Confirmed: 4x4 all-wheel drive AWD planned for future Slate version!

[OldGoat]

Furthermore, I have also watch some of those drivers still behave stupidly even with chains or 4WD with M+S tires.
[/QUOTE]
For sure. It's amazing how people in wet or snowy weather won't slow down since they figure "me got FWD, me unstoppable". That's right folks. You may be able to haul ass but you won't be able to stop to avoid the traffic slowing down ahead. Back in the day when rear wheel drive ruled the roads it seems like drivers were more cautious. One spin out into the ditch usually cooled their jets. But maybe I'm dreaming again....

 

[cvollers]

I asked Slate about 4x4 all-wheel-drive:

And this is Slate's answer:

... all-wheel drive is in the plans for a future version of Slate. It won't be available at launch, but we know how important it is for folks in snowier climates, on job sites, or looking for that extra traction.

None of this should be a surprise. Just keep in mind that adding that second motor and drive train adds cost and complexity. A lot of people will opt for it since “that’s what trucks should have”. I have 4WD on my FJ (RWD otherwise) and the only time I engage it is when I go off road and even then it’s only when I absolutely know I need it. Invest in good tires and if you get a lot of snow where you live, have snow tires available in winter.

 

[cvollers]

Maybe Slate will sell 4x4 as a kit , you can install at home.

Doubtful.

 

[evtruth]

Doubtful.

 

[Whitesands]

Considering that another motor would have to be plugged into the HV side, I don't think it will be user installable. Professional installation only.

 

[AZFox]

No Slate 4WD? I say "Yay for Slate"! Yes, I am registering my gratitude that Slate does NOT waste time on 4WD design efforts.

+1

AWD belies a minimalist ethos.

There are 16 new million light-duty vehicles sold in the US annually. Slate's 150K would be about 1% of that.

There are a plenty of people who will be happy to to buy RWD Slates in general, and minimalist-friendly near-blank Slates in particular.

IMHO Slate is wise to keep things simple in the beginning, then offer things like nice-to-have AWD later.

 

[GeoLogic]

If a RWD Slate serves ones purpose, more power to them. I don't believe anyone is saying Slate must offer AWD and nothing else. But I will not buy one of their vehicles without at least AWD. And I also won't buy a vehicle unless it demonstrates absolutely superior reliability, mirroring that of Toyota (or better) of the 1980s and 90s. Given that all manufacturers tend to suffer reliability issues in a brand new design, I've decided I'll need to wait at least a year after production begins before I consider Slate. And I recognize it'll likely be later still, given that Slate can't handle offering AWD from the beginning... unlike every other manufacturer on this planet. I'd consider a Telo, but they're just too damn ugly-- I'm not usually a vain individual, but Telo beats even Rivian in homeliness. I didn't previously think that was possible, but I was wrong. I have to hand it to Telo for achieving this spectacular design of loathing.

 

[Sl8rGrl]

I asked Slate about 4x4 all-wheel-drive:

And this is Slate's answer:

... all-wheel drive is in the plans for a future version of Slate. It won't be available at launch, but we know how important it is for folks in snowier climates, on job sites, or looking for that extra traction.

Yeah i mean considering we're at the very beginning of slate, I'm sure they have a ton of plans for future versions but as they stated they're prioritizing keeping things simple and affordable out of the gate.
"Plans for a future version" with AWD could be on day 2 or a decade later, as i doubt anyone there can predict the future of exactly when new options and upgrades will come out, especially if trying keeping things affordable as well as trying to start a company from the ground up.

 

[atx_ev]

If a RWD Slate serves ones purpose, more power to them. I don't believe anyone is saying Slate must offer AWD and nothing else. But I will not buy one of their vehicles without at least AWD. And I also won't buy a vehicle unless it demonstrates absolutely superior reliability, mirroring that of Toyota (or better) of the 1980s and 90s. Given that all manufacturers tend to suffer reliability issues in a brand new design, I've decided I'll need to wait at least a year after production begins before I consider Slate. And I recognize it'll likely be later still, given that Slate can't handle offering AWD from the beginning... unlike every other manufacturer on this planet. I'd consider a Telo, but they're just too damn ugly-- I'm not usually a vain individual, but Telo beats even Rivian in homeliness. I didn't previously think that was possible, but I was wrong. I have to hand it to Telo for achieving this spectacular design of loathing.

the interesting thing is the simpler it is the less things there are to break.

In my tundra, one of the items that famously went bad, is a secondary air injection system. The only purpose is to run for 60-90 seconds when the car is first turned on to reduce emissions.

Somehow the pump would collect water (even in the desert) , rust, and then fail putting the truck in limp mode. It costs 3K to replace. the first one was under warranty, the next will be at my cost.

ICE Cars are filled with junk like this.

Electric motors and drive trains are dead simple. The ancillary systems virtually dont exist.

 

[GeoLogic]

Very much acknowledged, the vastly greater complexity of ICE driven vehicles, and the impact on reliability this has. Given that, I've always been surprised how reliable an ICE vehicle can be (i.e. previous decade Toyotas).

Some of the unfortunate irony here is new electric vehicles have NOT been more reliable than the best ICE counterparts, despite indeed being simpler. So I'm not yet confident Slate will be any different than anyone else, at least to start. Brand new, inexperienced company, a new design, they face intense cost pressures that might drive them to go with cheap components... It all remains to be seen. I'm hopeful for Slate, but I'm not going to count on them offering what I demand until we have hard data proving it. All moot at the moment anyway, since they can't offer AWD because it's too hard for them, even though it isn't for Telo, Tesla, Scout, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Ford, GM, Volkswagen, Audi, Renault...

 

[AZFox]

My personal desire for AWD or 4x4 is purely based on Caltrans requiring chains on 2wd vehicles in winter storms- and enforcing it.

On the bright side, sometimes snow tires are sufficient.

Chains are mandatory on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight with snow tires on two drive wheels.​

This is only for the lowest-level chain requirement, R-1. (There are three levels.)

 

[Sparkie]

Very much acknowledged, the vastly greater complexity of ICE driven vehicles, and the impact on reliability this has. Given that, I've always been surprised how reliable an ICE vehicle can be (i.e. previous decade Toyotas).

Some of the unfortunate irony here is new electric vehicles have NOT been more reliable than the best ICE counterparts, despite indeed being simpler. So I'm not yet confident Slate will be any different than anyone else, at least to start. Brand new, inexperienced company, a new design, they face intense cost pressures that might drive them to go with cheap components... It all remains to be seen. I'm hopeful for Slate, but I'm not going to count on them offering what I demand until we have hard data proving it. All moot at the moment anyway, since they can't offer AWD because it's too hard for them, even though it isn't for Telo, Tesla, Scout, Rivian, Volvo, Polestar, Ford, GM, Volkswagen, Audi, Renault...

@GeoLogic I agree 100% with your reliability point.
After all, ICE cars have about 75 year head start on EV cars.

You seem to understand the engineering complexity that goes into a proper controller of an EV. Most other people can't even imagine the magnitude of energy transfer that's involved to move an EV down the road. In their mind, EV's are simply making a larger version of a coffee grinder with wheels and big battery.

If Slate made their EV with an added 2nd motor, then something has to help modulate different speeds on left or right radius during turning and in sync with the rear wheels. So the drive train gets more difficult and that controller complexity quadrupled. We both know these challenged would make a two-motor AWD/4WD Slate go well beyond $27,500.

I also share your concerns about Slate as a new inexperienced company and the general overall issues in the EV industry. Yet I still remain optimistic. First, I respect Slate's minimalist approach and believe it mitigates that "new and inexperience" risk by keeping Slate focused on "just the essentials". Second, for the overall EV industry, I expect them to "mature" much faster than the ICE auto industry. So, we won't need to wait 75 years for them to close the reliability gap.

 

[danielt1263]

Re: Towing, here's what I got:

I see that the Slate has a 1000 lb towing capacity, but I don't see a tow hitch as an option. I have a boat (600lbs for both boat and trailer) that I will want to tow... Will a tow hitch be offered as an option or will I have to get that through a third party?​

Hi Daniel,

First and foremost, congratulations on your Slate reservation and thanks for reaching out! We’re excited to have you onboard.

Yes, the Slate truck will have a tow hitch accessory, however we are still expanding our accessory and add-on portfolio at this time. Please keep an eye out for our newsletter (you're opted in) for all the latest news and product updates.

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Best,
STEPHEN

SENIOR SLATE AGENT | SLATE

833.HI.SLATE

 

[Letas]

On the bright side, sometimes snow tires are sufficient.

Chains are mandatory on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight with snow tires on two drive wheels.​

This is only for the lowest-level chain requirement, R-1. (There are three levels.)

And on the dark side, the passes sit in R1 from approximately 30 minutes after the first snowfall in November, until a week after the last in May. Usually about a week gap in January/February when there’s a drought 😂.

I thought they were going to call chain control last weekend!

I know, I’m an exception, not the rule. But this car isn’t coming out for at least another year, so I’ll gripe here until then

 

[Tinker]

That’s great! I was thinking about my Slate reservation this week, and the fact that it’s only 2WD.

What made me think about it was that we had a fwd Chevy Equinox rental car. It REALLY struggled to get up a loose gravel forest service road. Either I didn’t have great traction control, or I didn’t know how to use it, because the brakes never seemed to apply to the spinning tire.