Dear Slate - you need to show these things before I'll buy

[ScooterAsheville]

Don't get this thread wrong. I'm a huge Slate fanboy. I want them to succeed. I want a 174" single cab truck sold in the USA.

1. Show us the finished, production ready truck sometime in 2026, as promised. With everything working. Including the "app".
2. Test drives for us fanboys are nice. But what I really want to see is Slate delivering these trucks to mainstream auto journalists for weeklong evaluations. Because their job is evaluating trucks. That's not my job, and I'm not good at it (even though I've owned dozens of trucks over 50 years), and I certainly can't do it in a two minute drive around a parking lot. Auto journalists can properly assess it.
3. Demonstrate the financial resources and working capital to give us reasonable faith that you will be in business come warranty time. Because a warranty from a company that no longer exists is a piece of paper. Slate has said that $700 million gets them to the first car sold. I want to see more capital injection to survive 2027.
4. Demonstrate that you can sell the truck in my state (every state). Without me having to travel one state over to do the paperwork and delivery.
5. Clarify the service scenario. Show a nationwide list of service locations. Explain how service will work in detail, including your spare parts strategy.
6. Clarify pricing. Exactly. Not vaguely. And list any delivery and acquisition fees.
7. Simulation these days is highly accurate. But I still want to see those formal IHS and NHTSA ratings published after crash testing and evaluations are done.

I believe that's a reasonable set of requirements for any sane prospective Slate buyer. It's reasonable to want to see professional evaluate a vehicle before you buy. It's reasonable to want to know if you can buy it without a 500 mile drive. It's reasonable to want to know that the company is likely to exist a year after you bought the vehicle. It's reasonable to know where you can get it serviced (and whether that is a 500 mile drive).

Assuming Slate delivers on these, and I believe they will, then I'll sit back and monitor the experience of other buyers for the first six months. I learned that lesson with my Maverick. I waited a year, and read endless horror stories from early buyers.

Repeat: I'm a huge Slate fanboy.

 

[KevinRS]

I think most of those are planned for some time in around 6 months to a year. Not sure on 3 as to how they would do it.

 

[E90400K]

I still want to know about the seal design of the front bed wall keeping water out of the cab.

 

[Mac-Tyson]

Don't get this thread wrong. I'm a huge Slate fanboy. I want them to succeed. I want a 174" single cab truck sold in the USA.

1. Show us the finished, production ready truck sometime in 2026, as promised. With everything working. Including the "app".
2. Test drives for us fanboys are nice. But what I really want to see is Slate delivering these trucks to mainstream auto journalists for weeklong evaluations. Because their job is evaluating trucks. That's not my job, and I'm not good at it (even though I've owned dozens of trucks over 50 years), and I certainly can't do it in a two minute drive around a parking lot. Auto journalists can properly assess it.
3. Demonstrate the financial resources and working capital to give us reasonable faith that you will be in business come warranty time. Because a warranty from a company that no longer exists is a piece of paper.
4. Demonstrate that you can sell the truck in my state (every state). Without me having to travel one state over to do the paperwork and delivery.
5. Clarify the service scenario. Show a nationwide list of service locations. Explain how service will work in detail, including your spare parts strategy.
6. Clarify pricing. Exactly. Not vaguely. And list any delivery and acquisition fees.

I believe that's a reasonable set of requirements for any sane prospective Slate buyer. It's reasonable to want to see professional evaluate a vehicle before you buy. It's reasonable to want to know if you can buy it without a 500 mile drive. It's reasonable to want to know that the company is likely to exist a year after you bought the vehicle. It's reasonable to know where you can get it serviced (and whether that is a 500 mile drive).

Assuming Slate delivers on these, and I believe they will, then I'll sit back and monitor the experience of other buyers for the first six months. I learned that lesson with my Maverick. I waited a year, and read endless horror stories from early buyers.

Repeat: I'm a huge Slate fanboy.

3 is pretty well known already they have raised over $700 million in their first two rounds of funding and are currently undergoing their third round of fund raising. With their excellent marketing campaign and securing big fish investors the will likely be getting a good mix of big fish and small fish investors in this 3rd round. Plus the two co-founders are billionaires in themselves and their leadership team consists of automotive executive veterans. Very confident they will make it to market and manage their funds well.

 

[RetiredOnPaper]

I want to get my hands on a basic slate ASAP. Investment wise, this may or may not be a good or bad thing. In the unlikely event of a corporate fail, this design looks simple enough that I could manage to keep it going even without OEM support.
Realistically, don't expect a solid price point until they start to do factory assembly, and have real world numbers for the bean counters to play with. Until than everything is just a guess.

 

[RevCaptJack]

Don't get this thread wrong. I'm a huge Slate fanboy. I want them to succeed. I want a 174" single cab truck sold in the USA.

1. Show us the finished, production ready truck sometime in 2026, as promised. With everything working. Including the "app".
2. Test drives for us fanboys are nice. But what I really want to see is Slate delivering these trucks to mainstream auto journalists for weeklong evaluations. Because their job is evaluating trucks. That's not my job, and I'm not good at it (even though I've owned dozens of trucks over 50 years), and I certainly can't do it in a two minute drive around a parking lot. Auto journalists can properly assess it.
3. Demonstrate the financial resources and working capital to give us reasonable faith that you will be in business come warranty time. Because a warranty from a company that no longer exists is a piece of paper.
4. Demonstrate that you can sell the truck in my state (every state). Without me having to travel one state over to do the paperwork and delivery.
5. Clarify the service scenario. Show a nationwide list of service locations. Explain how service will work in detail, including your spare parts strategy.
6. Clarify pricing. Exactly. Not vaguely. And list any delivery and acquisition fees.

I believe that's a reasonable set of requirements for any sane prospective Slate buyer. It's reasonable to want to see professional evaluate a vehicle before you buy. It's reasonable to want to know if you can buy it without a 500 mile drive. It's reasonable to want to know that the company is likely to exist a year after you bought the vehicle. It's reasonable to know where you can get it serviced (and whether that is a 500 mile drive).

Assuming Slate delivers on these, and I believe they will, then I'll sit back and monitor the experience of other buyers for the first six months. I learned that lesson with my Maverick. I waited a year, and read endless horror stories from early buyers.

Repeat: I'm a huge Slate fanboy.

Right on! I hope Slate is listening. I sent my $50 in and hope to get one, but everything you said would really help! 👍

 

[The Weatherman]

A full throated reveal of the WARRANTY will be required for me. Well before the order date, thank you.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

I should add, that I am super glad that some brave, adventurous souls will buy Slates before I do. Those of us who are a bit more timid with our money, or have less of it, need you folks leading the charge. So thank you in advance.

Seriously, we need early adopters or we'd never make progress as a species.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

I should add, that I am super glad that some brave, adventurous souls will buy Slates before I do. Those of us who are a bit more timid with our money, or have less of it, need you folks leading the charge. So thank you in advance.

Seriously, we need early adopters or we'd never make progress as a species.

Been a while since I was bleeding edge on anything more expensive than an iPhone...I'll presume that my place in line is sufficiently far away from the hemorrhage line that I'll be able to evaluate others' ambitious wounds before it's my turn to write a check.

That said, Christmas 2026 please.

 

[The Dude]

No supposed auto expert is going to influence my own decision. I ether like it or not. And I like it. I didn't rely on any expert when I bought my 2016 HRV. All it took what a quick drive around the block. Been a great car for the cost ever since. I can under stand for someone with no automotive knowledge to depend on others. All new car evaluations are biased. Just watch the review that best fit your own opinion and you'll be more than satisfied.

 

[Sparkie]

I still want to know about the seal design of the front bed wall keeping water out of the cab.

I expect the rear cab panel to be similar to the 4 removable roof panels on my Ford Bronco.

Those panels have overlapping lips between panel and body that sandwich a pair of neoprene gaskets. The panels have alignment pins and compression clips to secure them in place. I have never had a leak and the Bronco has seen extreme weather (torrential rains and blizzard snowfalls) at highway conditions and parked in the driveway.

 

[Dorbiman]

The Sierra EV & Silverado EV have a fold down midgate as well. I'd like to believe they've learned from the Avalanche's less than watertight midgate! I honestly don't expect too many issues with it, especially since it seems like it's not meant to be removed & installed a bunch. I know I for one will probably never remove it. My Slate will stay in pickup form for it's whole life

 

[sodamo]

Don't get this thread wrong. I'm a huge Slate fanboy. I want them to succeed. I want a 174" single cab truck sold in the USA.

1. Show us the finished, production ready truck sometime in 2026, as promised. With everything working. Including the "app".
2. Test drives for us fanboys are nice. But what I really want to see is Slate delivering these trucks to mainstream auto journalists for weeklong evaluations. Because their job is evaluating trucks. That's not my job, and I'm not good at it (even though I've owned dozens of trucks over 50 years), and I certainly can't do it in a two minute drive around a parking lot. Auto journalists can properly assess it.
3. Demonstrate the financial resources and working capital to give us reasonable faith that you will be in business come warranty time. Because a warranty from a company that no longer exists is a piece of paper. Slate has said that $700 million gets them to the first car sold. I want to see more capital injection to survive 2027.
4. Demonstrate that you can sell the truck in my state (every state). Without me having to travel one state over to do the paperwork and delivery.
5. Clarify the service scenario. Show a nationwide list of service locations. Explain how service will work in detail, including your spare parts strategy.
6. Clarify pricing. Exactly. Not vaguely. And list any delivery and acquisition fees.
7. Simulation these days is highly accurate. But I still want to see those formal IHS and NHTSA ratings published after crash testing and evaluations are done.

I believe that's a reasonable set of requirements for any sane prospective Slate buyer. It's reasonable to want to see professional evaluate a vehicle before you buy. It's reasonable to want to know if you can buy it without a 500 mile drive. It's reasonable to want to know that the company is likely to exist a year after you bought the vehicle. It's reasonable to know where you can get it serviced (and whether that is a 500 mile drive).

Assuming Slate delivers on these, and I believe they will, then I'll sit back and monitor the experience of other buyers for the first six months. I learned that lesson with my Maverick. I waited a year, and read endless horror stories from early buyers.

Repeat: I'm a huge Slate fanboy.

Well written list and I fully expect Slate to address appropriately.
While a professional evalution may be nice, too often I think they also reflect the writers bias. To be honest, I don’t remember last new vehicle I test drove., definitely not in last 20 years. wife did test drive her Subaru, but that was more a ploy on my part to get her decision.
I’m looking forward to being an early adopter. 2nd day reservation and hoping it’s here for my birthday, Nov 26.

 

[hbuck]

Don't get this thread wrong. I'm a huge Slate fanboy. I want them to succeed. I want a 174" single cab truck sold in the USA.

1. Show us the finished, production ready truck sometime in 2026, as promised. With everything working. Including the "app".
2. Test drives for us fanboys are nice. But what I really want to see is Slate delivering these trucks to mainstream auto journalists for weeklong evaluations. Because their job is evaluating trucks. That's not my job, and I'm not good at it (even though I've owned dozens of trucks over 50 years), and I certainly can't do it in a two minute drive around a parking lot. Auto journalists can properly assess it.
3. Demonstrate the financial resources and working capital to give us reasonable faith that you will be in business come warranty time. Because a warranty from a company that no longer exists is a piece of paper. Slate has said that $700 million gets them to the first car sold. I want to see more capital injection to survive 2027.
4. Demonstrate that you can sell the truck in my state (every state). Without me having to travel one state over to do the paperwork and delivery.
5. Clarify the service scenario. Show a nationwide list of service locations. Explain how service will work in detail, including your spare parts strategy.
6. Clarify pricing. Exactly. Not vaguely. And list any delivery and acquisition fees.
7. Simulation these days is highly accurate. But I still want to see those formal IHS and NHTSA ratings published after crash testing and evaluations are done.

I believe that's a reasonable set of requirements for any sane prospective Slate buyer. It's reasonable to want to see professional evaluate a vehicle before you buy. It's reasonable to want to know if you can buy it without a 500 mile drive. It's reasonable to want to know that the company is likely to exist a year after you bought the vehicle. It's reasonable to know where you can get it serviced (and whether that is a 500 mile drive).

Assuming Slate delivers on these, and I believe they will, then I'll sit back and monitor the experience of other buyers for the first six months. I learned that lesson with my Maverick. I waited a year, and read endless horror stories from early buyers.

Repeat: I'm a huge Slate fanboy.

I am sure the wheels are rolling on all of this. I know folks cross state lines to purchase rvs so I am assuming some of the work has already been done.

 

[Whitesands]

Don't get this thread wrong. I'm a huge Slate fanboy. I want them to succeed. I want a 174" single cab truck sold in the USA.

1. Show us the finished, production ready truck sometime in 2026, as promised. With everything working. Including the "app".
2. Test drives for us fanboys are nice. But what I really want to see is Slate delivering these trucks to mainstream auto journalists for weeklong evaluations. Because their job is evaluating trucks. That's not my job, and I'm not good at it (even though I've owned dozens of trucks over 50 years), and I certainly can't do it in a two minute drive around a parking lot. Auto journalists can properly assess it.
3. Demonstrate the financial resources and working capital to give us reasonable faith that you will be in business come warranty time. Because a warranty from a company that no longer exists is a piece of paper. Slate has said that $700 million gets them to the first car sold. I want to see more capital injection to survive 2027.
4. Demonstrate that you can sell the truck in my state (every state). Without me having to travel one state over to do the paperwork and delivery.
5. Clarify the service scenario. Show a nationwide list of service locations. Explain how service will work in detail, including your spare parts strategy.
6. Clarify pricing. Exactly. Not vaguely. And list any delivery and acquisition fees.
7. Simulation these days is highly accurate. But I still want to see those formal IHS and NHTSA ratings published after crash testing and evaluations are done.

I believe that's a reasonable set of requirements for any sane prospective Slate buyer. It's reasonable to want to see professional evaluate a vehicle before you buy. It's reasonable to want to know if you can buy it without a 500 mile drive. It's reasonable to want to know that the company is likely to exist a year after you bought the vehicle. It's reasonable to know where you can get it serviced (and whether that is a 500 mile drive).

Assuming Slate delivers on these, and I believe they will, then I'll sit back and monitor the experience of other buyers for the first six months. I learned that lesson with my Maverick. I waited a year, and read endless horror stories from early buyers.

Repeat: I'm a huge Slate fanboy.

As long as the head isn't taking home 2 mil a year, I'm sure their financials are looking great.