy Fruit, and $4.28.
Deal?

 

[Doctors Do Little]

I can offer a pair of old worn Hey Dudes, some pocket lint, a stick of Juicy Fruit, and $4.28.
Deal?

This is our last day in SD. We will do the ultimate touristy stuff today (duck boat tours, etc). I picked that property out of a quick Zillow search as I wanted to contrast that with ocean view properties on the East coast, where we have property. Our 4 bedroom 2nd row property is the same price, which seams apropos when comparing SoCal to NC!

 

[2thlesswithta2s]

I asked SLATE if they will be participating in any California's incentive programs and this was their reply, "
We'll be able to confirm which incentive programs the Slate qualifies for once the vehicle completes production and becomes eligible for each program.

As soon as that information is available, we'll share it on our website so customers can easily see which incentives may apply in their area." So it looks like we'll have to wait and see.

I got the same response in regards to NY $2000 POS EV rebate.

 

[Frozen North]

This is our last day in SD. We will do the ultimate touristy stuff today (duck boat tours, etc). I picked that property out of a quick Zillow search as I wanted to contrast that with ocean view properties on the East coast, where we have property. Our 4 bedroom 2nd row property is the same price, which seams apropos when comparing SoCal to NC!

That would be a tough choice, they each have their merits.
However....I think I would rather spend aome time working out purchases in less spendy areas seaside. Then I could use the savings to park a Slate and a ZR1 Vette at each property, and be a happy migratory retiree.

 

[jobrated.man]

This is our last day in SD. We will do the ultimate touristy stuff today (duck boat tours, etc). I picked that property out of a quick Zillow search as I wanted to contrast that with ocean view properties on the East coast, where we have property. Our 4 bedroom 2nd row property is the same price, which seams apropos when comparing SoCal to NC!

You will really like the Duckboat tour. Nice choice for adventure. Be sure to tour USS Midway also.