Thinking of not ordering any accessories.

[adele]

If they hate him that much why would they buy a Bezos backed Slate in the first place?

That’d be me— I’m a Bezos hater. More critically, I’m an Amazon hater. Disgusting company and I won’t touch their website with a 10-foot pole. I’ve never (knowingly) paid them a penny.

I believe/hope that Slate’s association with Amazon is overexaggerated. If they partnered with them I’d be pretty disappointed. Wouldn’t stop me from buying a truck, but I’d buy everything secondhand.

 

[EV Trek]

That’d be me— I’m a Bezos hater. More critically, I’m an Amazon hater. Disgusting company and I won’t touch their website with a 10-foot pole. I’ve never (knowingly) paid them a penny.

I believe/hope that Slate’s association with Amazon is overexaggerated. If they partnered with them I’d be pretty disappointed. Wouldn’t stop me from buying a truck, but I’d buy everything secondhand.

Attitudes like this I will never understand. I have no idea what makes you so full of hate and frankly I don’t want to know.

 

[Mr.Mike94103]

That is exactly what I have decided to do too. I am dropping most of the add ons that I had lined up and going with the Blank Slate, except for the real rear bumper, the hitch receiver and the fender flare. Because the fender flares look really cool and only cost $150.

 

[Adam W]

I just think with their connections with Amazon already they might have slight advantage in pricing and selling through them. Just something I have considered.

I'm thinking Amazon just may be Slate's accessories logistics partner. It has the warehousing capacity and the e-commerce frontend and backend to handle the accessories business.

I just don't see the advantage that going with Amazon has in Slate's case. Amazon excells in distributed warehousing to get product to customers faster, and that last mile delivery via their own network of drivers. Neither of those are really a concern for Slate, and with a very limited potential customer base, 150,000 trucks per year, it's not worth the hassle of stashing a half-dozen units of each SKU at Amazon warehouses all over the country. Further, some of the higher ticket items such as the SUV kits will likely need to be crated and shipped freight, and the airbags in the kit will require hazmat handling -- not something Amazon is set up for.

We already know wraps will be processed and shipped from Slate's own facility. Those will probably represent their most-ordered items. For everything else, centrally warehousing product is cheap, and companies handle shipping logistics on their own all the time. It's not like Amazon brings anything special to the table in that regard.

But what about utilizing the Amazon e-commerce front and backend? These would actually be a detriment to Slate's business! I can't see Slate wanting to mix their product, and their 3rd party partner's products in the wild-west catalog of Amazon. Slate is already building their own walled marketplace so that they can vet partners, and retain their own percentage of sales. No way are they going to mix up their product offerings side by side with every overseas knockoff vendor, and then also pay Amazon a cut for the privilege.

Slate will buy a brownfield warehouse somewhere in the center of the country, contract with UPS or FedEx, and have them back a tractor trailer up to a loading dock a couple of times a day. Done and done.

 

[Gozer]

I'll be ordering a blank Slate SUV directly from the factory. Since I'm in CA, Slates largest market, I'm assuming there will be at least one fulfillment center in SoCal where I can go to pick up my SUV.
I can further assume there would be a showroom featuring all the add-ons available for purchase.

So my brother drives me from San Diego to Gardena where the design studio is next to the fulfillment center, in his FSD Tesla Y, to take delivery and there I get my tailgate lock, full speaker system, and animated front and rear lamps. All for under $34K out the door.

I think this would be the ideal Slate purchase and delivery experience because it serves as a logical place where new Slate owners can go and meet other owners and mingle about all things Slate.
I already see myself splurging on floor mats, frunk hooks, and whatnot just because I'm caught up in the moment. Get some food trucks outside, a few YouTube content creators, and Slate is golden.

 

[E90400K]

But what about utilizing the Amazon e-commerce front and backend? These would actually be a detriment to Slate's business!

Slate will buy a brownfield warehouse somewhere in the center of the country, contract with UPS or FedEx, and have them back a tractor trailer up to a loading dock a couple of times a day. Done and done.

My view of it is Slate's marketplace business will be branded as pure Slate rather than Amazon. Slate will just use Amazon's industrial logistics infrastructure and e-commerce system for sales, warehousing and distribution as a ghost operation. There is no need to reinvent an e-commerce and warehousing arm (of Slate) and hire an independent logistics company like UPS or Fed Ex for distribution. UPS and Fed Ex are last mile for Amazon.

Slate accessories will arrive to customers in SLATE branded packaging.

 

[adele]

Attitudes like this I will never understand. I have no idea what makes you so full of hate and frankly I don’t want to know.

I hate abuse and corruption and evil. I know I can't stop it but it makes me feel better to stay away from it.

 

[jmason]

🤔 let's see either a $1,000 Tonneau from Slate (the least expensive tri-fold) or a MostPlus $143 roll-up Tonneau through Amazon. Decisions decisions! Blank Slate and then see how the 3rd party products play out. Plus, really need to get the vehicle in hand to see how adaptable updating will be as in brackets, speakers, etc...

 

[MadKemist]

I’m also getting just the basics, the goal is to keep it as close to base price as possible. I want to live with the truck to see what I need.

 

[rekamyenom]

The more I think about it I may just order the blank slate. Since everything has to be installed by the user, it may be better to wait and see what is good and maybe not so good. Only exception may be the wrap. Anyone else think like this?

I personally am purposely ordering a totally blank Slate. I think you will get it quicker (I could be wrong), and I want to wait and will purchase all my accessories from 3rd party companies, not from Slate, which should have way more options than Slate once they start pumping them out.

 

[E90400K]

If they hate him that much why would they buy a Bezos backed Slate in the first place?

Same way people hate Musk, but they still use his EV charging network. Just guessing.

 

[P. Regent]

Same way people hate Musk

I think Musk is downright evil. But when his yammering and totally not-Nazi saluting hammered the value of used Tesla's I snapped up a low mileage used Model S for a song, and was happy to do so. My purchase didn't reward an evil man; the car is just a tool, and once it was sold new its resale was no benefit to Elon. I don't believe in "virtue signaling."

If you want to live in 21st Century America without doing something that benefits some billionaire you disapprove of, directly or indirectly, good luck.

 

[E90400K]

I think Musk is downright evil. But when his yammering and totally not-Nazi saluting hammered the value of used Tesla's I snapped up a low mileage used Model S for a song, and was happy to do so. My purchase didn't reward an evil man; the car is just a tool, and once it was sold new its resale was no benefit to Elon. I don't believe in "virtue signaling."

If you want to live in 21st Century America without doing something that benefits some billionaire you disapprove of, directly or indirectly, good luck.

Like simply using the internet?

 

[Woodbutcher4]

A friend of mine always buys a drink when he goes out to eat because he knows they make the most profit on them and that most restaurants aren't pulling in tons of money. I understand the idea of not ordering any options, but it's possible the options will be a good profit maker, and help Slate succeed, which I assume we all want. So maybe picking up a few would be better than none. Just a thought, worth price paid.

 

[ScoobyTech]

Now that the pricing has come out for the truck , destiny fee, taxes, ect, I find myself building the truck to where I think I want to be towards the end, and then backing it off to a price Im willing to start with. I can probably install most of the accessories later myself. I haven't messed with wraps so I'll have that done..maybe fender flares...and then a center console and start from there. Some of you have said it, wait and see what aftermarket comes out with. I want Slate to Succeed , and I'll support where I can. I think buying their truck is a good start.