Top Gear’s Slate test drive review: it does exactly what it says on the tin

[Paul]

Heat pump actually does not matter for AC, it does for heat. That is the reason to switch to a heat pump which the Slate does not have.
On my EV the most energy used by the ac is on initial cool down, after that use is very minimal. We don’t know how hot it was when they started, what the setting was as they drove or what temperature they took the cabin down to. Did they also lower the setting after the cabin cooled down. All effect how much energy used by the AC.
On the heat, that is yet to be seen, nobody has used the heat but it is the same as AC, the highest drain will be warming up the cabin and the materials inside, you can then cut back on the setting to maintain a comfortable temperature and reduce energy use.
These initial cool downs and heat ups are the reason it is recommended to do them while the EV is plugged in to minimize the battery drain.

Also adding a heated seat over a cabin heater. I'll be interested to see where this can be tapped in. No sense heating A giant empty space and all the materials with your battery. To some extent, even on my Maverick hybrid., I am using the heated seat over the cabin heater. It takes forever for the ice engine to warm up (Which is fine. It means it's not burning gas) But in that initial phase it wants to use a supplemental electric cabin heater, which forces the ICE to run more and wastes more gas although it gets it up to temperature faster. I'd rather just use the heated seat until running temperature. And then use all the waste heat from the ICE. So I'm actually already trained to be cheap, even with the HEV.

 

[Moe]

My wife likes our Subaru’s heated cloth seats but they make my back sweat and break out. I’ve never bought a trim level higher than the nicest one with cloth seats. Those aren’t even available on some vehicles, instead using “faux leather” a fancy name for what we used to call vinyl seats. To me, perforations just say, “tear on the dotted line.” YMMV So I’m happy with the Slate seats.

To be easy on the transmission, we don’t shift into gear before the fast idle has dropped off, and by that time, the heater is effective.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

My wife likes our Subaru’s heated cloth seats but they make my back sweat and break out. I’ve never bought a trim level higher than the nicest one with cloth seats. Those aren’t even available on some vehicles, instead using “faux leather” a fancy name for what we used to call vinyl seats. To me, perforations just say, “tear on the dotted line.” YMMV So I’m happy with the Slate seats.

To be easy on the transmission, we don’t shift into gear before the fast idle has dropped off, and by that time, the heater is effective.

I hear ya. Having said that, I've come to LOVE the bougie faux/leather with perforations -- that means that when we sit our butts on super-heated ATL seats, we can turn the seat fans on and they cool off much quicker. I know, it is a self-fulfilling prophesy b/c Leather in ATL, but there it is.

I'm fully planning for some kind of neoprene-like car seat cover that will be water-resistant/proof. Because, bougie notwithstanding, I still have some vehicles without heated/chilled seats, and I adapt.

 

[tubes]

My wife likes our Subaru’s heated cloth seats but they make my back sweat and break out. I’ve never bought a trim level higher than the nicest one with cloth seats. Those aren’t even available on some vehicles, instead using “faux leather” a fancy name for what we used to call vinyl seats. To me, perforations just say, “tear on the dotted line.” YMMV So I’m happy with the Slate seats.

To be easy on the transmission, we don’t shift into gear before the fast idle has dropped off, and by that time, the heater is effective.

My Subaru also has those unusual heated cloth seats. They work fine for me and don't cause any skin issues. But our weather in NC is so mild, I barely use them -- maybe a handful of times a year. For me, I won't miss them, but I understand how others will.

 

[Moe]

My Subaru also has those unusual heated cloth seats. They work fine for me and don't cause any skin issues. But our weather in NC is so mild, I barely use them -- maybe a handful of times a year. For me, I won't miss them, but I understand how others will.

They’re also mechanically switched and the only things I can’t preconfigure before remote start. Gotta do that before leaving the car.

 

[E90400K]

My uncle had a GMC Syclone for a while.

Okay, one. Maybe the ICEV Ford Lightning counts as two. 🤣

 

[HTXSlate]

The top speed being limited to 90 keeps coming up in videos and articles, and really, unless you have a car you take to a track, that shouldn't be a problem for anyone. If you need more than 90 to pass, you probably shouldn't be passing. Battery drain will increase geometrically with speed anyway, probably best keeping it to the speed limit and staying in the right lane if necessarily rather than adding a charging stop.

Get off my lawn kid. lol.
Unless the limiter is needed as a safety item (not singularly related to the
inherent dangers of speed), don’t limit my speed for better efficiency. Let me suffer the consequences of my actions for speeding. Don’t make that decision for me.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Get off my lawn kid. lol.
Unless the limiter is needed as a safety item (not singularly related to the

inherent dangers of speed), don’t limit my speed for better efficiency. Let me suffer the consequences of my actions for speeding. Don’t make that decision for me.

Is this one of those subtle intelligence inventories?

My Rorschach test response is, "it appears to be a blank spreadsheet". What does that indicate? (other than I'm a smart-ass)

 

[HTXSlate]

Is this one of those subtle intelligence inventories?

My Rorschach test response is, "it appears to be a blank spreadsheet". What does that indicate? (other than I'm a smart-ass)

Is it or is it not?

Truth is I posted from my phone and it appeared on its own so I left it. 🤷‍♂️

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Is it or is it not?

Truth is I posted from my phone and it appeared on its own so I left it. 🤷‍♂️

I figured. My smart phone is dumb as hell and makes me appear even dumber.

 

[cadblu]

That grid is just the “insert table” function on the icon bar above the message window.
Looks like @HTXSlate inadvertently embedded a blank table.

Some of us were looking for the root cause, hidden, or subliminal meaning behind this. As doctors often do. 😁

 

[Doctors Do Little]

That grid is just the “insert table” function on the icon bar above the message window.
Looks like @HTXSlate inadvertently embedded a blank table.

Some of us were looking for the root cause, hidden, or subliminal meaning behind this. As doctors often do. 😁

Guilty!

 

[RevMS]

That grid is just the “insert table” function on the icon bar above the message window.
Looks like @HTXSlate inadvertently embedded a blank table. ...

That was my immediate thought. But I'm not a doctor.

 

[AZFox]

Looks like @HTXSlate inadvertently embedded a blank table.

Should've added accessories to make it one-of-one table.

 

[FloppaEnjoyer8067]

I use percentage rather than the range estimator in my EV. You can’t trust the BMS.

The BMS is what gives you an SOC. It will either measure cell voltage (less reliable, what a power tool battery uses) or use coulomb counting (basically monitoring current). This will give a % SOC which your car will then use along with a variety of factors to spit out range.