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

[SichuanHot]

You must not read the threads I'm in and all the push back I get.

To be fair you make good points that helps dissolve the sweet, cherry, and rose colored view many Slate enthusiasts on here have about the truck.

 

[E90400K]

To be fair you make good points that helps dissolve the sweet, cherry, and rose colored view many Slate enthusiasts on here have about the truck.

Just like everyone else here I want Slate to succeed, but I like to take a realistic view of things. I don't think any of us want to buy a Slate truck and have the company go bankrupt two years later. Establishing a new car company is a daunting task at any time in American history, especially an EV manufacturer in today's world. Tesla did it but it had a lot of financial help via Government investment (carbon credits and consumer tax incentives and tax breaks) and little if any competition, which led to a highly unusual stock evaluation from investors. The current environment Slate finds itself in is quite different than 15 years ago when Tesla was a startup. Had tesla been vying for investment funding from the market with five or six other established manufacturers it would have never made it. One has to question why so little private equity investment has not been thrown Slate's way in the view from how Tesla was funded.

It is exciting to see it play out and discuss the play with fellow enthusiasts here on the forum.

 

[SichuanHot]

Just like everyone else here I want Slate to succeed, but I like to take a realistic view of things. I don't think any of us want to buy a Slate truck and have the company go bankrupt two years later. Establishing a new car company is a daunting task at any time in American history, especially an EV manufacturer in today's world. Tesla did it but it had a lot of financial help via Government investment (carbon credits and consumer tax incentives and tax breaks) and little if any competition, which led to a highly unusual stock evaluation from investors. The current environment Slate finds itself in is quite different than 15 years ago when Tesla was a startup.

It is exciting to see it play out and discuss the play with fellow enthusiasts here on the forum.

You're absolutely correct. I think there's an adage somewhere that goes along the lines of "the biggest fans are also the biggest haters." We're all hypercritical of Slate because they claim to offer something novel in the industry, which we here all see as valuable.

 

[E90400K]

You're absolutely correct. I think there's an adage somewhere that goes along the lines of "the biggest fans are also the biggest haters." We're all hypercritical of Slate because they claim to offer something novel in the industry, which we here all see as valuable.

Maybe we are the biggest skeptics(?).

Which is why I've keyed in on the whole 600 vs. 6,000 parts claim Slate has made. It sounds great, but to me it's a bit smoke and mirrors. Such statements make me pause a bit on the whole viability of the experiment. I applaud the team at Slate for making the effort; it's heroic in a lot of ways.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Maybe we are the biggest skeptics(?).

Which is why I've keyed in on the whole 600 vs. 6,000 parts claim Slate has made. It sounds great, but to me it's a bit smoke and mirrors. Such statements make me pause a bit on the whole viability of the experiment. I applaud the team at Slate for making the effort; it's heroic in a lot of ways.

Dude...I *like* my cherry-topped sugar fantasy about a plastic truck that I can let a teen learn on and runs solely on electrons. Don't rain on it too much with your logic and facts and fancy engineering degrees...else, I'll "Scooter" you (block your content). Just sayin'

 

[sodamo]

You know what really interests me about the group of potential Slate buyers on this forum is how unconventional they seem to be in many ways. It's a very different group than over on the Maverick forum, which is funny, because it seems like we have a lot of Maverick owners here (like me).

A lot more happiness with taking risks here, accepting uncertainty, willingness to buy what might be an orphaned vehicle. It's just kind of cool for me to see so many opinions that vary so widely about everything. Also, I don't see the "You suck. No you suck" threads here.

It IS possible, very possible to disagree and STILL be civil.

 

[sodamo]

You must not read the threads I'm in and all the push back I get.

Or give? 😁😁

 

[sodamo]

To me 600 vs 6000 is another silly waste of time, more important to me is the philosophy of multiple use of same part. Never made a lot of sense to me how so many things come as a left and a right when a common part could serve as either.

 

[E90400K]

To me 600 vs 6000 is another silly waste of time, more important to me is the philosophy of multiple use of same part. Never made a lot of sense to me how so many things come as a left and a right when a common part could serve as either.

Silly indeed. The Pintos, Vegas, and Pacers of the 1970s used numerous common left and right parts for the interior and exterior, as probably did Civics and Corollas (I'm not that familiar with the 1970's Japanese brands). I think once CAD/CAM became prevalent in the industry, making mirrored parts for left and right interior applications drastically cut the costs for production of such parts and allowed for much higher levels of interior designs without much increase in production parts.

But it does make sense even in these modern times to reduce design and production costs by application of universal parts. Great idea if the market accepts the practice (once again).

 

[RetiredOnPaper]

What if?
Slate goes under in 2 or less years?; 1.) As an early adopter that is the risk I an willing to take. 2.) I hope they stay true to their "off the shelf" parts. I just want to know who is making their motor/gearbox. If need be I know my way around a voltmeter. 3.) Actually the most critical piece will be the BMS and motor controller. If they fold after 2 years, junk yards will be a resource. If they fold sooner you have a collectors item.

Slate is outrageously successful? 1.) Like another brand that was originally cheap and simple and used during WWII, etc. Slate is a business and the lure of $$$ is strong.

I am nerd enough to have looked at what few views of the so called "body in white" and thought, how much can this be future proofed? Unlike most pickups this is not a cab, frame, bed. I liken it to a Pontiac Fiero; Tube frame with plastic body panels. Most future changes will probably be not obvious. A better performing motor, an AWD configuration. Change in battery choices.

As the man said, "You's pays you's money, you's takes you's chances."

 

[E90400K]

What if?
Slate goes under in 2 or less years?; 1.) As an early adopter that is the risk I an willing to take. 2.) I hope they stay true to their "off the shelf" parts. I just want to know who is making their motor/gearbox. If need be I know my way around a voltmeter. 3.) Actually the most critical piece will be the BMS and motor controller. If they fold after 2 years, junk yards will be a resource. If they fold sooner you have a collectors item.

Slate is outrageously successful? 1.) Like another brand that was originally cheap and simple and used during WWII, etc. Slate is a business and the lure of $$$ is strong.

I am nerd enough to have looked at what few views of the so called "body in white" and thought, how much can this be future proofed? Unlike most pickups this is not a cab, frame, bed. I liken it to a Pontiac Fiero; Tube frame with plastic body panels. Most future changes will probably be not obvious. A better performing motor, an AWD configuration. Change in battery choices.

As the man said, "You's pays you's money, you's takes you's chances."

I like the "outrageously successful" what-if!

The thing I have concern with is the shoestring budgets the company is under to bring the Truck to market. Maybe it's a good thing, though, as it is a small team and there is a really short communication chain to the CEO, which is always better, as has been my experience during my career. The only other concern I have is, is the business model that seems to rely on profits tied to the DIY/configuration aspect of the vehicle sustainable. One scenario the Slate team speaks to is the hand-me-down aspect of the Truck from parent to child, or older sibling to younger sibling (most of us have had this experience). In my case the vehicle was over 10 years old. Is Slate going to be able to economically keep SUV kits in stock for 10 years before the next owner gets the Truck and wants to convert it to an SUV? There are business operating costs and design implications tied into such a strategy. What is the mitigation plan?

GM's concept with the Fiero and the several other spaceframe/plastic-panel derivatives, was a base platform that was easily and inexpensively remodeled for next-generation lifecycle iterations of the vehicle. The Saturn company was entirely created based on that concept, yet it failed. I think it was and still is a great concept, let's hope it works for Slate.