Introductions & Welcome Thread 👋

[gadget-man]

Hi, everyone! I can’t wait to see more on this truck in person. It sounds very promising.

 

[jasykas]

Hi, I am 73, active skier, yoga, own a small farm and still am working as I enjoy my work. I own a 22 R1T and a 25 Equinox EV. I also have a diesel plow truck. I need an EV farm truck.
Something simple is best.
Need all wheel drive. Would like regular cab, 8 ft bed and ability to mount a plow. Range, for this would not be a concern. So I have needs and likes.
John

 

[L3it3R]

Very much looking forward to this. We will be adding a Scout to our garage to replace either a model Y or model 3, and in addition to my FS CT AWD, but this Slate is definitely going to make a GREAT run around daily. Cannot wait!

hailing from Maryland
Cheers

 

[TabulaRasa]

I'm looking forward to watching this develop. I like the idea of a super simple, inexpensive, highly customizable pick-up.

 

[GaRailroader]

I have owned 3 vehicles with manual windows(1980 Ford Granada, 1992 Ford F-150 Custom and 2006 Ford Ranger XL) This Slate is definitely up my alley. Currently have a 2018 Tesla Model 3 and 2022 Nissan Leaf. Looking for the Slate to replace the Nissan Leaf. I really like the Ford Maverick but just don't want to go back to maintaining and fueling an ICE vehicle.

 

[E90400K]

I'm interested in this vehicle too. I have a 16-year-old GM-corporate midsized 4x4 pickup that has been ravaged by too many trips to New England for winter vacations. Between the under-carriage corrosion and GM obsoleting some critical chassis and suspension parts, the truck is going to age out of service in a few years. I need a pickup for trash dump (err... waste transfer) runs and petrol fuel runs for my yard equipment. I really have no desire to replace it with a $60K EV pickup.

My concern here though is how big of a market is there for the Slate? A low-cost, plastic-bodied vehicle has been tried before, the Pontiac Fiero. It sold like hot cakes for the first three years until everyone who wanted one bought one. The Slate here is relying on the $7,500 tax credit still being in place in 2027. If the tax credit fades out, at $25,000 or $27,000 MSRP the Slate doesn't have much going for it IMO when trucks like the Maverick are in the market sold by a fully accredited corporate manufacturer. It's a great "disrupter" concept in some respects, but maybe not(?). Great idea for retiring Boomers like me for a cheap 2nd vehicle. But need to add cost to wrap the truck in another color (I might just rattle can mine - LOL), add an audio system for more money. Love the idea of the smart phone/tablet integration, very smart! Neat that it will be customizable, but I have to question the build quality of the platform; screws that hold the body panels on? Yikes. And the charging time is just too long for a vehicle that has a 150-mile summertime range if a young person is going to buy one as their primary driver.

Neat that it can be expandable as a young person's family grows. But just how big is the market that provides enough of a long-term production capacity to keep Slate as a viable automotive manufacturer.

 

[Johnny-Longtorso]

Well for 50 clams I'm registered for one, but I'm decidedly one of the more skeptical members based on what I've seen here.

I bought into the Tesla when first announced - when the buy-in was $5k and the promoted purchase price was $45k. The released product was over $90k and I canceled.

I've since cooled greatly on the idea of the all-electric. Hybrids for the US make much more sense. But if the price point for this on release is anywhere near the expected $25-$27k I'll give one a go.

At least this one seems to have some rolling examples of pre-production vehicles, so it's not 100% vaporware. The "maker" aspects of this vehicle are great ideas long overdue. It will be interesting to see if they release CAD drawings for pieces so the maker community can fabricate with ease. I'd love to be able to design trim elements and have someone print it out for me.

Historically I'm a Mustang guy.

 

[Liontracks]

I've hopped around from car brand to car brand over the years. Nissan as my first car, Hyundai, Subaru, and now I'm sporting a 2-door Jeep Wrangler. For a while I've been tossing the idea around of looking at an EV, but the price point for them just wasn't do-able for me.

If they can keep this vehicle under $30k at launch, that would be amazing! I'd replace my Jeep for the Slate as my only vehicle and daily driver after that.

 

[djpayne2]

Mustang owner as my daily.

Maybe this becomes my commuter. About 70 miles round trip.

 

[ftrv8]

Kids and wife gonna end up using our main cars. This will be my daily for the minor Home Depot runs. Mustang guy as well.

 

[evdesigner]

I've been driving/converting vehicles for 35 years. I think this 'Lego' vehicle has lots of promise if they can keep the accessory pieces at a reasonable price. My daily driver right now is a 2023 Mustang Mach E AWD premium, but I also need a truck for all of the dirty work like construction and landscaping around the house (and my kids who live close by and don't have a pickup either).

 

[RetroSlate]

I am so glad someone finally agrees with the minimalist in me. I want something new but don't want all the extra tech and gadgets that not only increase vehicle cost but also the frequency of repairs as well. I can see there are a lot of Mustang owners on this thread. You can include me as well.

My daily driver is a 2009 Mustang GT/CS and want a Blank Slate so I can tailor it to my needs...

 

[Adam W]

I'm excited about this little truck as a second vehicle for local errands and hauling stuff around. My current car is a CRV, and I've had the back seats folded down for 5 years straight now. I basically never have more than one passenger, and use it mostly as a truck, but without the ability to get sheets of plywood in it. The Slate looks like it solves a bunch of pain points for me in a cool customizable package.

 

[Lance10]

Interesting vehicle. I wonder if it's fun to drive.

 

[Dieter]

Looks like I’ll be comparing my 2024 LTX lux pack, copilot 360 hybrid at $28K 533 day wait, to the Slate. My Maverick will be a tough competitor to beat.