I think I am “over The Slate”

[beatle]

It's because people on Facebook are lazy. Like posting 2 lousy pictures of a car for sale with trash in the interior and a one sentence description.

A lot of people who say "is this still available?" never follow up even if you reply "yes, are you interested?" I miss Craigslist.

Now what was this thread about?

 

[SparkYellow]

...
Now what was this thread about?
...

I remember the discussion about Y2K and then I lost track. FB makes it too easy to list anything. CL takes a bit more focus. I miss the personal ads on CL. I got more meaningful matches there with my essays. With other services, you have to check many boxes and squeeze yourself into a set of criteria.

I enjoyed the outdoors like camping and road trips. Got matched with someone who enjoyed sipping wine from a hotel balcony.

 

[NMNeil]

I haven't done this myself but it is a good way for the seller to pre-screen. If someone is not comfortable to talk about the price, it is best that they don't do business with each other. Not exactly a loss to either party.

But anytime you call a car dealership for any vehicle inquiry the first thing they try and get is your phone number and e-mail address so they can put you on their database. That's why they want you to call them.

 

[KevinRS]

But anytime you call a car dealership for any vehicle inquiry the first thing they try and get is your phone number and e-mail address so they can put you on their database. That's why they want you to call them.

Keep in mind that if you call an 800 number, it's basically a collect call, and they get your number, even if you have caller ID blocked.

 

[SparkYellow]

But anytime you call a car dealership for any vehicle inquiry the first thing they try and get is your phone number and e-mail address so they can put you on their database. That's why they want you to call them.

I was thinking more along the lines of a private seller but yes the dealerships definitely want your info. I remember once a nice couple came to check out some Mazdas on the lot and we had a nice chat. When I asked for their contact info at the end, the wife smiled and said, how about we put your info in our rolodex? She took my card.

Don't you all have disposable phone numbers and emails?

 

[IanNubbit]

The more threads I read and the more I think about it, the more I feel I’m over the Slate.

I really wanted an EV before I leave this world. It seemed like it could be a great second vehicle and a practical everyday car for local driving. But I live in rural upstate New York, with cold winters and hot summers, and the more I look at the reality of this vehicle, the less it feels like a bargain for me.

The small battery and limited range are hard enough to accept, but when you add in just how stripped-down the base Slate is, it starts to feel like very little vehicle for the money. On top of that, this would be a brand-new vehicle coming off a brand-new production line from a brand-new factory, with all the risks that come with that. Rear-wheel drive only is another concern for me.

Then there’s the fact that I’d need to add at least a few basics just to make it workable for my needs, like the SUV kit and a stereo. And now that the $7,500 rebate is no longer part of the equation, the original low-cost pitch doesn’t hit the same way at all.

It starts to feel like a hornet’s nest of possible issues for a vehicle that, in its basic form, offers very little. Sure, you can customize it all you want, but then you wind up paying what many other EVs already cost. Even keeping it fairly stripped down, with just the SUV kit and stereo added, the price keeps creeping up. Then there are taxes, destination charges, and the cost of hiring a licensed electrician to install a proper charging setup in my garage.

I tried. I really did. I put down a deposit on day two because I wanted to stay excited about it. But time and reality have worn me down, and for me, the Slate now feels like an absurd purchase.

I hope the company succeeds, and I hope those of you still on board end up with a vehicle you love. Good luck to all of you, and thanks for making this a fun board to follow.

If a stereo and the SUV kit are absolutely MUSTS the Slate likely is not the vehicle for you. The options are mainly growth and future upgrades. If you don’t have intentions of doing your own repairs or value lower repair prices due to easy if repair, this is probably the wrong vehicle for you. If you just want a vehicle for $30k+ I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

I feel like too many people think of “well fo only this much more I can get” and “to get what I want it’s going to cost so much more!” Are missing the point. The vehilce costs in the mid twenties, has enough range for 90% of daily commutes with an overnight charge, has bed as large as most mid-size trucks, is extremely simplistic for low cost repairs and easy DIY, all while having the ability to adapt to what you need, when you need it, not just at the point of sale.

With that lets think about cost of what the add-ons are compared to what the industry is. The SUV kit is the obvious one, 5k for the while thing. Seats, top, roll-bar, airbags etc. now lets compare that to a 2 Door Jeep with a soft top to a 4 door with a Hard top. The top alone cost 4k for the kit with defroster and wiring. The price difference from 2 to a 4 door is ~4k. So for $8k you get roughly the same idea, and oh yeah, you have to sell your 2 door for a 4 door because it has to be a completly new vehcile. While not exact apples to apples, the same end goal is accomplished. With that, the hardtop wiring is not user friendly, and has to be programmed by a dealer after install. The Slate allows the whole thing to easily be done at home, flat pack shipped not a massive pallet like the hard top, plus you can go back to truck as you please

The Slate is different, for a reason, and cross shopping seems impossible to me. Just like with Jeeps, when you want a wrangler, there is no cross shopping, you aren’t looking for an SUV, you want a wrangler. The target audience for the Slate has nothing to cross shop with that check the boxes the Slate does. Sure some people only vibe with half of what Slate does. But someone wanting a stripped simple vehicle, nothing beats slate, someone looking for DIY friendly repairs including warranty, nothing bests slate. Someone wanting open sourced add-ons and vehicle that comes with nothing they don’t want, and the option for everything they do from OEM and other markets, nothing can beat Slate

 

[NMNeil]

I was thinking more along the lines of a private seller but yes the dealerships definitely want your info. I remember once a nice couple came to check out some Mazdas on the lot and we had a nice chat. When I asked for their contact info at the end, the wife smiled and said, how about we put your info in our rolodex? She took my card.

Don't you all have disposable phone numbers and emails?

No, but it's not an issue as I won't phone or e-mail them.
If it's a local dealership I visit in person then ignore the salespersons pleas for my phone number and e-mail, politely explaining that I only give my phone number or e-mail to people who I want to call me.