Great Interview with Chris Barman: "Slate's Wild Idea To Fix The Auto Industry"

[motorolas]

With Chris now reporting to Peter, I found this video with 739 views from 4 months ago. Just getting into it as it’s 45 minutes long.

Interesting info (some rehashed if you’ve been following Slate for a while).

Core Memory Podcast - Slate’s Wild Idea To Fix The Auto Industry - Interviews Uncut with Chris Barman.

• Discusses paper from Miles Arnone about “What if” about affordable vehicle and the idea that became Slate
• Chris’s background and desire to join
• Reinvent car business model
• Interesting discussion about wrapping the vehicle and the vinyl and the adhesive “more forgiving than you think”. Durable and able to pull on and off to apply onto the vehicle.
• Slate will own anything that is safety related, in regards to accessories, but wants others to build how you want. (So about those bench seats, maybe not Slate, but you do you, haha)
• Touches on if used car dealer gets vehicle, they can sell as is, or configure in other ways and sell up the vehicle
• Looking to make money off accessories, reoccurring over time. Save on maintenance.
• The line we all love to hear, and will be updated this June regarding price, “Mid-$20s”
• Answers “why Detroit”. They also have a team out in Seattle, not just California.
• Chris discusses her Slate build, Fastback with no seats for doggo’s in Navy Blue with stripes.

 

[AZFox]

With Chris now reporting to Peter, I found this video with 739 views from 4 months ago.
Just getting into it as it’s 45 minutes long.
Interesting info (some rehashed if you’ve been following Slate for a while).

Great video. Her enthusiasm comes through.

It's the best presentation about the Slate by a large margin.

 

[motorolas]

Great video. Her enthusiasm comes through.

It's the best presentation about the Slate by a large margin.

Agreed, this was a great natural feeling interview and she comes across as genuine and enthusiastic.

 

[bartflossom]

When he talked about driving down the interstate and how now all the cars look the same, it reminded of when I was an early teenager and the custom van craze hit. I loved driving by and seeing all the custom airbrushed scenes everyone was putting on their vans. (Especially the ones with the Frank Frazetta inspired scenes with the scantily clad warrior women. I WAS a teenager)

if this pic offends anyone, i'll dump it.

 

[Mac-Tyson]

Touches on if used car dealer gets vehicle, they can sell as is, or configure in other ways and sell up the vehicle

I asked the owner of the viral used EV dealer EV Auto what he thought of the Slate and if he would be selling them used one day. He thought they were absolutely awesome and would be definitely be selling them one day. He enjoys taking used EVs and modifying them for sale to either up sell them or make them a better value. He also offers a free wrap if you include his dealerships logo in the wrap. So I definitely think used dealers like him will be configuring used Slates to sell if allowed with first party Slate accessories.

 

[Saint Alban]

• Interesting discussion about wrapping the vehicle and the vinyl and the adhesive “more forgiving than you think”. Durable and able to pull on and off to apply onto the vehicle.

I admit that I have not gotten the opportunity to watch the interview, but I assumed the vinyl kits were the usual 3M wrap vinyl, but pre-cut. Are Slates vinyl kits different in other ways or was she just describing how wraps are for people who aren’t familiar?

 

[KevinRS]

I think part of it is with wrapping most vehicles, there are compound curves and extended pieces of metal to cover, where you have to use heat and stretch portions of the wrap, that are connected to more continuous sections. Once you stretch the wrap, there is not a lot of going back. If it's a 6 foot long piece you don't get lined up right, you may be stuck.
On my car as an example, starting right by the front edge of the front door, the visible metal is continuous over the doors, includes the rear fender, and back under the doors to the front edge of the bottom of the front door. Wrapping just that piece probably requires an excess of material, so you can stretch it to fit the multiple curves, and still have material lined up to cover the far ends.
if measured front to back to front, that piece is probably 15 feet to align,

Slate is designed to wrap, so it will be relatively simple pieces, and there is a groove running the length(registration line) to separate top and bottom pieces. It doesn't look like any piece will be more than about 5 feet.

 

[motorolas]

I admit that I have not gotten the opportunity to watch the interview, but I assumed the vinyl kits were the usual 3M wrap vinyl, but pre-cut. Are Slates vinyl kits different in other ways or was she just describing how wraps are for people who aren’t familiar?

It’s pre-cut, but she discusses it seems they are working with the vinyl manufacturer to get the right adhesive, and make it DIY friendly, “breathable” where the air can pass through so you don’t worry so much about pushing all the bubbles out. Worth a listen at 22:00 minutes.
She mentioned distributor can install the vinyl before delivery if you want. Y

 

[E90400K]

When he talked about driving down the interstate and how now all the cars look the same, it reminded of when I was an early teenager and the custom van craze hit. I loved driving by and seeing all the custom airbrushed scenes everyone was putting on their vans. (Especially the ones with the Frank Frazetta inspired scenes with the scantily clad warrior women. I WAS a teenager)

if this pic offends anyone, i'll dump it.

The best from the era...

 

[Saint Alban]

It’s pre-cut, but she discusses it seems they are working with the vinyl manufacturer to get the right adhesive, and make it DIY friendly, “breathable” where the air can pass through so you don’t worry so much about pushing all the bubbles out. Worth a listen at 22:00 minutes.
She mentioned distributor can install the vinyl before delivery if you want. Y

Yea that sounds like what 3M 1080 wrap vinyl already is. Which is what is already used to wrap vehicles. I’ll watch when I can. It sounds like something else is specific to the slate other than just the pre-cutting.

 

[motorolas]

Yea that sounds like what 3M 1080 wrap vinyl already is. Which is what is already used to wrap vehicles. I’ll watch when I can. It sounds like something else is specific to the slate other than just the pre-cutting.

Good insight, the only vinyl I’ve put on recently is on my 10 water bottles and laptop lids, haha, and I’ve had a pain readjusting them during install.

I’m sure there’s some sort of off the shelf type wrap they are considering, but trying to find the right one for users who want to try themselves. She described an example of a father getting a Slate with a particular wrap, and handing down the Slate to his daughter with a second wrap, and then the son getting the car later down the line. That’s three wrap kits for the life of the truck. That could be $500X3 right there for the life of the truck, and if the purchaser wants a Slate authorized wrap specialist to do the job, there’s the network right there.

 

[Saint Alban]

Good insight, the only vinyl I’ve put on recently is on my 10 water bottles and laptop lids, haha, and I’ve had a pain readjusting them during install.

I’m sure there’s some sort of off the shelf type wrap they are considering, but trying to find the right one for users who want to try themselves. She described an example of a father getting a Slate with a particular wrap, and handing down the Slate to his daughter with a second wrap, and then the son getting the car later down the line. That’s three wrap kits for the life of the truck. That could be $500 right there for the life of the truck, and if the purchaser wants a Slate authorized wrap specialist to do the job, there’s the network right there.

I was looking into that too. I’ve read that vinyl wraps only last about 5-7 years. My sons got about 17 more years till he’s driving lol.

 

[AZFox]

I was looking into that too. I’ve read that vinyl wraps only last about 5-7 years. My sons got about 17 more years till he’s driving lol.

Less than that here in The Valley Of The Sun.

And leaving a wrap on past its expiration apparently makes it very difficult to remove. That doesn't sound appealing at all.

For this reason I'll do something else, probably put bedliner on the cab (Blacktop Kit style) if that's workable.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

The best from the era...

Ran when parked! lol

Forget wraps, we need more discussion about this funky van. Unless someone wants to duplicate those awesome Keep On Truckin' graphics!