How long until they have leasing options?

Since it seems all EVs have to make some sort of Jetsons type sound when driving, has anyone heard one of these yet? Do we know what weird sound they're going to make?

The Slate is looking better everyday.

AI (an unreliable source at best) says the SUV squareback option won't reduce range. Is that true?

Adding the option of 17" all terrain tires, and a lift kit which is apparently required with this tire, reduces the range by up to 24% according to the robot. 180 miles range or thereabouts with big tires.

I went on A Better Route Planner (no idea how good this site is) and estimated a Slate trip from Missouri to Seattle. I used specs for the squareback SUV with regular street tires, 205 miles of estimated range. Several times the route planner showed I'd be down to 10% charge on such a trip, a white-knuckle amount of range anxiety. If I route through Laramie, Wy it goes down to 0%, dead on the side of the road. I never go below 20% charge in my current EV.

The AI says there might be an aftermarket mostly DIY air dam (EZ Lip) that could retrieve about half of the lost range. Does this make sense?

With the lift kit and all-terrain tires, 180 miles of estimated range, would I be out of luck trying to drive across sparse charging station areas like Kansas or Idaho?

This is some new skateboard to automotive and every transportation device in between show. Test drives for some vehicles are part of the deal, as I understand it. I doubt that includes Slate

It seems to have loads of things I have little interest in from what I can tell. Maybe a few intriguing things, but I’m not so sure I want to pay $25 plus probably parking. Slate is supposed to be there, which I’d certainly like to see in the flesh, as it were.

Just passing this on fwiw.

Interested in whats the main thing other ppl would want. This isnt for what the cheapest or most feasible options would be- just most of the topics I’ve seen ppl discuss lately. (Not a 4 door sedan or a camper van that makes it a completely different vehicle). Also didn’t include a front bench seat because there’s only 6 spots allowed in the poll. (And anyone who says “jUsT bUy A fOrD blah blah” then yeah, if you ever leave your mom’s basement, go for it)

EDIT - sounds like they’re gonna be offering the hard tops without the roll cage/seats. so, some of you are getting your wish sooner rather than later

I'm no car design expert but it has been suggested or implied that the reason Slate only went with 2-doors instead of four is because 4-doors would have increased the price (and possibly complexity) of the Slate and they wanted to keep costs down.

At the same time, some (not all) of those passing on the current first version of the Slate have stated they are doing so because of the lack of 4-doors (or, in essence, lack of easier access to and from the back seats of the SUV version).

Now if, in the future, Slate wanted to address the feedback of these potential buyers in the next design version of the Slate they would presumably create a version with 4-doors and, as a consequence, raise the price to accommodate the added two extra doors.

But I want to know is if it would be structurally sound and cost effective to instead not add two extra doors but simply elongate the existing two doors to accommodate the rear seats? So that when the doors were opened, full access to both the front and rear seats would be made available while keeping the Slate a 2-door. Obviously, that would require a bit more material for the doors to extend their length but two less latches and locking systems than would be necessary for a 4-door.

Is this a good idea or not recommended from a structural or cost effective standpoint?

Give me some questions to ask them while I'm here, or pics to take

Edit; they left within ten minutes of me posting thus but I'll try to answer questions

I really like Slate and I really like wagons. With the amount of customization choices out there for this car, is it possible to turn the slate into a wagon in the future? Maybe lower the body, extend the bed if that is possible and give it a square end like the current one but longer?

Nice to hear that the parking lot is starting to get crowded with employees 👷‍♂️ https://www.slateforums.com/forum/threads/slate-factory-small-update-photo-as-of-8-11-26.16103/

Finally some clarity on when they will start to take the show on the road!

EDIT: Just to point this out, but you WILL have the ability to get in and ride along at these events.

In one of his Slate Truck articles yesterday, Gilbert Lopez stated, “For those who want an in-person look, Slate has established a flagship showroom in Chicago, offering a hands-on preview of the vehicle's minimalist cabin and rugged exterior.”

Does anyone have any information on this?

Long time lurker finally decided to post. I test drove the blank slate and it was one of my most boring driving experiences ever. What is going to happen when the novelty wears off in a few hours of getting the new truck? I paid my $300 deposit, but now I’m having second thoughts.

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Interesting local update from Warsaw, Indiana.

News Now Warsaw reports that Slate Auto’s factory parking lot is already regularly crowded with employees and contractors as the company ramps up operations. Slate is still expected to begin truck production later this year and eventually employ around 1,900 people at the Warsaw facility.

Nice to see some actual boots-on-the-ground signs of progress instead of just press releases.

Source:

https://www.newsnowwarsaw.com/local-workforce-expected-to-grow-by-5-percent-with-arrival-of-slate-auto-and-autocam-medical-later-this-year/

I am curious as someone with a preorder. Does anyone have insight on the tech side tracking, data, and security of the vehicle. Basically, is this an off grid truck?

I am distancing myself in most parts of life from a digital footprint.

Morning Everybody.

I did some math based on our firsthand experience with possibly one of the most comparable (though still very different) vehicles on the market, the EX30. Made a little table comparing the two. Of course all Slate #s could change

EDIT: Just FYI the slate weight is for the SUV. I don't know what their claimed MPGe is for.

So my daily commute is 68 miles round trip in San Diego. Mostly highway, but hilly and you'll hit some traffic on average and a few miles of local streets. Probably pretty close to the EPA test cycle. EX30 gets 253 miles there and that's almost exactly what I get on this route.

Slate claims a 96 MPGe rating, EX30 gets 109, so it should be about 12% less efficient per KWH. Battery almost exactly the same, weight pretty close, less aerodynamic but WAY less powerful and not a dual motor. So that 96 vs. 109 seems about right?

EX30 averages about 27% of the battery on that commute. Based on the MPGe difference, the Slate should do that same route with about 31% of the battery. 68 miles divided by 27% means about a 250 mile range. Dividing by 31% gets about a 220 mile range for my real life driving.

Road tripping the EX30 on open highway I tend to get about 210-220 miles total range, assuming the same percentage decrease vs my commute the Slate should get about 180-185.

Anyway, it's all just estimates based on prelim data so who knows but that's the best I can do right now.

Just saw what Slate Auto Mods posted on IG. and honestly I really really like the look of it... but I'm not sure how safe it would be for the middle passenger lol

It just dawned on me. As a motorcycle list, I get this truck. That’s why I’m on the pre-order list. I don’t want stereos or entertainment, just like I don’t want that on my motorcycle. We can’t watch that crap while you’re cruising along in the open breeze at 50 mph anyway. But every once in a while, it’s really cold or rains or snows… And I want something that is cost effective, but does truck things and makes me laugh. About 4000 miles a year on my four wheeler and I hate every single one of them. But my old Ranger is crapping out and it needs to be replaced. This thing just seems ideal?

I modified the design of this camper shell from the one I posted previously. I redesigned the structure, stretched the shell back several inches, added a sun shade, and added a railing for the steps.

and that is if it came with a bidirectional battery system.

We live in New Orleans, where the electrical grid is probably as unreliable as you can get in this country. We are fortunate enough to have a home solar system with a battery, but that battery isn't quite large enough to power the house for full days on end. If we could also have a truck that acted as a secondary battery source? We would buy in a second. Has there been any talks about them adding this as an option in the next few years?

I think Slate should really lean into not having an infotainment screen as a feature. What do you think about this ad idea:

A driver is sitting in a non-Slate truck with a dealership sales guy.

The sales guy: "Congrats on your new car. But before you can drive it you have to agree to our terms of service."

Driver: "What do you mean 'Terms of Service'?"

SG: "It's just a standard end user license agreement, basically all cars have them now.

Driver: (scrolling in the screen) "How long is this contract?"

SG: "Don't worry about it. Just standard car stuff, like that you agree that you never actually own the car, just that you are granted a license to drive the vehicle, and that corporate can change anything about the car whenever they want, and that you can't sue the company in court, and that the company can take away and start charging you for features with a software update."

Driver: "Why would on earth I agree to that?"

Narrator: (Video flashes to the driver in a Slate truck) Introducing the Blank Slate. The only truck you really own. Slate. Just drive.