Zoidz
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InsideEVs
One reviewer's take. IMO he seems to be acknowledging but still missing the point of the Slate...
Slate Auto's $20,000-ish EV truck is getting a lot of attention. But is this really what Americans want?
... I am not convinced the Slate truck is the answer to Chinese EVs. Heck, I’m not even convinced that it’s exactly what most Americans are looking for.
The Slate truck looks best when converted into an SUV. With the boxy back and rear bench seat, it feels like a modern interpretation of the Ford Bronco II. Add in the possibility of wraps and minor exterior customization, and the Slate’s style and ethos feel charmingly homebrew.
But that’s where my appreciation for the truck kind of stops. As unique and novel as Slate’s concept is, I question whether this is what consumers are actually looking for. It is hard to understate just how Spartan the Slate is solely by pictures. Yes, the truck doesn’t have a dedicated infotainment system, and even has crank windows—two things that are a godsend to people who hate how connected cars have become in any given online comments section. But the Slate truck doesn’t even have a carpeted floor. This Spirit Airlines-style lack of amenities will feel jarring to the average consumer.
And sure, there’s a case to be made about the truck’s level of customization. The end consumer will have their choice of adding the options they’d like to the truck. This ranges from infotainment to speakers or power windows, but also includes a whole set of rear seats and an add-on body style to convert it into a more practical SUV.
And there’s a but here. Are people going to really customize en masse?
....
Yet it’s another thing to hack the rear of the car off, install some seats, and a whole new roof, and do all sorts of work to take a half-car-specced car, to a real car. Personally, I’m not willing to do major surgery and labor on a new car, and I question how willing the average person is, either, especially since Slate’s price advantage has somewhat eroded with the ending of the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax incentives. Are people really going to be willing to create an SUV out of a truck? Especially when Ford is promising a four-door truck without the need to DIY it for not much more money?
One reviewer's take. IMO he seems to be acknowledging but still missing the point of the Slate...
Slate Auto's $20,000-ish EV truck is getting a lot of attention. But is this really what Americans want?
... I am not convinced the Slate truck is the answer to Chinese EVs. Heck, I’m not even convinced that it’s exactly what most Americans are looking for.
The Slate truck looks best when converted into an SUV. With the boxy back and rear bench seat, it feels like a modern interpretation of the Ford Bronco II. Add in the possibility of wraps and minor exterior customization, and the Slate’s style and ethos feel charmingly homebrew.
But that’s where my appreciation for the truck kind of stops. As unique and novel as Slate’s concept is, I question whether this is what consumers are actually looking for. It is hard to understate just how Spartan the Slate is solely by pictures. Yes, the truck doesn’t have a dedicated infotainment system, and even has crank windows—two things that are a godsend to people who hate how connected cars have become in any given online comments section. But the Slate truck doesn’t even have a carpeted floor. This Spirit Airlines-style lack of amenities will feel jarring to the average consumer.
And sure, there’s a case to be made about the truck’s level of customization. The end consumer will have their choice of adding the options they’d like to the truck. This ranges from infotainment to speakers or power windows, but also includes a whole set of rear seats and an add-on body style to convert it into a more practical SUV.
And there’s a but here. Are people going to really customize en masse?
....
Yet it’s another thing to hack the rear of the car off, install some seats, and a whole new roof, and do all sorts of work to take a half-car-specced car, to a real car. Personally, I’m not willing to do major surgery and labor on a new car, and I question how willing the average person is, either, especially since Slate’s price advantage has somewhat eroded with the ending of the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax incentives. Are people really going to be willing to create an SUV out of a truck? Especially when Ford is promising a four-door truck without the need to DIY it for not much more money?
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