Newsweek article: Update on Slate manufacturing timeline! (On track for late 2026 delivery)

[Doug T]

Tesla has been successful with EV manufacturing, so hopefully the Tesla hires bring important experience and help enabling Slate to succeed.

It strikes me however the Slate manufacturing approach is very different compared to Tesla.

Tesla uses large gigafactories that are integrated with the manufacture of batteries and other components, Slate has a deliberately modest (by automative standards) facility and is using suppliers for batteries, motors, and many other components.

Tesla builds the vehicle bodies via giant "gigacasting" machines. Slate has a more of less conventional body-in-white. And it will apparently be built with many supplier components.

Hopefully there are Tesla lessons learned that can be adapted to a very different manufacturing approach.

 

[Letas]

How could one NOT bring up the Detroit Lions in this thread? Assemble motivated and skilled talent and go 15-2. Lose them to injury and go down in flames. As long as Slate brings in one all-pro after another to their roster, and can check all egos at the front gate, they have a very good chance in the market. But like the Lions, they gotta watch out for "free agency" and ensure they can keep their team intact. In my work life I saw one company after another slide downward when key management jumped ship.
While we are mostly focused on where the Slate product is headed in this thread, it's really all about them having the right mix of managers and as few executive positions as possible.

Great point... Much like the Lions, Slate will be chasing big brother's (the Packers) long history of success. Hopefully Slate does a better job passing them up, rather than settling for a couple years of above average!