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

[1yeliab_sufur1]

I have no doubt there are a few here that would be executing the ultimate stress test given unsupervised 15 seconds.

What psh i would never neeeeeverrrrrr (looks at the slate desperately)

 

[1yeliab_sufur1]

It's now at 561,000 views let's see the highest video that was a tear ago going on the popular videos is the president's limo at 5.4million let's try and get the slate to beat that video absolute domination XD lol I just shocked it's over half a million

 

[fuzzyweis]

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.

I feel targeted
Yeah they’ll need to have some harness for the locks regardless, I’m curious if it’ll be a weather proof connector like on the jeep and bronco or a more involved removal.
I do think the door removal and open air package may be more of a semi-permanent option for like island runabouts, not like a temporary thing you can undo quickly if it starts to rain or going into town for the night, especially as we have seen any sort of soft top option yet.

 

[beatle]

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.

De Dion axle is more popular in cars in Europe that we mostly didn't get here. The Lotus / Caterham 7 is one of the most famous cars that used a De Dion axle. Your Ranger (unless it was a Ranger EV!) had a live axle like most trucks, where the diff and axle move with the wheels. A De Dion mounts the diff (or electric motor) to the frame and uses half shafts to drive the wheels (like IRS) but the wheels are still linked via a rigid tube (like the live axle). So it's kind of a hybrid of sorts, with some of the benefits of a live axle (wheels don't camber out when loaded) and IRS (lower unsprung weight with diff and half shafts mounted to the frame). Can definitely relate to your Rangers. My old Tacoma with stiff off road Bilsteins was "exciting" over washboard roads while turning. It was one of the only things I really hated about that truck.

Ford made a Ranger EV that used a De Dion, and the new G Wagon EV uses one.

 

[fuzzyweis]

De Dion axle is more popular in cars in Europe that we mostly didn't get here. The Lotus / Caterham 7 is one of the most famous cars that used a De Dion axle. Your Ranger (unless it was a Ranger EV!) had a live axle like most trucks, where the diff and axle move with the wheels. A De Dion mounts the diff (or electric motor) to the frame and uses half shafts to drive the wheels (like IRS) but the wheels are still linked via a rigid tube (like the live axle). So it's kind of a hybrid of sorts, with some of the benefits of a live axle (wheels don't camber out when loaded) and IRS (lower unsprung weight with diff and half shafts mounted to the frame). Can definitely relate to your Rangers. My old Tacoma with stiff off road Bilsteins was "exciting" over washboard roads while turning. It was one of the only things I really hated about that truck.

Ford made a Ranger EV that used a De Dion, and the new G Wagon EV uses one.

For reference this is the de Dion on my Ranger, it basically lets them keep leaf spring suspension with cv joint axles.

 

[AZFox]

Today there are some articles about the video.

Jay Leno Just Showed Off a $25,000 Electric Pickup That Breaks All the Usual EV Rules
https://www.autoblog.com/news/jay-l...ric-pickup-that-breaks-all-the-usual-ev-rules

Jay Leno Drives the Slate, the $25,000 Truck That Can Turn Into an SUV
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...0-truck-that-can-turn-into-an-suv-265100.html

 

[bloo]

Well I hate to tell everyone about the range estimates but the truth is nobody knows for sure and will never know due to weather influence it has been under 20 degrees here in Indiana for almost 2 months I bet range would suck right now I worked in RV industry and Auto before that In Rv I was involved with the EV warranty side and in talking with the engineers the honest ones would tell you they were estimating at best after 10 more years we might know more maybe I have a neighbor with Tesla and his range is way down right now Sorry to anyone I have offended just my experience

Why would anyone be offended by the content of your post ?

Your lack of punctuation, on the other hand...

 

[SparkYellow]

Why would anyone be offended by the content of your post ?

Your lack of punctuation, on the other hand...

It was probably the result of voice-typing. 😅

 

[AZFox]

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.

I asked and received this answer:

Today the plan is to install pre-delivery accessories at our Repair Pal service sites nearest to the customer prior to the final delivery.​

 

[GaRailroader]

I asked and received this answer:

Today the plan is to install pre-delivery accessories at our Repair Pal service sites nearest to the customer prior to the final delivery.​

There will likely be a glut of “used” parts that were only on the vehicle from the factory to Repair Pal facilities on FBM and eBay.

 

[Kopsis]

There will likely be a glut of “used” parts that were only on the vehicle from the factory to Repair Pal facilities on FBM and eBay.

Maybe. Though I have a hunch that when the pre-installed options prices are announced, it will be a very small percentage of buyers going that route. I would not be surprised to see installation surcharges at 10 - 20% of the option list price. That's just my SWAG - I have nothing to back it up.

 

[Tran]

It's now at 561,000 views let's see the highest video that was a tear ago going on the popular videos is the president's limo at 5.4million let's try and get the slate to beat that video absolute domination XD lol I just shocked it's over half a million

739,065 video views now 🚀

No doubt it'll hit 1 million views at some point. Any guesses when? I'm guessing within 48 hours from now.

 

[1yeliab_sufur1]

739,065 video views now 🚀

No doubt it'll hit 1 million views at some point. Any guesses when? I'm guessing within 48 hours from now.

if not in 48hours i at least say by the end of next week but wow oh wow

 

[null98115]

I doubt we will learn anything new.

The only thing I learned is that they will honor DIY warranty repairs - an industry first. Pretty cool.

 

[Tran]

It's now at 561,000 views let's see the highest video that was a tear ago going on the popular videos is the president's limo at 5.4million let's try and get the slate to beat that video absolute domination XD lol I just shocked it's over half a million

739,065 views now 🚀

No doubt it'll hit 1 million views at some point. Any guesses when?

739,065 video views now 🚀

No doubt it'll hit 1 million views at some point. Any guesses when? I'm guessing within 48 hours from now.

if not in 48hours i at least say by the end of next week but wow oh wow

We both underguessed by a lot. The video is about to hit 1M views.