Fort Worth Showing - Who's Going?

[KJRaven]

That's a lot of interesting info! I'm super curious about the battery update. It's good to hear they have an expert for trying to sell to fleets, because I get the feeling Slate's success will depend on fleet adoption.

I wish I could share.

 

[KJRaven]

So, you think the ball joint will allow angular adjustment up/down & left/right? That would be very handy, especially for a phone. I would imagine it might not be needed as much for a tablet.

Thanks again for your help.

when i was in the truck i took a quick look at the phone mount. it does have some movement, but not much. it is also probably still pre production not sure how similar it will be to the final model.
Also, if you don't have the phone that it was made (Probably iPhone) for then it isn't going to fit in the holder, and a different mount will be needed. the "T" track does offer a ton of flexibility for adding an aftermarket phone mount. personally I like the Magsafe mounting options.

 

[KevinRS]

I think yes, long term Slate needs fleets, because unless it goes wildly popular and stays that way, after some number of years, with a truck that will likely last 10+ years for many, the consumer market for new Slates may see decreasing sales, with everyone wanting one having one. Fleets will probably be what keeps them going long term. Not traditional huge fleets or cross country, but local repair, local delivery, local services.

 

[KJRaven]

I think yes, long term Slate needs fleets, because unless it goes wildly popular and stays that way, after some number of years, with a truck that will likely last 10+ years for many, the consumer market for new Slates may see decreasing sales, with everyone wanting one having one. Fleets will probably be what keeps them going long term. Not traditional huge fleets or cross country, but local repair, local delivery, local services.

it will be interesting to see. they are hoping to get multi year intent to purchase letters from fleets so that they can know what to expect. Sadly my city is not very accepting of EVs, I am going to try to purchase one for my department as a parts vehicle to replace our 2006 ranger. Once i have it in service i can loan it out to other departments that i think it would work well for.
Since it will be under $50k I won't need to take it to council for approval, which has been the road block for EV adoption. It will be a decent test for us to see if we want to buy more in the following years. Mid $20k is basically a rounding error compared to the $2.5 million I budget for vehicle replacements each year. So it is low risk, and high reward.

 

[bloo]

The price that they are targeting is under $25,000, and there will be some changes to the battery options, i was asked to not share specifically what, but the decision resulted in a cheaper option that makes the blank slate much more appealing.

Well... some of us have wanted LFP for the basic battery.

 

[ElectricShitbox]

Well... some of us have wanted LFP for the basic battery.

🤞

 

[sodamo]

I only need a fleet on 1 for my property management LLC. Think that would qualify?

 

[GaRailroader]

it will be interesting to see. they are hoping to get multi year intent to purchase letters from fleets so that they can know what to expect. Sadly my city is not very accepting of EVs, I am going to try to purchase one for my department as a parts vehicle to replace our 2006 ranger. Once i have it in service i can loan it out to other departments that i think it would work well for.
Since it will be under $50k I won't need to take it to council for approval, which has been the road block for EV adoption. It will be a decent test for us to see if we want to buy more in the following years. $25k is basically a rounding error compared to the $2.5 million I budget for vehicle replacements each year. So it is low risk, and high reward.

If you are able to show a substantial savings in maintenance and operating costs then perhaps it will be an easier sell the the city council as it would make it easier to balance their budget.

 

[KJRaven]

I only need a fleet on 1 for my property management LLC. Think that would qualify?

Never hurts to try. You can contact the fleet team through the website. https://www.slate.auto/en/fleet/

 

[IamSpotted]

I think yes, long term Slate needs fleets, because unless it goes wildly popular and stays that way, after some number of years, with a truck that will likely last 10+ years for many, the consumer market for new Slates may see decreasing sales, with everyone wanting one having one. Fleets will probably be what keeps them going long term. Not traditional huge fleets or cross country, but local repair, local delivery, local services.

You would think that, yet the F series was the best selling vehicle in America for 42 years (1982-2023) straight and then again in 2025. It has been the best selling truck for nearly 50 years straight.

 

[KJRaven]

If you are able to show a substantial savings in maintenance and operating costs then perhaps it will be an easier sell the the city council as it would make it easier to balance their budget.

I have financially justified the lightning several times, the extra cost to purchase matters more than the operational costs to them since it is two different buckets of money, capital expense vs operational costs. It's silly to me, but I get their mindset. Slate should help some it will be a much lower capital expense

 

[KJRaven]

Well... some of us have wanted LFP for the basic battery.

We didn't discuss battery chemistry.

 

[KevinRS]

You would think that, yet the F series was the best selling vehicle in America for 42 years (1982-2023) straight and then again in 2025. It has been the best selling truck for nearly 50 years straight.

Not sure what the connection would be. Significant portions of the F-series buyers either need towing, need ground clearance, need/want a 4 door truck, want to offroad, want a BIG vehicle, or are never-EVers. A lot of those trade in their F-series for the next F-series. They have 50 years of loyalty built up.

 

[IamSpotted]

Not sure what the connection would be. Significant portions of the F-series buyers either need towing, need ground clearance, need/want a 4 door truck, want to offroad, want a BIG vehicle, or are never-EVers. A lot of those trade in their F-series for the next F-series. They have 50 years of loyalty built up.

The connection is that vehicles like the F-series can easily last 10+ years when properly maintained, yet they’ve remained top sellers for decades. Longevity has never prevented strong sales.
The same logic applies to the Slate or any other vehicle. While some owners keep vehicles for 10+ years, most don’t. In the United States, the average new vehicle is owned for about 8 years, which means people often replace vehicles long before the end of their usable life.
Fleet sales will definitely help it succeed, but they complement consumer sales rather than replace them. According to 2025 statistics, fleet sales accounted for only about 17% of new vehicle sales. Most trucks bought for fleet use are full-size models. With its relatively low payload and towing capacity, the Slate will likely rely primarily on consumer sales to succeed.