Preorder Starts June 24 (email)! - How to Preorder Your Slate

[kvermeer]

Actually, at my age Mrs. Howell is starting to look pretty good.

No doubt! But she's not eligible. Mr. Howell may be a cad sometimes but he knew what he was doing when he put a ring on her, and I won't try to take that from him!

My $50 reservation was only a few weeks back, presumably > 160,000th. I received the email too.

I assume yours also stated "and your reservation means you get priority"? I believe you'll just end up being assigned a later delivery window.

As an 11:45 AM April 25, 2025 reservation holder, I'm hoping to be assigned a Christmas delivery window, you might be offered Q3 or something... I
think it's likely that the number of people who sign up before July 23rd will be fewer than factory capacity through the end of 2027. I don't think that anywhere close to all 160,000 reservations will convert to deposits - 50% would be very optimistic. And I don't think that all deposits will convert to orders - maybe 75%? And 60,000 is way more feasible than 160k.

They said they're aiming for long-term production rates of 150,000/year, year 1 will certainly be lower than that but I don't think your reservation puts you into 2028.

 

[Shrink36s]

No doubt! But she's not eligible. Mr. Howell may be a cad sometimes but he knew what he was doing when he put a ring on her, and I won't try to take that from him!



I assume yours also stated "and your reservation means you get priority"? I believe you'll just end up being assigned a later delivery window.

As an 11:45 AM April 25, 2025 reservation holder, I'm hoping to be assigned a Christmas delivery window, you might be offered Q3 or something... I
think it's likely that the number of people who sign up before July 23rd will be fewer than factory capacity through the end of 2027. I don't think that anywhere close to all 160,000 reservations will convert to deposits - 50% would be very optimistic. And I don't think that all deposits will convert to orders - maybe 75%? And 60,000 is way more feasible than 160k.

They said they're aiming for long-term production rates of 150,000/year, year 1 will certainly be lower than that but I don't think your reservation puts you into 2028.

I assume they'll be closer to 35-40% conversion rate, to be honest. I have nothing but feels to back that up. Don't quote me.

 

[Johnny-Longtorso]

Was the Slate site nuked from orbit? All the designs in my garage are gone....

EDIT - it seems the builder is having an existential crisis at the moment. Doing all kinds of wonky things (mostly resetting itself) as I try to use it...

So I now appear have 4 designs in my garage, 2 not of my doing (2 are "blanks" (that I cannot seem to remove), 2 are designs I've made previously). I tried editing one of the blanks and now I can't save it.

So you may find the builder is whacked right now.....

 

[sodamo]

As somebody who waited twelve frustrating months between ordering and delivery of my Maverick, I have to caution you nice folks that it can seem like a loooooooong wait. And I had it easy - some people waited 24 to 36 months for their Mavericks.

Remember the clock in high school? How it slowed down when it reached five minutes till the end of the period? Or go back even earlier. Remember how long Christmas Eve was? I swear they slowed down the clocks the day before Christmas.

Heck, i notice the timer goes slower every minute on my Treadclimber

 

[Mr. Slate]

It's interesting that they didn't say anything about the battery option in this announcement. I was kinda wondering if that choice would affect the delivery window. Like maybe they would start production with one battery size and add the other size later. I guess that isn't the case.

 

[pineapple]

Interesting. I'll be a bit disappointed if my day one reservation was a waste, because I'm not putting down $300 before I see and drive one. Slate has 8 weeks left to produce production intent trucks and get them in front of people so they can make final decisions.
👍

 

[dragondroptv]

For a brief moment, I got to experience what the Maker could feel like with pricing attached to the builds. Not real pricing but developer placeholder data. Seeing options change totals, imagining different configurations, and interacting with it as if ordering was right around the corner made the whole concept suddenly feel real.

And it made me even more excited for what Slate is building.

What I love most about this truck is that it feels different from how vehicles are normally sold. The modular approach, the single-platform idea, the ability to customize and evolve the truck over time — it genuinely feels fresh.

Even the fact that enthusiasts are poking around the configurator and saving multiple concepts to the garage that they had to expand the limit it would hold says something important:

People are excited!

Not just casually interested.
Actually excited!

I appreciated Slate being transparent about the placeholder data, and they sent me a jacket and tumbler for letting them know. Honestly, it made me more confident in the project, not less. It shows they’re actively building, iterating, and listening while the community is already rallying around the idea.

Now I’m just even more impatient to see the real pricing and full Maker experience go live.

 

[ElectricShitbox]

It's interesting that they didn't say anything about the battery option in this announcement. I was kinda wondering if that choice would affect the delivery window. Like maybe they would start production with one battery size and add the other size later. I guess that isn't the case.

This is the announcement of the announcement, lol. The details are supposed to come out June 24th.

 

[pineapple]

What kind of warranty will they have, including the battery?

 

[dragondroptv]

Slate hinted at more announcements coming soon, and after a recent conversation with a customer service rep, I wouldn’t be surprised if “Slate University” is one of them.

I think it’s something Slate needs before customers finalize builds. Since the whole platform revolves around customization, buyers need a better understanding of how accessories install, what’s DIY-friendly, and what we would want Slate to install for an added cost.

Install videos, tutorials, and accessory walkthroughs would make the buying experience much more confident and flexible.

 

[Kopsis]

I assume they'll be closer to 35-40% conversion rate, to be honest. I have nothing but feels to back that up. Don't quote me.

I'm guessing 10% is more likely since the reservation fee was very small and didn't involve any commitment. Anything over 20% conversion would likely be viewed by the company as wildly successful (and likely put fulfillment of all preorders out past the end of 2027).

 

[sodamo]

Just a guess, but I suspect initial delivery windows will be best guess to help production planning and behind the scenes adjustments will be made. If the early windows are too optimistic and conversions too high, a delay adjustment may follow. Hope not for me LOL

 

[dragondroptv]

I'm guessing 10% is more likely since the reservation fee was very small and didn't involve any commitment. Anything over 20% conversion would likely be viewed by the company as wildly successful (and likely put fulfillment of all preorders out past the end of 2027).

Also, remember that even if they could push trucks out as fast as possible, they probably won’t. New vehicle launches are usually purposely ramped up slowly so issues and recalls can be identified early before scaling to full production.

I’d much rather see Slate take their time, work through early issues, and deliver a better truck long-term than rush production just to hit bigger numbers quickly.

 

[Nivek]

No doubt! But she's not eligible. Mr. Howell may be a cad sometimes but he knew what he was doing when he put a ring on her, and I won't try to take that from him!



I assume yours also stated "and your reservation means you get priority"? I believe you'll just end up being assigned a later delivery window.

As an 11:45 AM April 25, 2025 reservation holder, I'm hoping to be assigned a Christmas delivery window, you might be offered Q3 or something... I
think it's likely that the number of people who sign up before July 23rd will be fewer than factory capacity through the end of 2027. I don't think that anywhere close to all 160,000 reservations will convert to deposits - 50% would be very optimistic. And I don't think that all deposits will convert to orders - maybe 75%? And 60,000 is way more feasible than 160k.

They said they're aiming for long-term production rates of 150,000/year, year 1 will certainly be lower than that but I don't think your reservation puts you into 2028.

I'm an April 25th also, 8:59 am, and I would be stoked to get one this year. I'm in Michigan so I would be early in finding out how they handle snow.

 

[dragondroptv]

Since people are getting confused. This is my understanding.

Reservation — $50
Reserves your place in line (delivery slot). First come, first serve. Fully refundable.

Pre-Order — $300
Locks in your delivery slot. If you already have a reservation, it would only be an additional $250. This is non-refundable at this stage and is applied to the final purchase price.

Final Purchase
Expected in Fall 2026.

Converstion Rate
I also think people are expecting a lower reservation-to-purchase conversion rate, and I agree that will probably happen. But that doesn’t necessarily mean those people don’t want a Slate truck anymore.

For some buyers, it may simply come down to timing and finances.

Since we still don’t know final pricing, some people may have originally expected something closer to $22k and may discover the configuration they want ends up closer to $28k+ after accessories, taxes, delivery, etc.

That doesn’t mean they’re out permanently. It may just mean they need more time for a larger down payment or to get financially comfortable with the purchase — even if it means losing their original delivery slot.