Seattle Space Needle event - Slate truck photos, impressions, answers

[Lanthian]

Thanks for the follow up Driven, and for the additional pictures. You mentioning the seats and floorboards do have me a little concerned, but hopefully they will improve on that when it comes time to actual production.

 

[E90400K]

I think I'll pass on any judgement on content until some preproduction/LRIP units come out of Warsaw.

 

[Trace26]

And power steering fluid. Yes, you read that right. While ICE's are all going EPS to gain every last bit of fuel efficiency, EV's can sacrifice that tiny bit of efficiency. Apparently a motor driven hydraulic power steering system is still noticeably cheaper than an electric rack. So there is some hope that the steering may actually be quite good by modern (not just EV) standards.

Honestly, I'd rather an adjustable EPS over HSP. I've always found hydraulic spongy and a hydraulic system is just one more thing to do maintenance on.
Actually, I'd prefer manual steering, but I'm a crazy person. Lol

 

[E90400K]

Honestly, I'd rather an adjustable EPS over HSP. I've always found hydraulic spongy and a hydraulic system is just one more thing to do maintenance on.
Actually, I'd prefer manual steering, but I'm a crazy person. Lol

In 2025, I find it difficult to believe an electro-hydraulic system is less expensive than an EPS steering rack, but maybe if they are counting in the software development time and tuning and it is ultimately cheaper? Interesting take to source an electrically-driven hydraulic pump (maybe Porsche still does such a system), hoses, and reservoir along with the added complexity on the assembly line to fill and bleed a hydraulic system is ultimately less expensive than an EPS.

I like the electric assisted steering column system like the 1st-gen BMW Z4 has.

 

[cadblu]

Thanks for the additional writeup and perspective!

I expect there to be minimal sound deadening material, so my plan is probably to (eventually) strip the interior and add some Dynamat wherever possible (floor pans, door panels, rear cab, etc), and then maybe put in my own rubber or carpet flooring.

Yes! You will also greatly improve the acoustic properties of the cabin, meaning better sound out of those Bluetooth speakers

 

[cadblu]

Am I seeing this right??? USB-A in 2025??? Aint no way...

Remember....repeat after me...it's only a proto...only a proto...

 

[AZFox]

The seats are not only flat, they're hard too. This is probably one of my biggest points of reservation.

Before we rush to judgement about firm and flat seats, here's something to consider: Bicycle Saddles

A soft, plushy bicycle seat feels great when you first sit on it. After an hour of riding on one you'll discover why experienced bike riders don't prefer soft bicycle saddles. Soft saddles perturb people's posterior parts.

The point I'm trying to make is that the initial impression of the seat being too hard and flat may be because the designers traded away some "initial impression" comfort for long-term seating comfort.

Just conjecture. Mixed with optimism.

Consider this: One hour per day of driving comes to 365 hours of seat time per year.

I'm optimistic they'll design and engineer a seat with daily comfort that's at least average, if not above average, because they know seat comfort is important.

 

[cadblu]

Can someone please explain to me how a motor-driven hydraulic unit for power steering is a better fit than an electric steering rack in a vehicle marketed to be low maintenance? Power steering fluid to leak and replace after x years? Hoses that can get brittle and clamps that can loosen over time?

 

[Letas]

Before we rush to judgement about firm and flat seats, here's something to consider: Bicycle Saddles

A soft, plushy bicycle seat feels great when you first sit on it. After an hour of riding on one you'll discover why experienced bike riders don't prefer soft bicycle saddles. Soft saddles perturb people's posterior parts.

The point I'm trying to make is that the initial impression of the seat being too hard and flat may be because the designers traded away some "initial impression" comfort for long-term seating comfort.

Just conjecture. Mixed with optimism.

Consider this: One hour per day of driving comes to 365 hours of seat time per year.

I'm optimistic they'll design and engineer a seat with daily comfort that's at least average, if not above average, because they know seat comfort is important.

Hopefully the slate comes with a pair of "driving bibs" similar to cycling!

 

[Trace26]

Can someone please explain to me how a motor-driven hydraulic unit for power steering is a better fit than an electric steering rack in a vehicle marketed to be low maintenance? Power steering fluid to leak and replace after x years? Hoses that can get brittle and clamps that can loosen over time?

I'm really hoping the rep misspoke.

 

[Trace26]

electro-hydraulic system

Are you able to identify the steering unit? I haven't seen one like that.

 

[cadblu]

Are you able to identify the steering unit? I haven't seen one like that.

Well, if you look at the area below circled in blue, that cut hose appears to be directly on top of the steering rack. When they removed the frunk plastic panels to expose the plumbing / electricals I imagine that section of hose (removed from this view) would reach up to the top of the frunk to the area with the 2 small caps. Large cap w/w fluid, 2 small caps for topping off brake fluid and coolant for thermal management system (removed from this view).

 

[cvollers]

I don’t think so. I looked for the wire going to the door locks when I was discussing adding speakers to the door. The Slate rep McKay said the electric locks were not activated (not wired) because it’s a prototype. I think we’re seeing an early beta and everything should be taken with a grain of salt. For instance, Slate has been pretty vague about the dash power and although I saw two USB-A ports, I suspect other prototypes may have different configurations.

This is the danger of showing early Beta units to the public. Everyone wants to see something that reflects production units and that’s not what we’re getting. It’s frustrating. But also understandable. Next year will be different.

 

[cvollers]

Before we rush to judgement about firm and flat seats, here's something to consider: Bicycle Saddles

A soft, plushy bicycle seat feels great when you first sit on it. After an hour of riding on one you'll discover why experienced bike riders don't prefer soft bicycle saddles. Soft saddles perturb people's posterior parts.

The point I'm trying to make is that the initial impression of the seat being too hard and flat may be because the designers traded away some "initial impression" comfort for long-term seating comfort.

Just conjecture. Mixed with optimism.

Consider this: One hour per day of driving comes to 365 hours of seat time per year.

I'm optimistic they'll design and engineer a seat with daily comfort that's at least average, if not above average, because they know seat comfort is important.

I’m a cyclist. I need/want a firm seat. Sofas are actually not that different. A firmer seat cushion will hold its shape a lot longer than a soft plushy cushion.

 

[Luxrage]

It's interesting they went the traditional power steering option, if they did. My '11 Fit's electrical power steering has been pretty much foolproof, and the tiny assist motor doesn't take up much space on the rack itself.

It does feel a little numb compared to other cars I've driven, but it's also a half-minivan-half-hatchback so I wasn't expecting miracles.