I have trouble buying a vehicle sight unseen

[woodio]

I like the concept of the Slate. As I understand it they will be factory shipped to buyers. However before I spend over 25k I would like to see a base level and drive it.

Will there be places within one’s own state to make this happen? I’m in Connecticut. Any updates on this would be appreciated.

Have you considered compensating owners with vehicles to show them to potential buyers?

 

[Mac-Tyson]

Last I heard they were planning on doing a Slate to State tour next year where you will be able to drive one before you buy. Hopefully they come to Connecticut eventually. They went To every state around us but haven’t visited us yet lol.

 

[sodamo]

I like the concept of the Slate. As I understand it they will be factory shipped to buyers. However before I spend over 25k I would like to see a base level and drive it.

Will there be places within one’s own state to make this happen? I’m in Connecticut. Any updates on this would be appreciated.

Have you considered compensating owners with vehicles to show them to potential buyers?

I’d be happy to be that ambassador in return for an early delivery.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

What the others said. Also, I wager the early owners will throw meetups for locals. Also, lots of towns have BEV clubs that have regular meets where you can touch and feel all sorts of BEVs.

Also, I hope Slate appears at some regional auto shows. If the budget allows. For instance, the New York show has crazy attendence. Been there myself.

I bought my Maverick without a test drive - the only way to do it at that time, as they were unobtainium with a 12-36 month wait time for delivery. Didn't like doing that, but you do what you have to. I supposed technically I could have asked for a test drive before signing. Some people did meet the Maverick in person and walk away from their orders. The dealers loved it when that happened, as that was instantly more profit because they got marked up.

Lastly, I fully expect we'll be seeing auto journalists galore publishing video reviews of Slates. Slate is pretty savvy about marketiing. They know that giving a journalist a truck for a week is the best advertising money you can possibly spend. If the Slate sucks in any way, those journalists will rip it to pieces. They are sharks.

 

[E90400K]

Like many, I was in the same situation with the Bronco. I reserved in 2020, then ordered in 2021, then reordered in late 2021, and then... waited. In late 2020 Ford did a Bronco tour where us Reservationists got a chance to personally look at a few Broncos of different trim levels. The East Coast tour had 3 Broncos, a mix of trims and 2-door/4-door soft and hard tops. We did not get to drive any though. Then in 2021 Ford sent "mannequins" to most every dealership for Orderholders to test drive. That wasn't much help to me because I ordered a 2-door with a manual transmission, which my dealership did not, nor most any others, got as a mannequin. The 4-door automatic mannequin I did drive I did not like and I almost canceled my order because of the experience. However, I decided to wait.

So, I had to wait 23 months until my Bronco was built and delivered. And not until I test drove my Bronco (twice), did I decide to buy it; and I still was not fully enamored with it. Yet, in 2022 Broncos were so sought after there was really no risk, as I could have sold it weeks after purchase for more than I bought it. It took a while for my Bronco to grow on me, but it's now my casket car.

Being the Slate is a mail-order only vehicle, like you I am having a difficult time in dropping $25K on a truck sight unseen and with no butt-o-meter evaluation provided by a pre-purchase test drive.

If Slate is smart, they should provide a 5-day, 100-mile return policy for those Buyers who can't get a pre-purchase test drive.

 

[GToddC5]

. . .
So, I had to wait 23 months until my Bronco was built and delivered. And not until I test drove my Bronco (twice), did I decide to buy it; and I still was not fully enamored with it. Yet, in 2022 Broncos were so sought after there was really no risk, as I could have sold it weeks after purchase for more than I bought it. It took a while for my Bronco to grow on me, but it's now my casket car.
. . .

And I'll also add that my 2021 Badlands MSRP quickly shot up ~12k more to build something comparable in just a couple model years. I imagine a ~25k blank Slate won't get cheaper over the years, and quickly get to a ~30k blank Slate in no time.

 

[KevinRS]

This is why the $50 reservation is not a commitment. You can reserve, and if you change your mind, ask for a refund. They will surely have some good coverage by launch of test drivable events for reservation holders, and if you don't reserve, you may have to wait an extra year or even more before you could get one.

 

[YDR37]

I like the concept of the Slate. As I understand it they will be factory shipped to buyers. However before I spend over 25k I would like to see a base level and drive it.

Will there be places within one’s own state to make this happen?

Good question. In fact, this is one of the biggest question marks regarding Slate's business model.

We know that Slate won't have traditional dealerships -- they will sell direct to consumers, which is also how Tesla and Rivian operate. But Tesla and Rivian still have physical stores, and Slate has not announced any plans to do the same.

Tesla and Rivian accept online orders, but they also have physical stores that handle walk-in sales, test drives, delivery, and service. Slate has indicated that delivery and service will be handled by partner companies. That's fine, but what about walk-in sales and test drives? What if you want to check out a Slate in person, and maybe buy one, but you missed the closest Slate tour event and there isn't another one scheduled locally for the next year?

As far as I know, Slate doesn't have an answer for that question at this time. My guess is that they will eventually figure something out though. It's obviously in their interest to provide potential customers with direct access to the product in a timely manner.

Have you considered compensating owners with vehicles to show them to potential buyers?

That is an approach that Slate could potentially take (I think some RV manufacturers do that). However, the people on this forum are just Slate fans; they don't represent the company. You should pose that question at Slate.auto, not Slateforums.

 

[cadblu]

Slate has promised that reservation holders will be invited to a personal test drive early next year.

It's mentioned in the FAQ section on slate.auto.

I know this is anxious crowd, but we just need to be patient. I know it's not easy!

 

[E90400K]

Slate has promised that reservation holders will be invited to a personal test drive early next year.

It's mentioned in the FAQ section on slate.auto.

I know this is anxious crowd, but we just need to be patient. I know it's not easy!

From the FAQ, "Soon, we’ll be hitting a town near you. Reservation holders will get an exclusive first chance to sit in a Slate. Beginning in 2026, we’ll have vehicles available for demonstration drives."

I'm still not reading that as "customer test drives".