The car I had dreamed of before the slate.

[P99Guy]

Only terrible compared to expectations, I think. IIRC the EPA rating was 37 MPG at a time when the Prius was 50 MPG, which was disappointing for me.

Yet so much more fun to drive than the Prius. 😉

 

[Luxrage]

My dream car was always an aircooled Porsche 911. I suppose it could be a commuter for me - I know plenty of guys who DD their classic Porsche. I have one of those now, and love it for what it is. But I've always wanted a simple, cheap commuter vehicle.

Kind of a side story but I was stuck in commuter traffic years ago with I think was an air cooled 993. It was great fun watching the rear spoiler pop out and go back in every time we got a patch of clear road and then more traffic.

 

[SWwebos]

Before the Slate I had a reservation on the Canoo and the Telo MT1 as well as an investment in GOEV(Canoo). Fortunately I got a refund on the Canoo reservation. I like the Telo but would prefer the Slate over the Telo. To me the Telo is a 1 car solution while the Slate is a 2nd car. As a 2nd car it doesn’t need a back seat and I feel like I would feel safer in an accident in the Slate. I imagine the Telo would feel cramped on a road trip where as the Tesla Model Y with FSD is a very comfortable car #1.

I had really liked the idea of the Canoo pickup myself, it got a little expensive as time went on until they went under.

 

[bloo]

'80s era Volkswagen Fox. Yeah, I'm weird.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

'80s era Volkswagen Fox. Yeah, I'm weird.

I don't understand - why does that make you weird? Wasn't the Fox a small sedan or wagon, kinda sized like a Golf/Rabbit?

 

[TPL]

The car I wanted before the Slate was an EV version of our Prius C. It's the perfect form factor for us. The Bolt comes closest, but is a bit big, and I trust Toyota quality more than Chevy.

Maybe the forthcoming Corolla EV will be available as a hatchback. But of course, it won't have the Slate minimalism that I desire.

 

[cadblu]

Rivian delays launch of $45k R2

Possibly good news for Slate fans…

Rivian has delayed the release of its $45k base version R2 electric SUV to 2027 to ensure the vehicle's success as a cornerstone of its mass-market strategy. While the company previously targeted a launch in the first half of 2026, it now says the additional time is necessary to support the infrastructure and technology development required for larger-scale production.

 

[Cubicle23]

The smart car is an interesting car except that it had terrible fuel economy and wasnt safe

10 years ago I imagined a small electric car with 2 seats that had a frame/rollcage that completely surrounded the cockpit. The wheels would mount on the outside so if the car was hit from any direction, the wheels would take the first impact, the roll cage would 100% protect the passengers even if they rolled. The purpose would solely be for commuting and driving/parking in urban areas. I also imagined the panels would be changeable and removeable and that the car would be completely stripped down with no features (like a kit car). You would customize it however you wanted, including changing out side panels. It would use as many off the self parts as possible to use existing supply chains. Everything would be easily accessible for repair.

The slate came out and it was literally everything plus it was a truck, but a little bigger than what I imagined the car would be.

Who knows if the market can support it, but now they got the new funding they will definitely produce some production cars.

I still want a full size station wagon, think Vista Cruiser or Town and Country size. We could even have the back window go down because there is no carbon monoxide from a EV, not sure about rear facing third row....

 

[P. Regent]

1999- 2001 Subaru Sambar Kei truck, converted to 72V EV. I was planning this out for later this year when I'd have the time to do the work - I have a motor that is a good match for the stock 660CC gas engine, and I'm currently assembling a 16 kWH LiFePo5 battery from cells I sourced in China for home backup power. I figured I could double that and have adequate range. (I had a home made battery powered pickup 20 yeas ago, (35 mile range!) but sold it to work on a different project.) I want a small pickup. I want simplicity. I want to be able to install my own Android auto system, and choose if I want electric windows or keep the manual ones. After 1998 the Sambar at least had a driver side airbag, so it was safer than the previous ones. And the engine placement made swapping in an electric motor feasible. So that was my best option, and I was working out the details.

Then I saw the notice about Slate, which I had heard about but dismissed as just more Canoo, "Reo" vaporware. But it looks like Slate is the real deal. I can have what I want without building it myself. Plus: left hand drive!