Slate first drive review video - Jay Leno's Garage!

[beatle]

But really, what kind of warrantee type failures are expected on a simplified EV? AFAIK most current EV warrantee issues are with tech stuff Slate doesn't have at all, like the infotainment system.

There are still a lot of "regular car" things that can go wrong (frunk, HVAC, suspension, steering, tailgate, lighting), though I'm also hoping for it to be more reliable due to the simplicity.

I won't say a lot of EVs have electrical issues, but it's not exactly rare for issues to occur with the battery, drive unit, and charging components. 12v issues are a popular problem with Rivian.

They did touch on right to repair and open source in the video which was a real breath of fresh air from Tesla and Rivian. According to the video, we'll have access to (hopefully meaningful) diagnostic codes via the app. This approach kinda reminds me of the 3d printer space where there is a lot of community support on the printers, with owners producing repair/mod videos, new parts, and supporting each other in troubleshooting. If Slate can engage with the community in the right way, they can effectively reduce the post-sale service load. I know I'd often rather fix something myself than to take my vehicles in for warranty work.

 

[E90400K]

I’m wondering if the flat packs for the body kits will fit in the bed, the roof may be too big, unless it’s 5’ tall, I guess that could still fit on a carrier.

Also on the comments on the electric vs manual windows, remember they’re looking to have removable doors for the open air kit, manual windows are much easier for that option, basically like the Wrangler then.

-Jim

It seems like I am targeting just you but I'm not, I'm just commenting on the posts regarding electric windows.

Both the current Wrangler (really the TJ and up) and Gen6 Bronco have electric windows (and electric locks) in their removable doors. I can't speak explicitly to the Wrangler, but the Bronco (I have one) has the window switches located on the center console rather than the door, if that is what you are thinking. Yet the Bronco (and I'm sure the Wrangler) has the door lock switches on the door. In both vehicles, the wire harness from the body to the door disconnect from the body using a waterproof connector on the door pillar.

With the Slate Truck, while the configurator shows removed doors, I bet the doors are really not designed to be readily taken off as they are for the Wrangler and Bronco. There are a whole bunch of engineering compromises required (read as engineering expense) to make vehicle doors easily removable, one is the connector I just mentioned, door seal design is another, hinge design, airbag operation, and panel gaps are others. The Wrangler and Bronco have removable doors mainly for the specific purpose of 4-wheeling where the driver needs better view of the terrain to aid in wheel placement to climb over or around obstacles. Considering the regulation complications with removable doors and the safety aspects of it, and the few owners who will actually drive around with the doors off (it is quite dangerous) I doubt Slate is purposefully designing the doors to be purposefully removeable as on the Wrangler and Bronco.

Electric vs. manual windows would not be a major consideration when designing the doors to be removable. Being the Slate Truck has electric door locks, there is a wire harness already going into the door adding a few wires to power an electric window motor is trivial; adding a waterproof connector would not be trivial and an added expense outside of the Slate ethos to not add unnecessary parts.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[E90400K]

Kind of tired of seeing the same old not-production-representative prototypes. The only reviews and videos I will find interesting going forward are actual production-representative builds this summer - the ones coming off the actual production line. So reviewers touching the truck can hear the noise level, judge the ride on washboard roads, determine if the truck feels like a rattly tin can or a slab of steel.

So bring on the real thing! And Slate, you've been awesomely open so far. Please get journalists into those production-representative Slates as soon as you can. Get them into the hands of Inside EVs, Alex On Autos, Savage Geese, and a gazillion others. I'm hoping Slate does a classic release event for journalists - which is pretty standard these days. Get journalists into the production line cars a few months before they go on sale, because there is a lag. And while it may not be free press, it's pretty cheap press.

If one follows automotive vehicle design engineering (I like to because I'm nerd), you know that a lot of difficulty comes in the last 10% of the design effort where suspension tuning (ride and handling) noise and vibration (NVH) are brought to acceptable levels in the full-rate production models. If you have ever ridden in an early model Tesla Model 3 (circa MY 2018) you would have found those versions had a lot of road noise via the suspension bushings and tires (i.e. wheel arch noise insulation). It took Tesla several model design updates to get the noise levels to acceptable levels.

Hopefully Slate has the proper budgets set aside to polish the product for NVH. Like you, I really want to now see that vehicle. I've seen enough of the preproduction prototypes.

 

[cadblu]

I hope they get a handle on those rattles and clanking plastic body panels before the production models are finalized. I could hear the rattles and see the panels moving in the video. Even Jay Leno made a comment about it. They need to get the fit and finish to a higher standard too. Even on my iPad I could see the misaligned panels. Looks promising but it needs polish.

Excellent point. You would think that as Slate moves closer towards production, improvements to exterior and interior plastic panels, attachment clips, and improved fasteners would now be finding their way into the preproduction vehicles. When Slate conducts their PRR (production readiness review) I think this will be an area of concern. Going in, we have expectations of a well-built, solid, and rattle free driving experience. If for some reason these items are not adequately addressed, that first test drive is going to turn some folks away.

 

[E90400K]

Excellent point. You would think that as Slate moves closer towards production, improvements to exterior and interior plastic panels, attachment clips, and improved fasteners would now be finding their way into the preproduction vehicles. When Slate conducts their PRR (production readiness review) I think this will be an area of concern. Going in, we have expectations of a well-built, solid, and rattle free driving experience. If for some reason these items are not adequately addressed, that first test drive is going to turn some folks away.

Agree. The Ford Bronco had/has this problem, but for a different reason. A lot of buyers were buying the Bronco as the next cool (SUV) thing without the understanding it is an off-road vehicle (ORV) with removeable doors and removable roof. Such design attributes lead to compromises in door/window and top sealing, which let in more noise (than typical) and in some instances water into the cabin. It makes for a noisy and drafty/moist driving environment (more so with a canvas top). The Bronco hardtop has no traditional "drip rail", so when you open the door on a rainy day you get dripped on; it's just a fact of life with a Wrangler or Bronco. Early Bronco buyers new to ORV life were put off by this vehicle quirks and traded in early.

EV's are even tougher because lower ambient drivetrain noise lets other typical automotive noises become more apparent. The noises that are more difficult to filter out. Let's hope Slate has some former BMW and Lexus engineers on staff; the Tesla guys didn't do such a good job on the early Teslas regarding NVH.

 

[bartflossom]

I'd like to point out that the panels which look like crap on all the beta prototypes including this one, are fiberglass, not the plastic composite panels that will be on the production prototypes. If they're injection molded I'm guessing they'll be more consistent.

 

[bartflossom]

Isn’t this what all old people do? Drive around with the blinkers on all day?

Yes, and I'm famous for it in my Solstice/Sky club. I put in an aftermarket head unit and lost all the audible warning sounds because GM built them into the stock head unit. On our trips to the hill country and Arkansas there were actual bets placed on how many miles I would drive with my blinker on.

 

[Bayfire2441]

Both the current Wrangler (really the TJ and up) and Gen6 Bronco have electric windows (and electric locks) in their removable doors. I can't speak explicitly to the Wrangler, but the Bronco (I have one) has the window switches located on the center console rather than the door, if that is what you are thinking. Yet the Bronco (and I'm sure the Wrangler) has the door lock switches on the door. In both vehicles, the wire harness from the body to the door disconnect from the body using a waterproof connector on the door pillar.

Having borrowed a Wrangler once, they also have the window switches in the center console. I find this to be a weird design decision especially considering it also has the door lock switches on the door. I didn't know the Bronco had it that way as well.

 

[metroshot]

I believe Tesla has changed the UI on my Model 3 where I don't have multiple regen settings. It still has 1 pedal driving which is toggled with a hold mode setting. Slate has reported earlier that they have 1 pedal driving so I am assuming that hasn't changed. The biggest adjustment for 1 pedal driving is not letting your foot completely off the accelerator until you are ready to stop. When I first started one pedal driving, I would take my foot off the accelerator in advance of a red light and end up coming to a full stop perhaps 2 car lengths before the desired stopping location. By continuing to lightly press the accelerator you can slow down and creep to the desired stopping location then take your foot off the accelerator.

^^^ this was the reason I did not buy a Tesla and my wife did not choose it either due to the 1PD only design when test driving a '24 M3 Highlander.

We get nauseated in bumper to bumper congestion and urban driving in a Tesla.

We also refuse to ride in a Tesla due to the harsh regen in traffic.

We are devout 2PD drivers.

If Slate copies Tesla's 1PD design without any adjustability (ie harsh 1PD regen) - we will pass on the Slate.

 

[E90400K]

Having borrowed a Wrangler once, they also have the window switches in the center console. I find this to be a weird design decision especially considering it also has the door lock switches on the door. I didn't know the Bronco had it that way as well.

Yeah, agree, why the electric locks are on the door, but the window switch is not is a bit odd. In my Bronco the lock switches are basically a flat panel switch where I would assume the window switch would be more of the traditional rocker-type and thus more prone to damage once the door is removed and stored.

BMWs for the longest time (up to about 20 years ago) had both the central lock switch and all the window switches on the dash and center console. The door lock switches were actually the (traditional) lock stem themselves. It takes getting use to for the Bronco; can't speak to the Wrangler. My YJ Wrangler had nuthin'. LOL

 

[Kopsis]

For folks who order the SUV kit at time the order is placed, their truck will be routed to a special assembly operations area in the same plant, where they do the conversions, wraps, running boards, bumper upgrades, spare tire carrier, etc.

Has that ever been explicitly stated? They've said you can have those things installed pre-delivery, but I thought it was still unknown whether the installation would be done by the factory or by their distribution/service partners.

 

[E90400K]

“sorry Tisha, you’re going to have to stay behind…no room…”

Another reason to love this truck. No third wheels allowed!

Well enough, we wouldn't have been able to hear her from the back seat anyway...

 

[E90400K]

I also found the discussion about whether Slate considered not including AC laughable. The battery cooling system is basically an air conditioner system; no way they would not include an evaporator for the cabin. Was waiting for Jay to say, "Errr, back in my day we had 2-60 air conditioning...", but it never came.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

If one follows automotive vehicle design engineering (I like to because I'm nerd), you know that a lot of difficulty comes in the last 10% of the design effort where suspension tuning (ride and handling) noise and vibration (NVH) are brought to acceptable levels in the full-rate production models. If you have ever ridden in an early model Tesla Model 3 (circa MY 2018) you would have found those versions had a lot of road noise via the suspension bushings and tires (i.e. wheel arch noise insulation). It took Tesla several model design updates to get the noise levels to acceptable levels.

Hopefully Slate has the proper budgets set aside to polish the product for NVH. Like you, I really want to now see that vehicle. I've seen enough of the preproduction prototypes.

Solid observation there. I'm especially interested/concerned about the tube rear axle. Why? Because my ancient Rangers did not have independent rear suspensions. And they got downright dangerous on washboard curves. The dreaded axle hop.

I'm not at all familiar with the rear suspension Slate is describing. Don't think I ever owned a vehicle with a "De Dion" rear suspension. If you Google "Slate truck rear suspension", there are some interesting articles. Love the independent rear suspension on my Maverick, but not necessarily married to it.

I'll be paying really close attention to reviews from early owners who take their Slates down rough roads. Especially curves. A curve at 35 mph on a vehicle that exhibits axle hop will bring you closer to religion.

 

[bloo]

Owned a 2012 Kia Soul with a solid rear axle. Although it was front drive, I could easily get the light rear end to hop outward on a bumpy turn. Sharp offramps were kinda fun in dry weather, troublesome in the rain, and downright spooky in even light snow.

The DeDion is a lot lighter than an axle-differential combo, so it'll react more quickly. Yet it's not independent, so I guess there will be at least some hop. But the truck's 50/50 weight distro should dampen that.

It would be cool if Slate split the DeDion tube in the middle with bearings in between so each half could move independently. Has this ever been done?