POLL: What are you most interested about with the Slate?

[AZFox]

I think pick-up form factor should be a choice. My (2) primaries would be EV Powertrain and pick-up form factor. If it was a mid-twenties compact hatchback like a Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt, I wouldn't give it a 2nd look.

Same.

Tisha Johnson's small pickup design with a "timeless and familiar form" was a welcomed sight.

I wasn't considering an EV. Now that I know more I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[SichuanHot]

Then they scam us out of right to repair.

That's a feature, not a bug for the auto manufacturers. They don't want you fixing and driving a 20 year old car for a few grand every 10 years. They want you to pony up and buy a 40k car.

 

[E90400K]

That's a feature, not a bug for the auto manufacturers. They don't want you fixing and driving a 20 year old car for a few grand every 10 years. They want you to pony up and buy a 40k car.

Eh, I don't see it this way, I think this whole right to repair issue is overblown. I have been repairing my own cars for 45+ years and have never found any of the manufacturers of my vehicles withholding information or parts that has prevented me from maintaining my fleet.

I have a subscription to All-Data for some of my cars and 3rd-party service information for others in my fleet. My newest, MY 2022, has been maintainable so far; just oil changes at this point. The dealership sells the oil and oil filters, and the vehicle uses standard metric fasteners.

And to be contrary, auto manufacturers make a significant profit from the public maintaining and repairing old cars via parts sales and dealership-level maintenance/service.

 

[bloo]

Eh, I don't see it this way, I think this whole right to repair issue is overblown. I have been repairing my own cars for 45+ years and have never found any of the manufacturers of my vehicles withholding information or parts that has prevented me from maintaining my fleet.

I have a subscription to All-Data for some of my cars and 3rd-party service information for others in my fleet. My newest, MY 2022, has been maintainable so far; just oil changes at this point. The dealership sells the oil and oil filters, and the vehicle uses standard metric fasteners.

And to be contrary, auto manufacturers make a significant profit from the public maintaining and repairing old cars via parts sales and dealership-level maintenance/service.

To be contrary to your contrary, it's the dealers who make money off of auto maintenance. They charge the labor and mark-up the OEM parts. Shade-tree mechanics use their own labor and often buy aftermarket.

You have a subscription to All Data because you own a fleet. How many individuals can afford the extra to get that info?

 

[E90400K]

To be contrary to your contrary, it's the dealers who make money off of auto maintenance. They charge the labor and mark-up the OEM parts. Shade-tree mechanics use their own labor and often buy aftermarket.

You have a subscription to All Data because you own a fleet. How many individuals can afford the extra to get that info?

By "fleet", I mean my personal fleet of cars (i.e. more than one); it's not a commercial fleet, if that is what you are thinking. And All Data-DIY is a subscription for home mechanics and costs $130 for 3-years. A lot cheaper than needing to re-wrap my Slate every 3 years at $500 a pop.

And I have enough experience that taking a car apart and putting it back together is not rocket science. A brake refurb job on a car is pretty much the same regardless of manufacturer. Since the advent of OBDII mandated by the Feds for cars MY 1996 and forward, a decent OBDII scan tool is $50 and usable on any make or model. This whole right to repair issue is over blown IMO. It's more like people don't want to pay for the detailed repair information they might need.

Dealerships buy parts from their manufacturer. A lot of independent shops buy OE parts from the manufacturer as well.

And the Slate will be an EV, so it will never break because... less moving parts... Right?

 

[Kopsis]

This whole right to repair issue is over blown IMO.

It only seems that way because automakers actually have not heavily infringed on it. What if automakers started going the Apple route of serialized modules so you were unable to use 3rd party replacement parts and even an OEM replacement would have to be installed by an "authorized dealer" so they could digitally authorize the serialized replacement? Independent farmers are already living this nightmare trying to maintain farm machinery, and we're only a few bad decisions away from the same thing happening in the automotive space.

Slate doesn't really offer any right-to-repair benefits today. But it's important to laud their efforts to preserve that as a message to other automakers.

 

[MIDgrid]

Maybe there should be a reverse version of this poll; is there anything on the list that isn't a motivation for you? I could easily say no to that question. When I consider all the reasons on the list (and I want all of them), it easily rules out every other vehicle choice that will be available in the same time frame as the Slate Truck, that I'm aware of. And I'm getting too old to wait 5 or more years for a new crop of EV's that "might" be close enough to the Slate Truck to be an option I'd be willing to consider. Sure in my not too cold climate I'd be a little happier with LFP batteries, which Slate may offer sometime in the future, and yes it would be nice to be sure that Slate will survive - but I'm willing to live with these factors and get started enjoying my Slate Truck as soon as my April reservation allows!

 

[eightOne]

Simplicity, low maintenance, modularity. This is a perfect first vehicle for the kiddos in stock form. No extra seats to give rides. No crazy tech to distract. And safety features