Place Your Bets! (actual blank Slate starting price contest)

[AZFox]

I just wonder what people will be willing to pay for an extra 90 or so mile range? Most of my driving is short - less than 60 mile round trips, but I would want the extra range if affordable. Are we talking $3000 or $8000 extra?

Two aspects of the Extended Battery I've considered (EV n00b here, remember).

It's more weight, which I presume lowers load capacity and it definitely will require more energy per mile.​

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It'll last longer, quite simply because you'll need fewer charge cycles over the lifetime of the truck to go the same distance.​

 

[sodamo]

I just wonder what people will be willing to pay for an extra 90 or so mile range? Most of my driving is short - less than 60 mile round trips, but I would want the extra range if affordable. Are we talking $3000 or $8000 extra?

$3000 is above my threshold but close enough to have to think hard. $8000, easy rejection, no thought beyond initial read.

 

[Letas]

I just wonder what people will be willing to pay for an extra 90 or so mile range? Most of my driving is short - less than 60 mile round trips, but I would want the extra range if affordable. Are we talking $3000 or $8000 extra?

For me it’s extended or nothing. With the 80/20 rule, and cold weather, the regular battery gets me an hour of driving. No thank you!

If it is $8000 extra, I’d be silly to buy a slate.

 

[Desertdog]

I'm going to make a really ambitious prediction of $22,500 for the 150 mile, and $26,500 for the extended range.

They are pushing affordability. They know that people have the $20k set in their mind, despite being after incentives. My thoughts on this is They want that super low "starting at" price that got people interested. Because of this they might be willing to sell the 150 mile range for minimal, if any profit because most people who opt for that budget build are more likely to finance as they will likely be the working class, hourly employees, door dash type gig workers that often don't have the means to pay cash. Considering Slate is planning to offer financing, they will recoup their loss through interest. Also, it will help with their marketing to get the initial exposure with these being on the road. Sure there will be cash buyers and outside financing, but most people just want a vehicle & only care about the monthly payments and are too lazy to seek outside financing.

They also know they have a fan base following, people like us. I suspect many of us are willing to pay more for the extended range so they will probably increase the price of that battery to makeup the loss of the 150 mile model. An additional $4k is a lot, but if it can land in the $26.5k range that still feels reasonable to me. Again, America runs on debt so I suspect the majority of consumers will finance.

Every model year will see a price increase until sales stabilize with a good market hold.

Probably wishful thinking but it's going to be interesting how it plays out

 

[sodamo]

I know it’s too early, but knowing the marginal price difference between the 2 batteries would be great.

 

[cvollers]

I know it’s too early, but knowing the marginal price difference between the 2 batteries would be great.

I’d like to know this too. Based on previously shared numbers, the battery cost is roughly $9.3K per vehicle. What we don’t know is how much of that is for the smaller battery. If we assume $9.3K is for 240 miles, then the cost gap is $3.5K. Have no idea if this is accurate nor what kind of margin Slate will add. I think a price delta of at least $4K is a safe bet.

 

[sodamo]

I’d like to know this too. Based on previously shared numbers, the battery cost is roughly $9.3K per vehicle. What we don’t know is how much of that is for the smaller battery. If we assume $9.3K is for 240 miles, then the cost gap is $3.5K. Have no idea if this is accurate nor what kind of margin Slate will add. I think a price delta of at least $4K is a safe bet.

Suspect you are right. My somewhat arbitrary decision point is around $2500. The range factor for basically only 1 trip I regularly make. Did a spreadsheet and based strictly on fuel costs it pencils out $2500 over 10 years. How to $ factor other factors? Don’t know. Also not considering resale.

 

[atx_ev]

my wife has a mercedes PHEV which gets 60 miles on a full charge. In 2 months she is still on her first tank of gas from the dealer. Most days she doesnt consume the full charge. The L1 charger cant fill from 0-100% overnight so some days she is starting short. If we had an L2 charger she would never use any gas.

For in town driving 90 miles (20%-80%) is plenty. You can charge to 100% and consume to zero % if you need to on occasion. If I get a slate it will be the very most basic version because it will be for in town driving only.

Long term I want another minivan or a sprinter van for road trips, but Im waiting for an extended range EV with a generator to charge the battery.

I think most people have range anxiety and havent really thought about how many miles they really need.

 

[Luxrage]

my wife has a mercedes PHEV which gets 60 miles on a full charge. In 2 months she is still on her first tank of gas from the dealer. Most days she doesnt consume the full charge. The L1 charger cant fill from 0-100% overnight so some days she is starting short. If we had an L2 charger she would never use any gas.

Definitely put some fuel stabilizer in there or cycle it out on a long drive if it starting to sit that long. My friend had the gas go bad in his plug-in Prius because he used it on pure battery only so much.

 

[KJRaven]

I say $27,499.99 for the blank slate and small battery... I fully expected the "under $20k" price to be basically 20k, so, $7500 more than that is where i get my number.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

I say $27,499.99 for the blank slate and small battery... I fully expected the "under $20k" price to be basically 20k, so, $7500 more than that is where i get my number.

I like your reasoning. You somehow barely scrape the top of "Mid-$20's"! Nice hedge.

 

[SlatePossible2028]

$25k even delivered - im willing to bet slate will be willing to take a mild price hit to get business off the ground

 

[Doctors Do Little]

$25k even delivered - im willing to bet slate will be willing to take a mild price hit to get business off the ground

If Jeffe Bezos has anything to do with it, I'd agree.

 

[AZFox]

If Jeffe Bezos has anything to do with it, I'd agree.

Jeff Bezos knows a thing or two about penetration pricing.

Contrary to the impression you get from articles I've seen, I don't think Bezos has much involvement with Slate Auto aside from providing some Series A funding.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Jeff Bezos knows a thing or two about penetration pricing.

Contrary to the impression you get from articles I've seen, I don't think Bezos has much involvement with Slate Auto aside from providing some Series A funding.

Dude is not dumb.

I'm surprised that there isn't a secondary gain for Amazon...short-trip/last-mile/local-only cargo applications for the Slate? Maybe get them for $19K each for stripped models with bed topped with initial order of 20,000 units?

Or buy them and rent them to subK's who are doing that currently with their private vehicles?