Slate EV Pickup Truck

Anyone else pre-ordered the Slate?

Vaporware

https://x.com/slateauto/status/1916492629878968616/video/1

Efthreeoh wrote

Anyone else pre-ordered the Slate?

Not me, but pre-orders have opened up to the public, with delivery expected to start in 4Q'26:
https://www.slate.auto/

Personally, I have no use for a pick-up of any kind, including this one.

YMMV,
a

Tejas1836 wrote

Vaporware

LOL. No.

Hmm.
Major Investors/Backers:
Jeff Bezos (through his family office/expeditions; a significant but not controlling investor).
Mark Walter (controlling owner of the LA Dodgers and CEO of Guggenheim Partners).
General Catalyst (venture capital firm).

Very cool concept. Should have been a ICE 4 banger though. I have no interest in an EV.

We need more bare bones vehicles.

Tejas1836 wrote

Vaporware

Vaporware? They're arriving in SoCal at the end of 2026; far from vaporware.

I personally really enjoy the idea of letting people buy a barebones truck, with a loan, if they so choose, and then letting them upgrade bits later on (with cash). It's an intriguing business model, versus the whole "spec your $25k car how you want it and oops, now it's $40k, sorry!".

We had Ineos Grenadiers here in SoCal before anyone else and I'm sure SoCal will have some of the first Slates rolling around at the end of 2026. Current reservations show 2027 delivery, now. Also, for those who'd denigrate the EV aspect, the REO trucks might be for you, but you'll have to wait until 2029.

I personally enjoy the configurator, and the whole "start with a truck, bolt in an airbag-equipped roll cage and a second row of seats, and then put a fastback or SUV body on" thing is pretty cool. Manual window cranks, no speakers or center screen, far less wiring... sounds like a Kei truck, suddenly. If they take off, custom shops are gonna make a killing doing installs of the things people didn't spec (speaker add-ons, power windows, etc), and wrap shops are going to love it.

Tejas1836 wrote

Vaporware

Like the Aptera? The Aptera has been on and off for how long? 20 years? They have made a coupe more. They are supposedly close to production but who knows.

I think Jay Leno even drove one years ago. I though it was kind of cool. Sort of an updated BMW Isetta aka (Italian ISO).

Works for me as long as they are not subsidized by taxpayers.

XutvJet wrote

Very cool concept. Should have been a ICE 4 banger though. I have no interest in an EV.

We need more bare bones vehicles.

The Ford Maverick went it launched a few years was going to be close to $20K.
It is a nice looking little pick up and I still like Ford to some extent. I am not sure what they really cost. Do not want any Ford Ecoboost engines.

If I want a turbo it is B48 or B58 even though I own and N55 and N20. Bob Lutz got BMW to started with turbos with the BMW 2002. Turbos = only BMW and only single turbo.

Certainly interesting to see level of adaption...
Assuming satisfactory quality and reliability, likely appeal to Gen 'whatever' they're labeled these days...offers low cost entry to ownership with a bit of 'creative personalization'.

Kinda harkens to the Yugo days...
Let's see how it goes

Equilibrandt wrote

Vaporware? They're arriving in SoCal at the end of 2026; far from vaporware.

I personally really enjoy the idea of letting people buy a barebones truck, with a loan, if they so choose, and then letting them upgrade bits later on (with cash). It's an intriguing business model, versus the whole "spec your $25k car how you want it and oops, now it's $40k, sorry!".

We had Ineos Grenadiers here in SoCal before anyone else and I'm sure SoCal will have some of the first Slates rolling around at the end of 2026. Current reservations show 2027 delivery, now. Also, for those who'd denigrate the EV aspect, the REO trucks might be for you, but you'll have to wait until 2029.

I personally enjoy the configurator, and the whole "start with a truck, bolt in an airbag-equipped roll cage and a second row of seats, and then put a fastback or SUV body on" thing is pretty cool. Manual window cranks, no speakers or center screen, far less wiring... sounds like a Kei truck, suddenly. If they take off, custom shops are gonna make a killing doing installs of the things people didn't spec (speaker add-ons, power windows, etc), and wrap shops are going to love it.

I think you are right. California will get them first. My delivery window is Q2 2027.

Read my EV related posts for the past 15 years and one would think I'm anti EV (been called such hundreds of times ). But my EV stance has always been anti environmental save the planet crap and anti EV - kill ICE mandates first from CARB and then the Feds. And I've completely been anti big-screen TV stuck to the dash. But I've wanted an EV for some time now to answer my engineering curiosity about them.

I need a new pickup truck, so there is a forcing function for me. The Slate hauls enough and tows enough (now), and I just love the BYOD (bring your own device) tech integration. EV is great for at-home L2 charging and my use case. At $24,950 it just hits all the marks in my book.

We'll see how their business model pans out. I don't think the SUV version is competitive in the small SUV segment. The CEO said the break even number is 80,000 units sold for 2027. I think they can easily hit that number.

Efthreeoh wrote

...I need a new pickup truck, so there is a forcing function for me. The Slate hauls enough and tows enough (now), and I just love the BYOD (bring your own device) tech integration. EV is great for at-home L2 charging and my use case. At $24,950 it just hits all the marks in my book.

Yup...for many, essentially like any other 'utility tool' much like what's found in a DIYer garage.
Stash away, use as necessary...NBD

The whole bare bones thing sounds liek a win and there will be early adopters but then people will realise they want creature comforts and should have just spent $40K and been done with it.

Remember the Tucker?

Alfisti wrote

The whole bare bones thing sounds liek a win and there will be early adopters but then people will realise they want creature comforts and should have just spent $40K and been done with it.

And then it will be resold under MSRP and the circle will continue onto the next person...

Lots and lots of people have no interest in DIY projects or customizing their property. It will definitely be a niche market for these...

FrankL wrote

The Ford Maverick went it launched a few years was going to be close to $20K.
It is a nice looking little pick up and I still like Ford to some extent. I am not sure what they really cost. Do not want any Ford Ecoboost engines.

If I want a turbo it is B48 or B58 even though I own and N55 and N20. Bob Lutz got BMW to started with turbos with the BMW 2002. Turbos = only BMW and only single turbo.

Agreed. I absolutely love the Maverick concept and commend Ford on taking a chance and offering it. It's been a huge success for them. Like you noted, Ford Ecoboost motors have not been the pinnacle of reliability. I would consider their hybrid model, but it's a CVT. I cannot stand the CVT moan. No thank you. I'm hopeful the upcoming Toyota competitor will offer with an ICE only variant with a real automatic.

XutvJet wrote

Agreed. I absolutely love the Maverick concept and commend Ford on taking a chance and offering it. It's been a huge success for them. Like you noted, Ford Ecoboost motors have not been the pinnacle of reliability. I would consider their hybrid model, but it's a CVT. I cannot stand the CVT moan. No thank you. I'm hopeful the upcoming Toyota competitor will offer with an ICE only variant with a real automatic.

Any more of a non-pinnacle of BMW's turbo engines? The 2.3L EcoBoost in my Bronco hasn't yet started leaking at the valve cover, or oil pan, nor oil filter housing (if it actually has one - it has a screw-on filter). Makes good power and returns excellent fuel economy. 16,000 miles in, so far I like it. Out of the EcoBoost family, the 2.3L is the workhorse.

The N52 and M20 are my two favorite engines of all time.

I test drove the Maverick last year. It's too compromised IMO. 4-doors with a cramped rear seat and resulting small bed. Should have been a 2-door offered.

Equilibrandt wrote

I personally really enjoy the idea of letting people buy a barebones truck, with a loan, if they so choose, and then letting them upgrade bits later on (with cash). It's an intriguing business model, versus the whole "spec your $25k car how you want it and oops, now it's $40k, sorry!".

Just to be clear, are you implying customers have to purchase the base truck and all accessories are sold after-sale?

I don't think that's the case, you can select accessories at time of purchase and certainly walk away with a $40K vehicle (and loan) if that is your desire.

Sure you can always buy accessories after the fact, but at that point how is it any different from a BMW or any other make?

Efthreeoh wrote

I test drove the Maverick last year. It's too compromised IMO. 4-doors with a cramped rear seat and resulting small bed. Should have been a 2-door offered.

I have the answer to your automotive dilemma, the UTE!

The VW Rabbit Pickup—globally known as the Caddy—was a front-wheel drive "ute" manufactured at the Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, plant from 1979 to 1984. Known for its exceptional fuel efficiency, this compact, unibody truck featured a 1,100 lb payload capacity and was largely powered by a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated diesel engine.

jkoral wrote

Just to be clear, are you implying customers have to purchase the base truck and all accessories are sold after-sale?

I don't think that's the case, you can select accessories at time of purchase and certainly walk away with a $40K vehicle (and loan) if that is your desire.

Sure you can always buy accessories after the fact, but at that point how is it any different from a BMW or any other make?

Because the optional "accessories" are not installed on the assembly line.

jkoral wrote

Just to be clear, are you implying customers have to purchase the base truck and all accessories are sold after-sale?

I don't think that's the case, you can select accessories at time of purchase and certainly walk away with a $40K vehicle (and loan) if that is your desire.

Sure you can always buy accessories after the fact, but at that point how is it any different from a BMW or any other make?

No, I meant you can go either route. Most people will spec the car as they want it and take a loan for the whole thing.

What's cool here is when you go into the Slate configurator, each part (for example, swapping from manual to power windows) gives a tooling and time allotment estimate. It'll say stuff like "Novice" or "expert" and "X number of hours for install".

The implication here is that you can upgrade your Slate in meaningful ways over time, as you realize you can't live without something. That's very different than a BMW, as you said, because my M340ix is full of stuff I don't need and anything I do add is usually aftermarket or aesthetic, not BMW. That's all I meant: add power windows one month, replace the no-speaker option with the novice-level speaker install in a few hours, which differs from replacing my BMW's stock speakers with new speakers.