Slate event in San Francisco @ Motoring Coffee 8/9/25 - photos & impressions

[motorolas]

Slate in San Francisco @ Motoring Coffee

Got a chance to speak to Cob (6’9”!) and Kimberly from Slate.
Very friendly and knowledgeable.
Couldn’t sit in car, but could touch.
Definitely a prototype, but Cob said hopefully by next year something customer drivable (as I would expect).
The body panels are not the final and some of the vehicle panel are painted at this point.
For me the size is about as big as my Honda Fit.
Lots of T-Track rails for accessories along the back.
Seats seem not super padded, but my commutes are ~20 miles a day total.

 

[1yeliab_sufur1]

Nice

 

[ryanrcigar]

Awesome pics. The roof has exposed screws as well I did not see that before.

 

[KevinRS]

Those screws are at least partly the roof rack mounting points.

 

[bartflossom]

I'm sure it's been answered somewhere, but what is that 3rd button from the left? Dash lights brightness? And if so, how would it work, rocker switch? (doesn't appear like one) or multiple pushes?

 

[ScooterAsheville]

Wait a minute! Somethings wrong here...

BEVs are supposed to have invisible door handles that you need a PhD to operate. Go back to the drawing board Slate. You totally missed that part!

 

[AZFox]

Thanks for posting!

I'm sure it's been answered somewhere, but what is that 3rd button from the left? Dash lights brightness? And if so, how would it work, rocker switch? (doesn't appear like one) or multiple pushes?

Press-and-hold, maybe?

 

[skidoofast]

I'm sure it's been answered somewhere, but what is that 3rd button from the left? Dash lights brightness? And if so, how would it work, rocker switch? (doesn't appear like one) or multiple pushes?

Cruise control on /off button

 

[PACMAN]

Good pics. Thanks!

 

[Whitesands]

I'm sure it's been answered somewhere, but what is that 3rd button from the left? Dash lights brightness? And if so, how would it work, rocker switch? (doesn't appear like one) or multiple pushes?

I've seen it mentioned that it is for the dash brightness. Possibly push to switch between settings.

 

[AL-Derby]

I’ve found that the seats in a lot of newer vehicles are not as comfortable as in the years past. We had a 2011 Ford Edge and the seats were so much more comfortable than anything we could find. So I imagine the slate seats will be just about like any other newer vehicle.

 

[Luxrage]

Wait a minute! Somethings wrong here...

BEVs are supposed to have invisible door handles that you need a PhD to operate. Go back to the drawing board Slate. You totally missed that part!

I welcome the return of AMC's dirt-cheap door handles. I just hope they'll be made of metal (or we can get some made third party since it looks pretty easy to machine)!

 

[AZFox]

I’ve found that the seats in a lot of newer vehicles are not as comfortable as in the years past. We had a 2011 Ford Edge and the seats were so much more comfortable than anything we could find. So I imagine the slate seats will be just about like any other newer vehicle.

To my amazement the best seats that I've owned in any car -- and it's not even close -- were in a 1998 Chevy Prizm. Long road trip? No problem!

Slate's new Seat Designer should find a junkyard '98 Prizm and use those seats as a template because Chevrolet (Toyota?) absolutely nailed it. That's my Oddball ProTip for the day.

 

[Driven5]

I'm not sure how I missed it when I sat in the truck at the Seattle event, but I see a traction control button on the dash.

Here's to hoping they give it a legit nanny-free (all-off) capability, and not only the watered down computer-still-knows-best crap that so many other manufacturers force on us.

The way the dash brightness button sticks out further than the others could possibly be a rocker, although I'd be fine with a button that just toggles the settings. Infinite control is overrated.

 

[vin5203]

Slate in San Francisco @ Motoring Coffee

Got a chance to speak to Cob (6’9”!) and Kimberly from Slate.
Very friendly and knowledgeable.
Couldn’t sit in car, but could touch.
Definitely a prototype, but Cob said hopefully by next year something customer drivable (as I would expect).
The body panels are not the final and some of the vehicle panel are painted at this point.
For me the size is about as big as my Honda Fit.
Lots of T-Track rails for accessories along the back.
Seats seem not super padded, but my commutes are ~20 miles a day total.

Thanks for the great photos!