Why Doug DeMuro Thinks the Slate Truck Will Fail

[Marty1000]

I think Doug may have a good point about 2 doors vs. 4 doors. I once drove with in the back bench seat of my friends RAM 2 door pickup and I hated that ride. Maybe the SUV version of the SLATE will be better if they can add some more seats and ease way of getting in and out of there? I still think 4 doors on any vehicle is a plus when you have to drive with more then two people in the vehicle.

 

[Sojourner]

this truck is an intro EV, techy, fun

^^^ This ^^^

For me, anyway.

 

[Ewwgas]

This truck will be successful as long as they keep the design as clean and classic as possible. I just like the looks of it and price. All the other stats are horrible but I'm okay with that.

 

[dcgray2]

I actually agree with Doug that the price is too high.

I have a reservation for one but will be watching what the price does over the next year and a half.

I'm probably interested enough (I think it's neat) and have enough disposable income that I will buy one anyway but as things like the Cybertruck have shown, initial excitement by a small group of weirdos like us does not alway equal ongoing sustained demand.

Who knows maybe Slate will pull a Ford Model T move and drop the price over time... Model pricing went from $850 in 1908 to a low of $260 in 1924

 

[cvollers]

Doug is a shill for Big Auto. They keep him in business.

 

[cvollers]

What is techy and fun about it? Its slow to accelerate, slow to charge, and is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).

The lack of tech makes it fun. Is driving a golf cart fun? It sure is and it’s not because of tech. It’s just a pure driving experience.

 

[cvollers]

The four door thing Doug is struck on assumes that the Slate is being targeted to families or to people as a "lifestyle" vehicle (eg. Jeep, Bronco, 4Runner, etc.). I can with almost complete certainty say that this is an incorrect assumption. The Slate is a commuter for 1-2 people. Its a light duty hauler for small businesses. Its a low cost way to get 1-2 mountain bikes to the trail. Its a first car for a kid about to head off to college. It is not a family car that needs to transport 3+ people. The target buyer doesn't need the extra two doors. Some really good examples of cars with two doors that have succeeded: Mazda Miata, Porsche 911, BMW coupes, Mercedes coupes and SLs. What do they all have in common? The target buyer only has 1-2 people in the car at one time. On top of that, if the Slate buyer's needs change, he/she can buy the SUV kit and move more people. You can't do that with a Miata.

 

[GaRailroader]

I actually agree with Doug that the price is too high.

I have a reservation for one but will be watching what the price does over the next year and a half.

I'm probably interested enough (I think it's neat) and have enough disposable income that I will buy one anyway but as things like the Cybertruck have shown, initial excitement by a small group of weirdos like us does not alway equal ongoing sustained demand.

Who knows maybe Slate will pull a Ford Model T move and drop the price over time... Model pricing went from $850 in 1908 to a low of $260 in 1924

Don’t forget when Cybertruck was announced in 2019 it was to start at $39,990. I wanted the $39,990 version. I cancelled my Cybertruck order the day after I reserved a Slate. Cybertruck would have sold a lot better if it came closer to the price they estimated in 2019.