Update: Ford's EV 'Model T moment' Announced

[Daemoch]

It's like y'all forgot the "DIY" and "self service" portion of the Slate core concepts. If you get one and then think the service sucks, take it up with your mirror...

I just hope my MSRP doesn't have to subsidize your need for some one else to handle your maintenance issues. If you want cheap, there's a lot of things you wont be getting that normally you pay for day-one, like a massive network of dealer-trained shops. Some thing is going to have to give to bring down the initial costs.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Maybe they are rich Jeep folks? Jeeps have traditionally had horrible reliability and have a SERIOUS cult of die-hards. (CR rates Jeep Wrangler as a 30/100 overall with 36/100 road score, 2/5 reliability, and yet 4/5 owner satisfaction!)

Folks just like what they like, regardless of data or logic.

If Consumer Reports or any other group compares the Jeep brand to other forms of transportation, it's easy to see how it will score lower than the others - not an apples to apples comparison. The Jeep (meaning CJ series through the Wrangler) is not a car, it's not a truck - it's a Jeep.

Will the Slate truck become its own category?

 

[Doctors Do Little]

If Consumer Reports or any other group compares the Jeep brand to other forms of transportation, it's easy to see how it will score lower than the others - not an apples to apples comparison. The Jeep (meaning CJ series through the Wrangler) is not a car, it's not a truck - it's a Jeep.

Will the Slate truck become its own category?

Hmmmm…so compare it with Bronco (they hate it for low reliability too)? I agree that comparing road scores of an CJ with an X5 might not make sense, but regardless of use case, reliability is pretty easy to measure, right?

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Hmmmm…so compare it with Bronco (they hate it for low reliability too)? I agree that comparing road scores of an CJ with an X5 might not make sense, but regardless of use case, reliability is pretty easy to measure, right?

And here's hoping the Slate truck has better reliability!

 

[Doctors Do Little]

And here's hoping the Slate truck has better reliability!

Amen. DIY notwithstanding, I don’t need a rolling involuntary repair projects maker. I am married, after all.

 

[beatle]

The dealers do it for nothing. At a cost, of course, in a share of the future profits.

Dealers are paid by the manufacturer directly for warranty repairs which is why they have to be authorized by the manufacturer before performing them.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

Dealers are paid by the manufacturer directly for warranty repairs which is why they have to be authorized by the manufacturer before performing them.

You took that snippet totally out of context. I'll take that as my bad - meaning I wasn't as clear as I should have been. When I said that franchised dealerships do it for nothing, I was trying to convey that frachisees pay for franchises. Then they invest massive capital setting up that franchise - tens of millions in today's dollars. The OEM does not have to come up with that capital.

Getting (under) reimbursed for warranty has nothing to do with the point I was making. I was talking about capital investment, not service as a profit center.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

For those who care, Ford dropped this update this morning.

https://www.maverickevforum.com/for...-48v-lfp-battery-gigacasting-much-more.15775/

Admin addendum: you can 1-click copy/create your account to affiliate site at: https://www.slateforums.com/forum/account/copy​

There's both an article and a video. In the interest of "truth in advertisiing", I'm leaning more towards buying the Ford than the Slate.

This video was music to my ears, and I'll be rewatching it more than once.

They drop a lot of hints in this video. Including some areo video where they sneakily let you see the shape of the vehicle. It is really interesting, because it has a minimal hood and a carlike front end. Which I see turning off the "I want to own a convential looking, manly man truck". crowd. Slate is very truck looking. Ford's taking a big styling risk there.

The video talks about a bunch of cool things if you're the engineering type. 48V electrical architecture. LFP battery. Zonal controllers. Ford-owned software. Castings for major body components. Being willing to spend more for a lighter or higher quality component because it improves the system in the end. Or as Sandy Munro says, "Don't try to save me money. I can't afford it.".

Oh, and I love Ford's honesty. They do not say "when we do this". They say "if we do this". Which a lot of haters will attach to. But as an engineer, I'll take "if" over "when" any day. I'll take the honest engineer over the one trying to gaslight me every time.

 

[cadblu]

They drop a lot of hints in this video. Including some areo video where they sneakily let you see the shape of the vehicle. It is really interesting, because it has a minimal hood and a carlike front end. Which I see turning off the "I want to own a convential looking, manly man truck". crowd. Slate is very truck looking. Ford's taking a big styling risk there.

Did you spot the faux pas in the article? The Ford skunk works team started with a blank slate. lol.

 

[<3 Crank Windows]

Good summary of all the specs / details revealed in the new video and article on the Ford EV truck --

https://www.maverickevforum.com/for...-48v-lfp-battery-gigacasting-much-more.15775/

Looks like the site is an affiliated site.

 

[Doctors Do Little]

Good summary of all the specs / details revealed in the new video and article on the Ford EV truck --

https://www.maverickevforum.com/for...-48v-lfp-battery-gigacasting-much-more.15775/

Looks like the site is an affiliated site.

Objectively, that is a cool article. I'm still pissed at F for my '23 Lightning disaster, and so don't see myself with a Blue Oval again, but if Big Blue is pushing hard, everyone else in the space will be forced to innovate/perfect too! Win for us.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

StateOfCharge will be dropping an interview with the chief designer in about an hour.

 

[KevinRS]

Did you spot the faux pas in the article? The Ford skunk works team started with a blank slate. lol.

I've also lately been seeing a commercial on TV about Toyota EVs where there is a line about them being experienced and "not starting with a blank slate"

 

[AZFox]

StateOfCharge will be dropping an interview with the chief designer in about an hour.