Starting with a blank Slate

Greetings. While in L.A. last fall for the auto show, I got an invite to go check out Slate's upcoming electric Truck, my first time seeing it in person. Fast-forward to this summer, now that we know the official pricing and some specs about Slate Auto's new Truck, I have a few quick, off-the-cuff takes...most of them good! I've been getting lots of questions and requests for comments from various outlets on this so here we go. Remember, I'm a shameless optimist in life.

First and foremost, let's address the elephant in the room...it's a very niche vehicle aimed at a very niche target buyer. There's nothing wrong with that at all, but it is an obstacle that Slate will have to overcome. Not only is the crop of EV buyers rather small, the crop of EV pickup buyers is tinier, and the crop of two-door EV pickup buyers even more petite. Should it have four doors? Absolutely, and I'm sure it's in the pipeline, but from what I've seen in videos...getting into the optional SUV bodystyle's backseat doesn't appear hard for an adult, plus let's be honest, how often are you (and those who would be buying this) lugging around that many passengers on a frequent basis?

I love the simplicity behind this entire vehicle...DIY-friendly, easy to customize and make it your own (more of that please, auto industry), and an interior that is seriously refreshingly basic. I'm privileged in that, for my job as an analyst, I get to spend weeks testing vehicles with extravagant interiors, filled pillar-to-pillar with massive screens and high-end amenities and luxuries...but honestly, that amount of "stuff" inside a vehicle can get brutally exhausting, so I welcome the Slate Truck's no-nonsense, distraction-free approach. When I first saw the Slate last fall in person, my sentiment on this was the same and even stronger now. Many of today's automobiles are crowded, chaotic, and distracting products...so this stark, minimalistic intention was well received by yours truly. Clunky manual HVAC dials, crank windows, an open interior with a place to just quickly plop your smartphone which serves as the infotainment hub, it all makes sense, and the seemingly infinite amount of personalization and customization Slate promises is also a huge win.

Now let's get into some of the numbers.

The $24,950 advertised cost is appealing and attractive to me in a time when most MSRPs are eye-watering high, even if you're purposely spending $25k on a new vehicle with the bare essentials. Even optioned out with the various SUV bodystyles brings that price into the low-$30ks.

Its 205 mile range is truly totally fine, seriously. We need to see final EPA numbers, yes, which may be lower, but I think in general more conversation needs to be had about EVs that do use conservatively-sized battery packs and provide smaller ranges being a-okay for the vast needs of American consumers, again, especially those purchasing this thing. Most Americans drive less than 40 miles a day, and our own research proves that. Plus, a smaller battery pack typically means shorter charging times, either via L1 or L2. Depending on one's commute/daily driving needs, a Slate Truck owner may be able to get by perfectly fine without needing to install L2 charging at their home. Our new-to-us 2018 Nissan LEAF SL (more on that later) has a smaller 40 kWh battery and we get by without any issue using only our garage's 120v outlet.

Where's the real money-making opportunity for the heavily-funded startup? Fleet sales. Fleet sakes will be and should be a key target for Slate. This truck would be perfect for so many commercial operators, whether DPWs, last-mile delivery, or small businesses. Again, the DIY ethos wins here for these fleet buyers who may be pressed for time and funds to fix and/or make adjustments to their vehicles. I like, per a quick peek on Slate's website, these targeting efforts for fleet buyers is already underway.

I really want this to work and my interest is piqued, let's see what happens Slate.



~Robby


➡️ What I'm listening to: "Hearts On Fire" by Cut Copy
➡️ What I'm drinking: Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy 
➡️ An auction I'm watching: https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3gDyR4ER/2001-panoz-esperante
➡️ A story you should read: https://www.ft.com/content/5e92ffa4-c164-4fdd-8219-de08053d4076?syn-25a6b1a6=1
📰 Where I'm quoted: You guessed it...I'm talking about Slate with The Wall Street Journal on more than one occasion. I also gave a interview to NPR regarding the challenge selling EVs to rural consumers on Marketplace, and spoke to ABC News about buying used EVs right now.



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