Do we think that Slate is understating their reservation volume?

[sodamo]

I’m thinking a serious, major investor could get updated accurate numbers as well as other info we cannot.

 

[RetiredOnPaper]

Many questions, few answers.
Will Slate go public? That would make reservations relevant.
Who are the reservation holders? I don't think I am the Lone Ranger - Retired guy, knows more about electronics than average, wants a second vehicle for local running around, could afford bigger and more expensive but don't need it. (Don't need the large capacity, capability, need light towing, hauling small loads to the dump, to my place in God's country, that I can bang around and not have a stroke.)
Old enough to remember when most pickup's were like this, small, cheap, utilitarian with almost no features.
If I were my younger self counting every cent; I would be looking at the Slate but staying skeptical until it proved itself. I would not be a reservation holder. Same if I were looking for a second car for a new driver.
Bottom line; I don't put much stock in these numbers. I was a reservation holder for a Cybertruck, but that came in 2 years late, $20K+ (price of a Slate) over the original stated base price. Without the features that made me look past the stupid design. (Most Tesla's were blank page designs, Cybertruck was based on Blade Runner and Elon's fevered brain. No real though involved.)

 

[nevermindkid]

There are still a lot of people that have not heard about Slate yet. I believe there's so many more people that want what Slate is aiming for. Numbers and info reveals are a tricky thing. Balance of momentum, interest, anticipation, excitement, curiosity. Stay focused.
KISS - Keep It Simple Slate 😁

 

[ScooterAsheville]

I’m thinking a serious, major investor could get updated accurate numbers as well as other info we cannot.

Yup. As a rule, during a capital raise, there is full access to the books. Full access to strategic planning, prototypes, etc. Full access to pretty much everything. Way beyond what your casual investor gets in a publicly listed corporation.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

Also, in terms of generating sales. Slate has to make the whole buying and ownership experience easy for John Q Public. Meaning no out of state trips for delivery. No two hour drives for service.

John Q has a dozen auto dealerships within 15 minutes of his house. Free loaners. Trade ins are huge, because there is usually a significant state sales tax incentive. Service is a phone call away, and in my dealership - most of it is done in my driveway at no extra charge. Free roadside assistance. Plates and registration is handled by the dealership. You sign a few papers and drive away, hopefully with a smile - sometimes not.

I'm just saying that us fanboys and fangirls are easy sales targets. John Q Public is not. The Slate narrative is gonna meet John Q, and it'll be really interesting to see how that goes. And no, I don't profess to know the answer to that question.

 

[E90400K]

Also, in terms of generating sales. Slate has to make the whole buying and ownership experience easy for John Q Public. Meaning no out of state trips for delivery. No two hour drives for service.

John Q has a dozen auto dealerships within 15 minutes of his house. Free loaners. Trade ins are huge, because there is usually a significant state sales tax incentive. Service is a phone call away, and in my dealership - most of it is done in my driveway at no extra charge. Free roadside assistance. Plates and registration is handled by the dealership. You sign a few papers and drive away, hopefully with a smile - sometimes not.

I'm just saying that us fanboys and fangirls are easy sales targets. John Q Public is not. The Slate narrative is gonna meet John Q, and it'll be really interesting to see how that goes. And no, I don't profess to know the answer to that question.

Yup. As a rule, during a capital raise, there is full access to the books. Full access to strategic planning, prototypes, etc. Full access to pretty much everything. Way beyond what your casual investor gets in a publicly listed corporation.

For me, I ask myself if I were able to, would I invest in Slate as an initial major contributor with startup capital dollars.

At this point I'm not convinced the business model is viable to generate long-term sustainability. And that does translate into my real involvement with Slate as a prospective buyer. If I buy a Slate, is the company going to be around in 10 years to support the product? The jury is still out for me.

 

[RetiredOnPaper]

Slate, the first 3 months...we know who (sort of), but we don't know what...specifically how much $$$ Slate has to get off the ground. Lessons learned from Arcimoto getting started is hard and you need to upscale fast. If you can't you die. Secondly, the CEO needs to have a balance of risk taker but know when things get stupid. (Good advice to Tesla also.) If you know the company, you know the story.) Buckle up, buttercup....the ride is about to begin.

 

[E90400K]

Slate, the first 3 months...we know who (sort of), but we don't know what...specifically how much $$$ Slate has to get off the ground. Lessons learned from Arcimoto getting started is hard and you need to upscale fast. If you can't you die. Secondly, the CEO needs to have a balance of risk taker but know when things get stupid. (Good advice to Tesla also.) If you know the company, you know the story.) Buckle up, buttercup....the ride is about to begin.

Agree. I think Tesla's error was the Cybertruck. It has great engineering that IMO significantly advances the state of the EV art, it's just the painting is too controversial. Tesla could have designed a bit more of a traditional shape with some zing to it, much like Rivian has. Timed with Musk's delve into non-technical aspects of American citizenship and the mis-queue on pricing, the Cybertruck flopped miserably setting a large distaste for the brand. Cyberturck development money should have been better spent on the more-affordable Model 2 and a more traditional pickup design and a deeper revamp of the Model S, 3, X and Y. The existing models are long in the tooth at this point. The market is trained for model change-over every 7 to 9 years. I think sales would grow if the interiors went a bit retrograde in the HMI area. The Lucid interior design and configuration is a good example of blending EV tech with traditional ICEV controls.

What is lost on most people is Tesla's contribution to creating the EV supply chain that other manufacturers benefit from, advancement of automotive production technology (Gigacasting for one) and battery design. Too bad all that has been overshadowed by non-automotive pursuits.

 

[cadblu]

For me, I ask myself if I were able to, would I invest in Slate as an initial major contributor with startup capital dollars. At this point I'm not convinced the business model is viable to generate long-term sustainability. And that does translate into my real involvement with Slate as a prospective buyer. If I buy a Slate, is the company going to be around in 10 years to support the product? The jury is still out for me.

By definition, the risk formula for Slate is simple: early reservation holders = early adopters = inherent risk. Any time you take delivery of a completely new product with no real-world experience you become an extension of the company's beta testing program. Is this any different from the early days of Microsoft, who relied on the user community to reveal all the bugs and compatibility issues in Windows 95?

Up until the time that Slate becomes a publicly traded company, their business plan will be mostly confidential. Frankly, I'm not overly concerned about the long-term of sustainability of Slate. We just need to look at what recently happened with Fisker. They continue to support their vehicles even in bankruptcy with a network of "approved service centers" (sounds familiar?) and access to a proprietary diagnostic tool.

I think their biggest risk is being able to ramp up to production rates they disclosed. Having worked in a production facility, I've seen first-hand it doesn't take much to delay or even completely stop the assembly lines due to issues in quality, in line inspection, supply chain, and even absence of 'key people' due to illness or vacation. While I'm rooting for Slate's success, it's going to be a rough start out of the gate.