New TFL Truck Slate video from LA

[ScooterAsheville]

Tommy share sentiments with a few of us on this forum. We love the idea of the Slate, but we question whether or not there are enough buyers. Remember that it doesn't matter in the least if tghere are 5,000 of us small BEV truck fanboys. What matters is that Slate can sell it at a hundred thousand units a year. Because below that, they lose money - auto plants typically have to reach 80% utilization rates before they make a penny.

I was most interested by the large number of comments. Which were all over the place.

 

[BigB]

I just reserved mine yesterday and I have been obsessively watching every YouTube video I can find including this one this morning. I can see large slate clubs forming off-road groups and meetups all over the country this is going to be a big thing if they can Mass produce these things extremely quickly and it shouldn't be difficult with less than 6,000 parts I think you should be able to build it yourself and buy the whole truck as a flat pack think about that

 

[cadblu]

Hey Tommy, please return the goody bag to the Slate girl. You lost me when you mentioned that it should come with an ICE engine sourced from Toyota or GM. Also, you are a bit too animated for this video. Of course, we can argue until the crows come home.

 

[KevinRS]

Tommy share sentiments with a few of us on this forum. We love the idea of the Slate, but we question whether or not there are enough buyers. Remember that it doesn't matter in the least if tghere are 5,000 of us small BEV truck fanboys. What matters is that Slate can sell it at a hundred thousand units a year. Because below that, they lose money - auto plants typically have to reach 80% utilization rates before they make a penny.

I was most interested by the large number of comments. Which were all over the place.

Considering in the first 2 weeks they passed 100k reservations, and only 479 people here have gone to the effort of posting in the reservation thread, and there are only about 1560 registered users here, the vast majority of those who thought it was worth putting $50 down aren't even here. They've probably got enough registrations in that if they all converted, it would take several years to fill all the orders at full speed production.
Once people start seeing them on the road, I can see it being extremely popular for local work and delivery trucks. Think landscapers, painters, plumbers, florists, auto parts chains, city work trucks, on and on. Anything where you drive around town and plug it in when you get back or overnight. Half of those people are driving older trucks you can't get anymore, the others have had to go with trucks bigger than they need, that are hard to park, or a few have just dropped down to a car.

 

[E90400K]

I think he is wrong about the need for 4x4 or AWD. With the weight balance anticipated to be near 50/50 because the battery placement will be in the center of the chassis and with a proper set of winter tires or snow-rated ORV tires (think KO3's) this pickup will be a good driver in snow. It won't need sand bags (who does that these days anyway?).

I think people still do road trip. I think he's wrong about that. The interstates are still full of cars and the hotels at major interstate junctions are not dropping out of business.

 

[Lynx]

Another thing that I don’t think some people are considering is the “Wow” factor that Slates are going to have.

I remember when the Tesla Model S first came out they had this iconic look and they were this new thing that people would take notice of whenever one was around. I know from a friend who got one really early on in 2013 that people would regularly come up to him and ask him about it. His highly positive experience with the car actually led some people to go and buy one or at least seriously consider getting one.

Now I imagine Slate will have this effect to an even greater degree. For anyone who gets a cool wrap I can already imagine it will draw attention and people will ask/get-excited about it. We can see this already with Slate’s marketing trucks that they just leave in locations with the funny wraps. I imagine that just having thousands of early buyers with wraps will actually be a massive marketing boost for Slate, as it will get thousands of their cool looking vehicles all over the place and start generating more attention for themselves. That and if they can nail a reliable truck that generates positive reviews from owners, will combine to create a great (even if unintentional) marketing campaign as sold vehicles possibly drive up future sales.

 

[Lynx]

I think he is wrong about the need for 4x4 or AWD. With the weight balance anticipated to be near 50/50 because the battery placement will be in the center of the chassis and with a proper set of winter tires or snow-rated ORV tires (think KO3's) this pickup will be a good driver in snow. It won't need sand bags (who does that these days anyway?).

I think people still do road trip. I think he's wrong about that. The interstates are still full of cars and the hotels at major interstate junctions are not dropping out of business.

Yes, I agree with this exactly. I know from my friend who was an early adopter of the Tesla Model S that this ended up being exactly the case for him.

Back when he got his Model S, it was so early on that they didn’t even offer a dual motor setup, only RWD. He would have preferred to own an AWD car but he took a chance on it and it has been completely fine for him for the 10+ years he has owned the car (he’s kept it as a daily driver since buying it in 2013). The weight of the battery is plenty for keeping traction on the rear wheels, and he’s never gotten stuck in snow even though he mostly keeps all weather tires on it. And he has never had to add actionable weight to the back. I imagine it will be the same for Slate.

When it comes to car trips, he’s driven that thing up and down the east coast multiple times and even took it for a trip up into Canada. No issues whatsoever because of the Tesla charging network, which Slate has confirmed they will have access to. His battery was also rated for ~240 mi range when he got the thing which lines up exactly with Slate’s extended battery. He said he’s only had ~220mi usable when he first got it, and it’s trickled lower since then but the car still gets ~185mi range after 10+ years of constant use and road trips, and he still takes it on road trips to this day. When it comes to road trips, I think Slate will do just fine because they have access to the supercharger network.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

One of the things to remember when thinking aboua a vehicle's market success is that it doesn't matter what a person needs and should buy. It's what they think they need and what they want to buy. It doesn't even matter what a person says they want, because time and time again OEMs have learned that people say A and buy B.

That to me is the biggest hurdle Slate has to leap. It definitely appeals to us Slate diehards. We want a small, barebones electric truck, preferably closer to $20K than $30K. But what do the unwashed masses want? That's the billion dollar question.

One thing I take some comfort in is that the early hires at Slate are mostly grizzled auto industry veterans - all of them. They know these things. I have to believe they get it, are realists, and have realistic plans in place. For sure we'll find out soon enough. And they have skin in the game - we're talking about their paychecks being at risk.

 

[jmcarter]

Guess I need to stop being lazy and put in my reservation number, especially since I signed up within two days of the announcemen. Agree with Tommy on a lot of his observations (I’ve just about given up on the TFL family, Roman has worn thin) but watching this and the Munro video has me excited. Upon taking delivery I’ll decide on keeping it vs. my trusty Maverick Hybrid. Rest assured, if so many bought the Cyberbeast for the “look at me” effect surely the Slate will do well.

 

[KevinRS]

Even an unwrapped base slate is going to stand out because it has a unique color and look, and it is the only single cab "small" truck that isn't an aging truck being kept running. Wraps are cool and all, I am undecided on whether I will get one, and they will attract even more attention, but I can see that just driving up in a grey single cab truck that obviously isn't 70s-early 90s vintage will get it's own attention, and when people find out it's electric, and cheap...

 

[AZFox]

I can see large slate clubs forming off-road groups and meetups all over the country

Clubs and meetups, yes.

Off-road groups? Doubtful.

The Truck isn't designed for off-roading.

All-Terrain tires are essentially decorative.

 

[KevinRS]

Finally watched the video. All the things he says he really thinks Slate needs, are for things he already said customers don't really need. Gas power for more range, 4wd for offroading people never do, etc.
Then he compares to the hybrid maverick, which isn't even a plug in hybrid.

 

[SichuanHot]

One thing I take some comfort in is that the early hires at Slate are mostly grizzled auto industry veterans - all of them. They know these things. I have to believe they get it, are realists, and have realistic plans in place. For sure we'll find out soon enough. And they have skin in the game - we're talking about their paychecks being at risk.

I don't think having grizzled auto industry veterans is necessarily indicative of success. Look at what the execs at Jaguar did to its brand and image with one poor advertising decision.

 

[E90400K]

I don't think having grizzled auto industry veterans is necessarily indicative of success. Look at what the execs at Jaguar did to its brand and image with one poor advertising decision.

Hell, look at what Ford did buying Jaguar and keeping alive 35 years past its expiration date. LOL. Wasted all that money on a dying brand rather than use the money to engineer new and better products.