SLATE Home Delivery 🚚 📦

[Frozen North]

Right. Assuming Rivian prevails in Federal court, and Slate is able to sell vehicles in Ohio, more centrally located Columbus (the capitol) would be the obvious choice not only for distribution, but also for high-voltage warranty repair in the state.

Think of Columbus as Oahu where your $1,450 destination gets you, and Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, Cleveland, Zanesville, Chillicothe and others as the islands where the cost of delivery from Columbus is on you.

As a wild ass guess, I looked up the nearest Carvana location to me, 150 miles away.
If that is what Slate uses for the deliveries, I hope they will charge it at the pickup point (reasonable assumption).
If not, I will have to use a local LV3 charger, or bring a truck and trailer to ferry the runabout home.
I really hope the delivery partners charge them for us, so they are ready to go at delivery.

 

[FlyHappy]

Folks, folks... so much angst over what the battery level will be at the delivery point.

Yes, I get that "it'd be nice" to receive a fully charged vehicle, but I think we can bank on that *not happening. Slate probably should not be railing these new builds with full or near full charge; if its anything like the considerations with small lithium electrics, something like 40-60% is what I'd expect.

I really can't foresee any "delivery partner" being well enough equipped or procedurally together enough to want to take public responsibility for this task, and that includes Carvana (which is probably the best case consumer friendly scenario).

I get that there are a fair number of Slate buyers who may need to traverse a significant distance, across DCFC wasteland to pickup their Slate, so I understand the concern. To that I say -any location of a pickup point (especially Carvana), will have an L3 charge option nearby. Use it. Even across DCFC wasteland, there's likely to be legacy dealers that may have available (and expensive!) charger onsite -call ahead. Finally, if need be, check on hotels on your trip path for available L2 charging, there are a suprising many of them in odd locations.

For those of you equipped and willing to trailer the Slate... bless yer hearts, but I cannot imagine how that'd be more cost effective then paying for doorstep delivery or a hotel/charging night.

All part of this fun journey, yeah?

 

[AZFox]

In the Reddit AMA Jeremy Snyder said the Slate will be delivered with a "reasonable amount of charge to get to where you need to go".

In Slate Nuance-ese that means it'll have enough charge to get you either home or to a DCFC.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Folks, folks... so much angst over what the battery level will be at the delivery point.

Yes, I get that "it'd be nice" to receive a fully charged vehicle, but I think we can bank on that *not happening. Slate probably should not be railing these new builds with full or near full charge; if its anything like the considerations with small lithium electrics, something like 40-60% is what I'd expect.

I really can't foresee any "delivery partner" being well enough equipped or procedurally together enough to want to take public responsibility for this task, and that includes Carvana (which is probably the best case consumer friendly scenario).

I get that there are a fair number of Slate buyers who may need to traverse a significant distance, across DCFC wasteland to pickup their Slate, so I understand the concern. To that I say -any location of a pickup point (especially Carvana), will have an L3 charge option nearby. Use it. Even across DCFC wasteland, there's likely to be legacy dealers that may have available (and expensive!) charger onsite -call ahead. Finally, if need be, check on hotels on your trip path for available L2 charging, there are a suprising many of them in odd locations.

For those of you equipped and willing to trailer the Slate... bless yer hearts, but I cannot imagine how that'd be more cost effective then paying for doorstep delivery or a hotel/charging night.

All part of this fun journey, yeah?

Makes no sense to deliver the vehicle to depot with anything other than 50% SOC. I'm sure we will all figure out a L3 charger somewhere around and plop in the $30(?) to charge it up to 100% and then rinse/repeat as needed to get it home? Unless you really want to trailer that bad boy home! Then, just fill up your F250 and let her rip.

 

[007]

Your first stop after delivery will be the nearest charging station. Plan on it.

 

[Slatester89]

Folks, folks... so much angst over what the battery level will be at the delivery point.

Yes, I get that "it'd be nice" to receive a fully charged vehicle, but I think we can bank on that *not happening. Slate probably should not be railing these new builds with full or near full charge; if its anything like the considerations with small lithium electrics, something like 40-60% is what I'd expect.

I really can't foresee any "delivery partner" being well enough equipped or procedurally together enough to want to take public responsibility for this task, and that includes Carvana (which is probably the best case consumer friendly scenario).

I get that there are a fair number of Slate buyers who may need to traverse a significant distance, across DCFC wasteland to pickup their Slate, so I understand the concern. To that I say -any location of a pickup point (especially Carvana), will have an L3 charge option nearby. Use it. Even across DCFC wasteland, there's likely to be legacy dealers that may have available (and expensive!) charger onsite -call ahead. Finally, if need be, check on hotels on your trip path for available L2 charging, there are a suprising many of them in odd locations.

For those of you equipped and willing to trailer the Slate... bless yer hearts, but I cannot imagine how that'd be more cost effective then paying for doorstep delivery or a hotel/charging night.

All part of this fun journey, yeah?

There are apps that will map out Chargers over a long distance. Even on the interstate, there are very few stretches where there isn't a Loves, Flyin-J or similar truck stop...they almost all have chargers. I've mapped out the drive from Home to Dayton OH (I go ever year to run a Marathon)...I can get there with a stop no further than 100-150 miles. So even at 60% of the 205 available, driving at 70mph+, I should only have "worry" a little. Most stops are under 100miles apart. When necessary, I could use state highways with speed limits in the 55-65mph range to increase EV range. If I have to travel to Austin to get mine, I found no less than 4 stops in the approximate 200 mile distance.

To me, the greatest PITA item about this scenario is the number of stops and time at each stop. Even old guys like me don't need to pee that often. It would turn a 1.5 day trip in an ICE rental into a 3day EV trip in my Slate.

 

[Freyar]

I've been operating under the assumption that I'd see a 40-60% SOC this entire time. Anything else.. especially expecting 100% seems a bit unreasonable.

 

[whasupjohn]

I've been operating under the assumption that I'd see a 40-60% SOC this entire time. Anything else.. especially expecting 100% seems a bit unreasonable.

I’d agree with that. Only argument I’d make is that based on the delivery location, there might be chargers there you can use (paid most likely) so you can top yourself off and they can teach you how to charge. Maybe wishful thinking on my part, but for first time EV owners, this would be important.

 

[Freyar]

I’d agree with that. Only argument I’d make is that based on the delivery location, there might be chargers there you can use (paid most likely) so you can top yourself off and they can teach you how to charge. Maybe wishful thinking on my part, but for first time EV owners, this would be important.

For a delivery location that handles EVs, it would surprise me significantly if there wasn't a charging option at the pickup location (or nearby enough that even the place handling distribution would use it.)

We don't hand over phones at 100% charge, same principle.

 

[whasupjohn]

For a delivery location that handles EVs, it would surprise me significantly if there wasn't a charging option at the pickup location (or nearby enough that even the place handling distribution would use it.)

We don't hand over phones at 100% charge, same principle.

oh yeah, I’m just saying that on delivery the option to charge there and show first time users would be beneficial.

 

[dmon4u]

Your first stop after delivery will be the nearest charging station. Plan on it.

Yes, Home Charging...........

 

[Freyar]

oh yeah, I’m just saying that on delivery the option to charge there and show first time users would be beneficial.

Yeah, we're agreeing, just saying it differently.

 

[whasupjohn]

Yeah, we're agreeing, just saying it differently.

I figured, just responding too quickly. You know it is funny how we grow up and watch things like our parents gassing up the car, we may even get to help as kids… nobody selling a car shows a buyer how to fuel up since it’s common knowledge. Now with EV chargers we will have that whole transition happening, just like the first car owners did a million years ago.

 

[SailorDan]

There was a time before gas stations when automobile drivers had to seek out fuel sources from individuals who might have a drum of gasoline, down Gasoline Alley, where the mechanics and fuelers worked.

 

[Freyar]

I figured, just responding too quickly. You know it is funny how we grow up and watch things like our parents gassing up the car, we may even get to help as kids… nobody selling a car shows a buyer how to fuel up since it’s common knowledge. Now with EV chargers we will have that whole transition happening, just like the first car owners did a million years ago.

It's certainly got a lot of new concepts to consider. As someone in tech, this stuff isn't hard. Concepts of compatibility for charging ports was a pain to get understood but going to NACS will help. We still have this assumption by the general public about how Level 1 charging isn't "enough" for most people, but.. it is.

The sheer amount of people on social media freaking out about charge times too, and demanding charge times get to the same level as refueling a gas car is also funny to me.

It's a different approach, but I suppose with kids it'd be easier to teach that mental perspective.