Consumer Reports adds placeholder for the 2027 Slate EV Pickup!

[cadblu]

Consumer Reports 2027 Slate EV Pickup

Definitely a good sign that CR has a placeholder for the new Slate truck in its review pages. Although not completely populated yet, I look forward to this being published.

I consider CR one of the industry benchmarks for rating new vehicles with their extensive line of independent testing and research. Solid ratings for road tests, reliability, and owner satisfaction will be critical to Slate's future.

 

[AeroWolf]

I wish they would have used the more qualitative Mid-20 price in the description.

Instead they did the common lazy reporting tactic of let's add the lapsed tax credit to their prior $20k advertisement and assume it $27k. With Consumer Reports still being a recognized as an authoritative reporting service. Early misinformation can be harder to overcome when real price is revealed in a few months.

 

[kvermeer]

I wish they would have used the more qualitative Mid-20 price in the description.

Instead they did the common lazy reporting tactic of let's add the lapsed tax credit to their prior $20k advertisement and assume it $27k. With Consumer Reports still being a recognized as an authoritative reporting service. Early misinformation can be harder to overcome when real price is revealed in a few months.

Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I saw that as weak evidence for a $27k base price. Slate's PR department might not tell you or me what the price is going to be until June, but they'd for sure pick up the phone for Consumer Reports. Did CR run this placeholder blurb by Slate before publication, or get any insider info to approve the $27k-$40k number? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[AeroWolf]

Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I saw that as weak evidence for a $27k base price. Slate's PR department might not tell you or me what the price is going to be until June, but they'd for sure pick up the phone for Consumer Reports. Did CR run this placeholder blurb by Slate before publication, or get any insider info to approve the $27k-$40k number? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me.

I don't see why Slate would give out that type of information to any service that could/would pre-publish prior to their stated reveal date. Why take the wind out of your big PR event? .

 

[bartflossom]

I've always felt that due to CR only surveying their subscribers, they are prone to self fulfilling bias. I.E. the preacher surveying the choir. J.D. Power surveys much larger numbers of new car buyers and I personally trust them more.

Motor Trend is the worst. The MT car/truck of the year is basically up for sale to the highest bidder.

 

[knob]

Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I saw that as weak evidence for a $27k base price. Slate's PR department might not tell you or me what the price is going to be until June, but they'd for sure pick up the phone for Consumer Reports. Did CR run this placeholder blurb by Slate before publication, or get any insider info to approve the $27k-$40k number? I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me.

$27k's a great guess given the $20k announcement with EV credit.
The SUV kit has been hinted at at around $5k.
The larger battery will be ... something.
Lift kit
Bigger wheels
Nicest wrap option
Spare tire with bumper upgrade.

I think $40k's a pretty safe ceiling for a specced out Slate.

 

[AeroWolf]

The point is that CR should not be reporting their own or others' speculative guessing. They should be reporting Slate's published target Price data, or an estimated gathered from statistical surveys from reported/confirmed sales data provided by buyers.

Otherwise they are reporting junk data that can misinform buyers on their purchasing decisions.

 

[KevinRS]

The point is that CR should not be reporting their own or others' speculative guessing. They should be reporting Slate's published target Price data, or an estimated gathered from statistical surveys from reported/confirmed sales data provided by buyers.

Otherwise they are reporting junk data that can misinform buyers on their purchasing decisions.

Yeah, the $27000 number never came from Slate, and I doubt they contacted Slate and got the number. It came from the early advertising of Under $20k after federal incentives where everyone ran with that and calculated their guess at an MSRP.

Everything recent from Slate has simply been mid-20s, and the only quote on an accessory has been the SUV kit at around $5k.

Anything outside of that has been pure speculation by people outside of Slate, and none of us speculating has enough information to really post a price, or a total with max accessories.

 

[knob]

CR publishes the full MSRP range on all their cars, so just sharing the lowest price – that is, the "mid-20s", isn't in line with what their readers expect.

Sharing a price that way would suggest the full MSRP range is in the mid 20s, which would certainly be misinforming, even if the source wasn't junk.

Slate's thrown out plenty of targets for affordability, like the $5k SUV kit, basic wrap kits for $500, given battery cost projects (X% of the cost of the vehicle, etc). If CR's going to the effort to research those targets, notice Slate's approach to simplify and use off-the-shelf parts, and provide an expected range like they do with other upcoming vehicles, they're well positioned a company that exists to provide independent reporting. Better than me filling in the gaps with what I would like to see.

 

[KevinRS]

CR publishes the full MSRP range on all their cars, so just sharing the lowest price – that is, the "mid-20s", isn't in line with what their readers expect.

Sharing a price that way would suggest the full MSRP range is in the mid 20s, which would certainly be misinforming, even if the source wasn't junk.

Slate's thrown out plenty of targets for affordability, like the $5k SUV kit, basic wrap kits for $500, given battery cost projects (X% of the cost of the vehicle, etc). If CR's going to the effort to research those targets, notice Slate's approach to simplify and use off-the-shelf parts, and provide an expected range like they do with other upcoming vehicles, they're well positioned a company that exists to provide independent reporting. Better than me filling in the gaps with what I would like to see.

There is no MSRP yet though, they might have done better to have put TBA
I forgot about wraps at 500.
I really doubt they put in time researching and came up with their own numbers for that MSRP field. There are only 2 announced configurations that will roll out of the factory, the 2 battery options, the rest is after MSRP add-ons.

 

[cadblu]

The point is that CR should not be reporting their own or others' speculative guessing. They should be reporting Slate's published target Price data, or an estimated gathered from statistical surveys from reported/confirmed sales data provided by buyers.

Otherwise they are reporting junk data that can misinform buyers on their purchasing decisions.

I went to the trouble of reading some of the fine print under the "impressions" tab in the unfinished review in which the font purposely fades out. Either CR somehow got their hands on a prototype, or formulated opinions from the media. Typically, CR reviews tend to be balanced with fair amounts of pros and cons. However, I found this excerpt interesting:

Interior: The styling is extremely basic. You'll be impressed by the Slate's creature comforts if you currently drive a delivery van for UPS or the US Postal Service. LOL

I look forward to CR's final writeup including test results, and hopefully some of the unflattering comments will be removed.

 

[sodamo]

I went to the trouble of reading some of the fine print under the "impressions" tab in the unfinished review in which the font purposely fades out. Either CR somehow got their hands on a prototype, or formulated opinions from the media. Typically, CR reviews tend to be balanced with fair amounts of pros and cons. However, I found this excerpt interesting:

Interior: The styling is extremely basic. You'll be impressed by the Slate's creature comforts if you currently drive a delivery van for UPS or the US Postal Service. LOL

I look forward to CR's final writeup including test results, and hopefully some of the unflattering comments will be removed.

Lol, yea, got my attention as well, being my son is UPS driver. Of there were a few other comments that caused me pause.

 

[Shrink36s]

TL;DR- calm down and stop speculating.

Any of y’all familiar with “just in time” manufacturing? The idea being you get the supplies you need when you need them, and it helps you reduce cost and prevents having too much in storage. It also allows some flexibility based on the basics of supply and demand… how quickly you’re making your product vs shipping out for buyers (that’s not the actual supply and demand from macroeconomics, but you get my point). Sometimes you have to cut back, sometimes you buy more.
CR doesn’t know the price as much as we don’t because neither does Slate. They are still working with their vendors to nail down prices, capacity, delivery, etc. They won’t have the number until all their suppliers are contracted with pricing of their component parts.
News flash, oil will play a part in increased prices… what delivers parts? What is plastic made from? That’s won’t help.

 

[KevinRS]

I went to the trouble of reading some of the fine print under the "impressions" tab in the unfinished review in which the font purposely fades out. Either CR somehow got their hands on a prototype, or formulated opinions from the media. Typically, CR reviews tend to be balanced with fair amounts of pros and cons. However, I found this excerpt interesting:

Interior: The styling is extremely basic. You'll be impressed by the Slate's creature comforts if you currently drive a delivery van for UPS or the US Postal Service. LOL

I look forward to CR's final writeup including test results, and hopefully some of the unflattering comments will be removed.

Looks like that whole article was based off of the initial releases from Slate, as it also includes info on the $7500 tax credit.

 

[Dorbiman]

There are only 2 announced configurations that will roll out of the factory, the 2 battery options, the rest is after MSRP add-ons.

This is the important part. There will not be a $40K MSRP Slate Truck. Realistically, there's only the two you highlighted.

Bit lazy of CR to do this, but not unexpected I suppose