What is Slate competing with for YOUR money?

[SLATEchad]

Yes right to repair and ease of repair matter, absolutely. I’ve traditionally maintained and repaired my personal vehicles for years simply because I didn’t have the money or didn’t want to spend the money for a shop to do it. I’ve bounced back and forth from used Land Rovers (I’m a sucker for those unreliable things) and Toyota’s, but the switch to all electric has been a huge stress relief, even if the upfront costs offset the long term costs of ownership for a while. Our Teslas definitely go through their tires more quickly, but I don’t ever have to worry about oil, oil filters, diffs, transfer cases, belts, emissions sensors/system issues, and all that annoying, messy, polluting garbage. Yes you can get parts for that stuff, but it’s a mess and a pain and parts are not cheap. I love that they have designed Slate from the ground up to be easy (and hopefully cheap) to maintain and modify.

 

[SLATEchad]

I thought the consensus around here was less moving parts meant less maintenance and repair.

Brakes on an EV are lifetime are they not? I mean, regen braking and all. And if one has to DIY suspension or brakes on an EV, how different is that from a car built 20 years ago that one can get a service manual for.

Seriously, what home mechanic has the equipment to remove a battery and replace a cell?

Right to repair is just more internet buzzword.

In general they definitely do have less maintenance and repair. Brakes should easily last 100k or more or you’re not doing something right.

Battery replacement is very rare (the current average is around 2%, and most of that happens in warranty). Even once the battery does need replaced, it is a much, much simpler job than replacing an ICE motor, which most home mechanics are even less equipped for doing. Current prices are similar between the two jobs, but hopefully as battery tech improves, it will get cheaper. Really a decent lift system and some knowhow/ability to research are the main requirements for changing a battery on an EV.

I was also excited to hear on another thread that Slate plans on offering a kind of high voltage certification program through their Slate University.

 

[Paul Rodgers]

OK, you are entitled to your opinion.
But outside of the engine/transmission an EV has pretty much the same set of parts as an ICE car.

Motor/transmission, yes your right, EV is much simpler, but those high-power semiconductors that run the motor will not last forever, so motor-controller failure will start to crop up soon as an issue.
Battery failure is already an issue, ask any LEAF owner.

But as far as I can tell, a battery swap on a slate is pull the main contactor, 3 big orange connectors and a couple dozen bolts, then drop it on the floor.

So pretty much the same as a transmission swap.
And I know LOTS of home mechanics that do that, sometimes even in the driveway!
Sometimes on stuff heavier than a Slate battery.

Cant do that in a Tesla (and a bunch of others) because the battery is an integral part of the vehicles chassis.
I mean its a great design, but makes customizing the thing very tricky.

Thats one reason I find the Slate very interesting, perhaps even more than price.

 

[TexasSlate]

The one vehicle that might be a direct competitor if the Ford "Skunkworks" midsize EV truck that's due in 2027 or so. This is being designed to be manufactured inexpensively. If Ford sells it as a four door for 30k, that might do it.

https://fordauthority.com/2025/05/ford-ceo-jim-farley-reveals-skunkworks-ev-platforms-code-name/

 

[RichEmp]

I will be looking at the new Bolt, Leaf or a a used EV ( Ioniq, Equinox, Etc)

 

[E90400K]

OK, you are entitled to your opinion.
But outside of the engine/transmission an EV has pretty much the same set of parts as an ICE car.

Motor/transmission, yes your right, EV is much simpler, but those high-power semiconductors that run the motor will not last forever, so motor-controller failure will start to crop up soon as an issue.
Battery failure is already an issue, ask any LEAF owner.

But as far as I can tell, a battery swap on a slate is pull the main contactor, 3 big orange connectors and a couple dozen bolts, then drop it on the floor.

So pretty much the same as a transmission swap.
And I know LOTS of home mechanics that do that, sometimes even in the driveway!
Sometimes on stuff heavier than a Slate battery.

Cant do that in a Tesla (and a bunch of others) because the battery is an integral part of the vehicles chassis.
I mean its a great design, but makes customizing the thing very tricky.

Thats one reason I find the Slate very interesting, perhaps even more than price.

I built a complete autoshop at home 20 years ago complete with a lift, compressed air, under-hoist jacks and jackstands, etc. I'm seriously into DIY more than the average shade tree mechanic. But to replace a battery cell or two in an EV battery takes some in-depth training just for the safety aspect alone in addition to a specialized battery platform lift to remove the 4,000-1,200-pound battery from the chassis. I've seen EV battery lifts from $4,000 (Torin) to $10,000 (Bend Pac). So, to safely remove a battery from a Tesla would cost the home mechanic some $8,000 to $14,000 just for the lifting equipment (car lift + battery lift). Let's just get real for a moment.

 

[Dorbiman]

I built a complete autoshop at home 20 years ago complete with a lift, compressed air, under-hoist jacks and jackstands, etc. I'm seriously into DIY more than the average shade tree mechanic. But to replace a battery cell or two in an EV battery takes some in-depth training just for the safety aspect alone in addition to a specialized battery platform lift to remove the 4,000-pound battery from the chassis. I've seen EV battery lifts from $4,000 (Torin) to $10,000 (Bend Pac). So, to safely remove a battery from a Tesla would cost the home mechanic some $8,000 to $14,000 just for the lifting equipment (car lift + battery lift). Let's just get real for a moment.

Come on now, you don't need a lift table to do a pack swap. 90% of the time people just use a 2 post lift. You said you already have one, right? So no biggie. I'm also VERY curious about what EV you're looking at with a 4000 battery. A Model S battery is 1200lbs. The Renault Zoe has the same capacity battery as the Blank Slate, and that battery weighs 720 lbs. People swing in LS engines mated to a 6L80E all the time, which weighs about the same.

You continue to beat the drum about how EV maintenance is so scary and difficult and impractical. We get it. It's also irrelevant to this thread, right? Perhaps you should make your own thread about the impending doom of EV maintenance.

 

[Adam W]

I still have a reservation on the Scout Terra. It's a LOT of truck, more than I need, and probably 3x the price of the Slate. But it is pretty. I'd continue to watch the development on that if the Slate doesn't pan out, but I'm not super excited about it like I am the slate. Not sure if I would actually pull the trigger on it whenever that decision point comes even if there is no Slate in my driveway. Most likely, I would go without anything. All the other manufacturers seem to be all in on building AI connected/tracking/data collection machines and that's a real turn off. This image from Honda's 0 prototype page terrifies me.

 

[E90400K]

Come on now, you don't need a lift table to do a pack swap. 90% of the time people just use a 2 post lift. You said you already have one, right? So no biggie. I'm also VERY curious about what EV you're looking at with a 4000 battery. A Model S battery is 1200lbs. The Renault Zoe has the same capacity battery as the Blank Slate, and that battery weighs 720 lbs. People swing in LS engines mated to a 6L80E all the time, which weighs about the same.

You continue to beat the drum about how EV maintenance is so scary and difficult and impractical. We get it. It's also irrelevant to this thread, right? Perhaps you should make your own thread about the impending doom of EV maintenance.

You're right I misspoke, not 4,000 pounds. Still 1,200 pounds needs special lifting equipment. I guess one could build a wooden table/platform waist high then lift the chassis to get some working clearance. But how many people have a two-post lift? It is not anywhere near the same as pulling out a 6L80 strapped onto a floor transmission jack and rolling it out from underneath a car on tall jackstands.

Where did I say EV maintenance is scary? I didn't. It's high voltage, so anyone not trained in servicing high voltage systems could easily electrocute themselves. I personally would get training. But again, one would need the diagnostic equipment to find the bad cells of the battery to replace them. And then there is the battery cooling system to deal with. Eff that up, and you could be driving around on a 400V BBQ at some point.

The rest of the moving EV parts are no different than ICEV.

 

[Driven5]

The "comparison" I have is with the Aptera, not really a comparison since they are quite different.

How real comparisons are happening with things that 'are quite different' is kind of the point of this thread. Is there something more tangible you'd do if Slate, Aptera, and Telo all don't come home though?


Paul Rodgers, SLATEchad, Dorbiman:
The best way to stop an argument is to not take the bait. If you let a fanatics* lack of capacity to make even a single relevant contribution allow you to help them derail the conversation, you become a part of the problem rather than the solution.


*A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. -Winston Churchill

 

[Dorbiman]

Paul Rodgers, SLATEchad, Dorbiman:
The best way to stop an argument is to not take the bait. If you let a fanatics* lack of capacity to make even a single relevant contribution allow you to help them derail the conversation, you become a part of the problem rather than the solution.


*A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. -Winston Churchill

You're right. It's not the first thread they've derailed either.

Back on topic: The only other one I'd consider (outside of the previously mentioned ID.GTI) is whatever the next Chevy Bolt is. I doubt I'll be excited about it, but if its cheap and makes sense, it might be hard to look away from.

 

[AZFox]

The Slate came out of nowhere and suddenly opened up a whole new category of vehicle.

Indeed it did. And it resurrected an old one, the Small Pickup.

 

[motorolas]

I’ve got a 2012 Honda Fit, and the Slate is competing with me getting the last available US Honda Fit model sold, 2020. I’ve also considered the Honda HR-V and the Toyota CR-V.
I would always tell my kids that I missed old small trucks like the old SR-5s.
This appeals to the small length (~177 inches), EV, and DIY nature of the vehicle.

 

[AZFox]

Right to repair. What does that mean?

Right to repair refers to the legal right for consumers to modify and repair their own products, such as electronics and vehicles, without being restricted by manufacturers. It advocates for easier access to spare parts, tools, and repair information to promote sustainability and affordability.​

Right to repair is a thing, and it's a Big Deal. Go look it up.

Right to repair is just more internet buzzword.

Categorically false. See above.

I thought the consensus around here was less moving parts meant less maintenance and repair.

Indeed you're right about that.

The vast majority of maintenance and repair costs (and associated hassles) for ICE vehicles are related to the extra moving parts EVs don't have, and you know this.

Then Slate Truck goes further than that by excluding a lot of other Things That Could Possibly Go Wrong using an "as simple as possible, but not simpler" way of thinking.

Then they sweeten the deal even more by telling us they're intentionally engineering and designing a DIY-friendly vehicle with a support website with helpful tutorials, including videos.

But wait, there's more...

All the other manufacturers seem to be all in on building AI connected/tracking/data collection machines and that's a real turn off.

This too.

 

[sodamo]

Question Right to Repair? Just research John Deere stance.