mikell
Member
- First Name
- Michael
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2025
- Threads
- 1
- Messages
- 10
- Reaction score
- 9
- Location
- Southwest Michigan
- Vehicles
- 2 2024 Mavericks.
My 22 maverick was 27 Months my 24 was 7
I was order 857 and it took 27 months because it was a Hybrid and they didn't plan on 80% of the orders being Hybrids.Actually Ford did meet their launch date promises. The truck launched on time in fall of 2021 as promised. The reason a lot of people think it didn't was because not "everyone" who reserved and ordered prior to the start of production got their truck out of the first week or month of assembly. There was a line, a cue, and not everyone was at the very front of it.
I love what both Scout and Slate are doing and agree that their missions are different with a small amount of target market overlap (they are both EVs). The Scout is an extremely capable, off road vehicle that just happens to be an EV. Pricing is meant to undercut Rivian R1T/S, but also Toyota Land Cruiser. It represents the very peak of technology and user interface design and is trying to win share in a crowded market. The Slate is primarily an on road vehicle that is carving out a market that doesn't exist using EV, low cost, simplicity, and customization as the disrupter. In a way it is almost anti-technology (no screens, no built-in infotainment, only one camera in back) and because of that it seems refreshing and also a bit nostalgic. No one is going to need to learn how to operate a Slate...just get in and go.I am now thinking that, assuming no major setbacks, Slate will meet its limited production target delivery by 4Q26… within a few months of their original projection.
Using Scout Motors as a reference, they are currently building a brand new factory in SC from the ground up and projecting deliveries to start in 2027. In contrast, Slate has already secured an existing publishing facility in Indiana that is suited for automotive manufacturing. It’s not unreasonable to turn that Warsaw facility around in one year with an experienced construction management team. I understand that Slate and Scout may appeal to different customers but I’m just comparing the project timelines for each.
Both Slate and Scout have mature designs and working prototypes, with vehicle environmental testing / crash safety already underway. Time to market is absolutely critical; major delays will cause prospective buyers to lose interest.
I think with the new $1B investment and factory that they will start producing a limited number on time just to say they met their commitment. More like hundreds, not thousands. I hope they have all the kinks worked out before I get mineI am not gonna be overly optimistic, I've followed the rise and fall of a ton of automakers, from Canoo, Elio, and even some non EV ones (remember Carbon Motor's police cars in the mid 00s?).
I think under the right management they'll be able to meet their production goal for the actual truck, but I wouldn't be surprised if, like the Cybertruck, some accessories end up on the back burner. I could see getting the slate with the wrap and then having to wait 6-months for the spare tire holder or roof racks or something like that.