Slate contingency/exit plan

[AZFox]

Here's to hoping your preservation club remains irrelevant for a long time!

FTFY

 

[AZFox]

I think by a decade from now an industry around replacement EV batteries will develop and, as a fully qualified rando prognosticating on a forum, I'll also predict that there will be replacement batteries that are better than the originals.

 

[alegory575]

If the company goes under, you’re basically looking at an "orphan" vehicle. While 3D printing handles the plastic bits and trim, you’ll be hunting junkyards or eBay for specialized items like the main traction battery or the drive unit controllers. The RepairPal partnership is great for labor, but it doesn’t guarantee a supply chain for proprietary hardware if the factory in Indiana stops humming.

 

[RetiredOnPaper]

The simplicity makes the idea of maintaining it long term way easier, especially if a lot of the parts (I'm thinking of things like wheel bearings, ball joints etc) are off the shelf components used in other vehicles. The motor is from outside company that supplies other manufacturers, so it should be serviceable even without slate. The battery pack being large and rectangular means stuffing new modules in should be easier to figure out.
Even if slate sold like 100 units and then folded, and no one could crack the software, a dedicated weirdo could stuff the drivetrain from another vehicle in.

Exactly.

 

[Johnny5]

Orphans. I’ve been part of the Pacific Gold Rush Ramblers (Northern California chapter of the AMC Rambler Club), and I’ve had friends in groups dedicated to Packards, Vanguard CitiCars, GEM cars, HMV Freeways, and other niche transportation fetishes. I'm pretty darned confident Slate has more than enough fanbase to keep our little trucks in the wind for a long, long time. What makes Slates' a better choice in the larger scheme, is us. Just look at the posts on this forum, almost all them have to do with making it better, faster smoother and more efficient, and they aren't even in production yet. If there's fools who can road trip lawnmower powered, trikes built in a shed, in the 70's I think we got this.

 

[Ruff]

........Another thought is I’m sure many of us have owned discontinued classics and parts are still available. Those that are not can be machined or repaired. And there is almost a retrofit or adaptor..................

You mean like a DeLorean ?

 

[Moe]

If things are better at Slate than it currently appears, I think they need to start signaling that.

Brag on good news, crickets on bad appears to apply to preorders, which they seem to have stopped chasing after July 24th.(milestone dates)

They apparently don’t have enough for a full three quarters production in 2027. They’re lining up those who want earlier delivery to cover Q1/Q2 dropouts, which will eventually come from Q3 deliveries.

I believe they realize RepairPal might have been a fatal strategy. If they can’t give a preorder holder the name and address of the shop that will do their HV warranty repair, that’s less likely to convert to a sale. The same goes for vehicle pickups more than a couple hundred miles away from home and high home delivery fees.

A pessimist might infer they’re planning on only running two quarters of production before closing the plant and fire saling remaining Q3 deliveries from inventory.

The Maker views are still being updated. That’s a GOOD SIGN. Speakers were a recent addition and I’m hoping to see the center console and locking dash panel soon.

Accessories that don’t have a price not getting one IS NOT a good sign. If things go south, there won’t be resupply orders for accessories they do have, so it’s buy it while you can.

One Slate University video IS NOT a good sign. Taillight covers and Grill Beginner installs should be up by now, and Center Console and Bluetooth Speaker Intermediate installs would show they’re serious.

Those of us with Q3 delivery will watch what happens in Q1/Q2. Slate might try to hide sales numbers but Cox et al will publish its proxy, registrations. Most importantly, we’ll be watching early adopters experiences. Owning an orphan that doesn’t need repair or parts is feasible, especially if discounted.
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[sodamo]

Constantly amazed how much people here can conjecture without factually knowing much of anything. Entertaining anyway.

 

[FlyHappy]

A pessimist might infer they’re planning on only running two quarters of production before closing the plant and fire saling remaining Q3 deliveries from inventory.

That is, dark, man.
There is no way they start production with any intent of shutting down. That would cost far more then simply ceasing right now. It even opens up potential legal issues.

Your other points, have some merit. I agree that accessories with still no pricing are a bit sketch. There's no question in my mind that some of the bespoke items won't sell well, and will be quickly discontinued, leaving some buyers dissappointed.

The Repair Pal thing... I agree it would be better if it would be more rapidly developed and publicized, but I don't its fallen into "fatal" category yet. Delivering to customers without clear information about service locations certainly would be. We have some time, but yes, the clock is ticking.

 

[EV Trek]

Best not to worry about things that may not happen. Just raises your anxiety level.
Anyway many cars go out of production even if the company does not and after a few years the parts supplies dry up and you are stuck seeking out salvage yards or e-Bay for stuff. My Solstice was a good example. Low volume car, not many years of production, parts dried up quickly except shared parts with other models, like the engine and transmission, radio etc.
Only hope would be they sell a lot and they get a lot of aftermarket support.

 

[Moe]

There were a few “affordable” BEVs rolled out this year. These numbers include some ramp up.

Make/Model	H1 2026 US Sales
Chevy Bolt	4,224
Toyota C-HR EV	3,748
Subaru Uncharted	2,491
New Nissan Leaf	1,684

The Kia EV3 will soon join them.


Top Ten Non-Tesla BEV Models (selling a lot)

Make/Model	H1 2026 US Sales
Hyundai Ioniq 5	20,730
Toyota bZ	17,553
Chevy Equinox EV	16,249
Rivian R1S	11,677
Ford Mustang Mach E	11,632
Honda Prologue	8,407
Lexus RZ	7,814
Cadillac Lyriq	7,578
Rivian EDV (Amazon)	7,216
Cadillac Optiq	7,083

2026 last year for Prologue

Note the Tesla Cybertruck sold 7,263.
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[E90400K]

I've been critical at times of some of Slate's decisions, mainly the Repair Pal plan and over-reliance of the accessories business to generate profit, but we all need to look at the positives. I think what keeps Slate in business for the long term is the commercial fleet sales. I think there will be enough sales volume of commercial pickup and delivery van models that it will keep Slate sustainable and parts available for us retail side owners to keep their FN's running 15 to 20 years.

I do see some retail accessories going by the wayside if Slate turns mostly into a commercial fleet truck supplier. Critical to Slate will be model diversification, they will need a 4-door SUV and an AWD SUV and pickup truck. These model formats are what the market wants. I think Slate has designed the Slateboard chassis and assembly line to inexpensively add those two model changes. Their good problem (hoping) will be finding another brownfield site for a second assembly facility in or near Warsaw or add new space (i.e. new buildings) to the Warsaw site.

I think three years in will be the point-of-no-return for Slate. If Slate gets past 36 months of financial survival, it will be around for a long time. It has dedicated smart people financing and running the company and a good business plan; low capitalization, low-cost production, simplicity of design for reliability, and a 2-door small pickup that is absent from the market.

Also, the positives I see are a future EV-friendly government regulation environment, which I expect to regain momentum in 2027.

 

[tubes]

I think three years in will be the point-of-no-return for Slate. If Slate gets past 36 months of financial survival, it will be around for a long time. It has dedicated smart people financing and running the company and a good business plan; low capitalization, low-cost production, simplicity of design for reliability, and a 2-door small pickup that is absent from the market.

Also, the positives I see are a future EV-friendly government regulation environment, which I expect to regain momentum in 2027.

Agree if they can make it 3 years and then enter with a real 4 door, it looks very positive. Slate's timing is both disastrous and serendipitous. Disastrous because of the loss of the rebate, and subsequent internet haters saying "BuT IT isN't UnDEr $20k". Serendipitous because I believe there are a lot of forces coming together that will favor its segment including the need for affordability and an eventual EV resurgence.

This likely resurgence brings me to my rare political thought. I lean conservative. I was not an EV fan. I probably still am not. But I think they have a place and a huge future. I am pro nuclear energy. I don't find myself in any tribe because I'm favoring EVs and nukes, which would get me eliminated from the two main tribes. All this is to say what I've seen go on with lawmaking against EVs really pisses me off, and it will affect my vote. I am not the only one. And be clear, I'm not talking about the rebate removal. I'm talking the oppressive laws popping up like: onerous yearly EV registration/tax fee, battery disposal fees paid up front, obnoxious noise generating requirements, and on and on, some of it just being politicians spouting off their pie hole without thinking.

 

[Moe]

I see are a future EV-friendly government regulation environment, which I expect to regain momentum in 2027.

It changed with a new budget in October 2025 and IMO won’t change again until a new budget in October 2029, at the earliest. I don’t foresee return of tax credits. YMMV

BEV sales stagnated in early 2024, long before the election.
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[tubes]

It changed with a new budget in October 2025 and IMO won’t change again until a new budget in October 2029, at the earliest. I don’t foresee return of tax credits. YMMV

It is much, much more than tax credits. And I personally hope they don't come back. Let EVs compete on their own, but don't make laws to penalize them, as have been popping up. 2027 can be a pivot year to stop and stabilize.