SLATE EV Truck / SUV Info & News

[Wefty]

I think a Slate and an R3X would be the perfect combo for us but we aren't getting rid of the R1T for it.

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[SoCal Rob]

I can see services like lawn care, pool maintenance, housekeepers, etc. buying these to replace their aging 2-door compact pickups. I think younger regular consumers will be drawn to the customizability and the low purchase and operating costs. I imagine that insurance will be really low on these because of repair costs. I think this could become a cross-demographic success like the original Beetle and Mini.

If I had space for more cars, I’d get one as a runabout and to reward a company for manual vents, resume for cruise control, cloth seats, lack of sunroof, and phone-centric philosophy.

 

[cjust2006]

The pictures of the interior are bad. All sorts of parts not lining up .

 

[Dark-Fx]

I can see services like lawn care, pool maintenance, housekeepers, etc. buying these to replace their aging 2-door compact pickups. I think younger regular consumers will be drawn to the customizability and the low purchase and operating costs. I imagine that insurance will be really low on these because of repair costs. I think this could become a cross-demographic success like the original Beetle and Mini.

I think this is a great new vehicle for learner drivers too. I hope stuff like this is still around in 10 years when my son will start driving.

 

[3wisemonkeyz]

Sadly, I think this will be a rattle/squeak box with all the modular add-ons. It will make Rivian rattles seem like nothing.

 

[Ingo B]

Respectfully disagree, as most truck/SUV buyers don't need a vehicle as large as the R1T (myself included), but get it anyway because it ticks all the other boxes. Hopefully, the Slate is the start of a trend towards smaller and leaner.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

I see this as the perfect starter car for a new driver. Cheap, fully customizable, everything that a young driver needs without many of the distractions that they have, modest performance to keep them from getting into too much trouble.

It's like a lego car, and what 16 year old boy wouldn't want that?

 

[Riviot]

Sadly, I think this will be a rattle/squeak box with all the modular add-ons. It will make Rivian rattles seem like nothing.

OTOH, Being modular means you can DIY fix rattles, and other issues like alignment, much easier.

 

[kurtlikevonnegut]

OTOH, Being modular means you can DIY fix rattles, and other issues like alignment, much easier.

I can also see this being a huge market for customized 3D printed accessories

 

[AirplaneDr]

Interesting idea. Be aware, the base price with no options is $27499. The sub $20,000 claim is based on a $7500 tax credit that is very likely to not exist in Q3 2026 and requires at least a certain income level to be able to receive the full credit.

The "extended" range battery (normal range for most other current EVs at 240 mi) and a few options will almost certainly push the Slate into the $35,000 plus territory. The big differentiator is post sale configurability. I wonder how much value people will put on that.

 

[Rivdog]

That thing is just too barebones for 2025. If it was actually 20k out the door, maybe it’ll have a niche market, but I suspect far more people like the idea of having one for fun than will actually make the purchase and live with it as their daily driver.

I also highly doubt it’s gonna actually be 20k. The Maverick was also advertised as 20k but the models people are buying are in the mid 30k-low 40k range. Consumers like the idea of a small, no frills truck, but not the reality of living with cloth seats and manual windows every day. Slate could make a killing on accessories and upgrades.

Edit: In reality, it’ll be $35,000 for a base model with 240 miles of range, RWD, and the creature comforts of a 1980’s vehicle. That’s gonna be a very, very hard sell to most people and definitely does not compete with Rivian.

 

[s0ysauce]

I dig it. I configured one but it didn't tell me how much that ballooned the price. A large part of the appeal is the low cost, but if it's going to go up to 40k, I'd rather just get the R3.

https://www.slate.auto/share/AKWG62

 

[NY_Rob]

1,000lbs towing capacity, deal breaker for me, but lots of folks don't tow so not an issue for them.

At least it's not another $100K EV offering that everyone seems to mention when complaining about only high priced EV's being produced in/for the USA.

I hope they succeed!!

 

[RivnSoon]

Wonder what the crash and safety ratings will be? That's a major requirement in my purchase decision making

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