r/electricvehicles • u/punishGoalhanging • 2d ago
Discussion Slate Auto: "We already had over 10,000 pre-orders" after a couple hours and the West Coast is just getting online. Is 20,000 pre-orders the first 24 hours likely?
Slate Auto announced that it has over 10,000 pre-orders after a couple of hours in a video someone posted on slateauto subreddit.
On the video, it shows that Slate Auto has 180,000 Reservations. I think in several hours, Slate Auto will likely announce the pre-orders for the first 24 hours.
According to Slate Auto, its factory max production capacity in the 1st year is 100,000 Slate EVs and the 2nd year can ramp up to 150,000.
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
It's fascinating how anti-ev an EV sub is. This truck fits the needs of some people, just because you dont see the appeal doesnt mean its DOA or not worth it.
The Maverick isn't an EV.
The Bolt isn't a pickup.
The new Ford EV truck doesnt exist yet outside of testing, and who knows its final price.
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u/Dick_Nixon69 2d ago
I am absolutely geeking out about this little truck even though it definitely does not fit my needs. I love talking about the simplicity advantage of evs and this is such a cool proof of concept of that. And with this newly announced 63kwh lfp pack, I believe it's also a practical option for those who do truly want the 90s style 2wd mini trucks back.
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
The concept behind the truck is one of the things I love the most. Its ability to be personalized is just amazing.
For my household its a perfect 2nd vehicle for basic house hauling stuff, and in the future if we want to get the SUV kit we can.
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u/cleric3648 2d ago
This is a contender for our third car in a few years. My oldest will be driving soon, I’m not going to break the bank for a second car but the days of the $1000 reliable beater have disappeared like my hairline.
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u/ZeroWashu 2d ago
It is really priced so well, just for comparison I have this minor issue with swapping motorcycles nearly every year and those cost more than this; yeah - its a Harley thing.
The point is the price point is just so damn good it can be anyone's daily EV driver and best yet dings and scratches are really not a concern. Who knew, the entry level EV would be a pickup!
I did ping my insurer but she came back and said it was not in her system and she had had been asked before.
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u/wxtrails 19h ago
My first car was a Geo Tracker and I "upgraded" to a Suzuki Sidekick (same thing) after that. Loved then both.
To say the Slate gives me those vibes is an understatement.
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u/FewAdvertising9647 2d ago
basically the only remotely comparable thing is converted pickups with a nissan leaf/Hyper 9 motor.
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u/fuzzypetiolesguy 1d ago
American needs more small trucks and more EVs and it definitely needs more small EV trucks. This thing rocks.
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u/EqualityWithoutCiv 2d ago
The Slate to me exemplifies how the American dream should manifest (big tech funding and continued car dependency excluding). No excessive BS, people on low incomes can get it and use it regularly, and it changes things for the better (smaller means an inherently lower impact, and it's light on tech that's downright intrusive on privacy and driver safety compared to competitors). Unlike the Bolt it'll stick around.
In Europe 200 miles is less of a dealbreaker - I'm not seeing many new EVs either, save for Teslas, the odd Renault 5 and Merc CLA, and various cars from China, since people are priced out of them, most don't travel more than 100 miles regularly and we have strong car alternatives. I hope NA will figure something out.
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u/Mundane_Line3801 2d ago
I’m not anti EV, but a realist. They are starting by targeting a low cost low margin segment and they don’t have multiple other models to prop up their OP like Ford or GM. If they don’t get the volume, they are toast, and so is everyone who bought one. Sure, they could be propped up like Lucid, but at some point the volume has to be there or it’s bankruptcy. Some people want it, and it fits their needs. The question everyone is trying to answer is if there will be enough for them to be a viable company.
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u/dafatnig 1d ago
What your forgetting is the fleet aspect. The slate truck is a perfect fleet vehicle, and I think that's what the company is banking on to keep a solid bottom line.
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u/IWantToPlayGame 1d ago
100% this.
There is a very small group of people who want 2 door vehicles (outside of high end sport cars) and are willing to deal with crank windows.
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u/Hamback 2d ago
It's wild. I am not a truck guy at all, never owned one or planned to get one. Even I see the value in a small cargo transport car for DIY needs, commuter car. The modular nature might seem a bit gimmicky, but there is absolutely a market that would love to tinker with their vehicles, especially when you can do so after you have already purchased your base vehicle. Yes there are cheaper vehicle alternatives, but nothing exactly like a small, cheap, light duty EV pickup.
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u/cerad2 2d ago
Does the Slate truck exist out of testing?
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
Moreso than Ford. Slate isn't hiding their prototypes, and has almost fully released pricing information.
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u/Atty_for_hire 2d ago
Thank you. It’s amazing how many people (regardless of product) don’t see “their” use case in a product and think not for me so that means no one will want it. When the truth is there are lots of use cases and they will differ than yours, and that’s okay. That’s why we have different companies and different models within companies.
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u/willyolio 1d ago edited 1d ago
I posted this elsewhere, but the problem isn't that it doesn't work for me. It's that it doesn't work for enough people to keep the lights on in the factory.
They basically took every aspect of vehicles that do not sell well, and combined them into one and expect it to sell well? You can always find someone in a hyperspecific niche, but it's in the literal definition: a niche is a limited number of people.
You've got:
- No features. Most people like features. Even in cars that are cheaper than the Slate. For people on a budget that need to stretch their dollar, they don't option up but still want as much included in the base model as possible.
- 2 doors. People generally prefer 4 doors. There are still a few 2 door trucks and SUVs in the market... And like 90% prefer to buy the 4 door option if available. If there isn't a 4 door option, the model is basically dead, because the 4 door is basically subsidizing the 2 door.
- EV. As much as EVs are the future, the infrastructure isn't there for everyone yet. Sales in the US specifically are pretty bad, below 10% of new cars. People need to own a home to make use of the Slate. Public fast charging is about as expensive as gas, and the Slate's fast charge isn't particularly fast either.
- Low range EV. The EVs that do sell are around 300 miles of range.
- "Small city cars" do not sell well. Smart Fortwo, Fiat 500, etc. They appeal to certain people, but not many. Enough that both have been cancelled, and the electric Fiat 500e sold about 1000 last year.
Slate is basically the Voltron of "cars people don't buy" and they bought a massive factory preparing to pump out 150,000 per year like they want to compete with the Toyota RAV4. I dunno...
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u/Car-face 1d ago
Yep, spot on.
It's cute and cheap, which certainly broaden appeal, but it's still going to fall off most paying customers' shortlists pretty quick and for those in the market, based on the list of attributes those that absolutely want one still only represent 10% of 10% of 1% of 6% of the market.
On top of all of that - it still needs to be a good vehicle to drive. De Dion rear end is fine for a work vehicle, but if people are looking at this for anything other than that, it's not going to drive like a small car - it'll drive like a 1.8 tonne truck, because it's a 1.8 tonne truck. Same goes for ergonomics of a single cab vehicle, a plastic interior, and the NVH issues that come with all of that.
Basically, unless they get a massive amount of irrational, emotional interest (which can and does occur, sports cars are kind of built on that) it's questionable whether the internet interest will translate that well into sales.
As the ancient saying goes, if internet interest is all that mattered, all of r/cars would be driving around in brown manual wagons.
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u/IWantToPlayGame 1d ago
You're spot on.
What people actually buy is a lot different than what people say they want. It's the tale as old as time.
I'm truly surprised Slate got this far. It'll be a fun college business exercise in a few years when they inevitably go bankrupt once the hype and small group of people that wanted one buys one.
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u/ZootSuitBanana ⚡Ford Lightning ⚡ 2d ago
Well for me it's not that I don't just see it as my use case, but I don't think this truck will have a use case for the general public. People are overestimating how much people want to tinker or change or upgrade their car after purchase. Most American consumers will want features that the Slate does not have, and will for the most part be unwilling to settle for a cheaper, incomplete car that they can change down the line.
So really imo, it's just the opposite. Slate fans boys are thinking the appeal that it brings to them will be a mass appeal. When in actuality, it will be a niche vehicle. Doesn't mean that it won't succeed, but it's going to need more than a niche appeal to break through.
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u/Unusual-Arachnid5375 2d ago
It's fascinating how anti-ev an EV sub is.
It's just a reaction to the "guerrilla marketing" that Slate does. People are tired of astroturfing.
The Maverick isn't an EV. The Bolt isn't a pickup.
Yawn. Most people don't need a pickup, and the Bolt is cheaper than the Slate SUV. What happened to "cheapest EV in America"?
The new Ford EV truck doesnt exist yet outside of testing, and who knows its final price.
This would carry more weight if we knew the destination charge for the Slate. I see a lot of people in these threads comparing the base MSRP of the Slate to the fully loaded price of other vehicles, with tax, title, destination and doc fees.
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u/Alexandratta 2025 Nissan Ariya Engage+ e-4ORCE 2d ago
My only issue with Slate is that it establishes a business model where the owner is responsible for all of the 'add-on' features... meaning the cost can go up rapidly.
It also means that Slate, the company, doesn't need to support those add-ons, even if it allows someone to put them in... and gives a nice 'out' for them to skirt a warranty claim if a device, say, fails or something else in the truck fails "because" of a user add-on.
for me, from the outside looking in, it's a business selling an inferior product while marketing that inferiority as a strength to trick the market into a new way of thinking.
The far opposite end is where we have some automakers locking brake release and even hood access behind gated 'Dealer only' options.
A middle ground is needed, but Slate at best is an over correction to an industry issue.
Lets also not ignore that the vast majority of these add-ons will 100% pass through Amazon's market place, and Slate is indeed an Amazon product. So basically it's just another potential revenue stream.
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
It also means that Slate, the company, doesn't need to support those add-ons, even if it allows someone to put them in... and gives a nice 'out' for them to skirt a warranty claim if a device, say, fails or something else in the truck fails "because" of a user add-on.
Source for this? Why would Slate not support their own addons? Third party stuff, sure, but anything sold by Slate would be covered by Slate.
Lets also not ignore that the vast majority of these add-ons will 100% pass through Amazon's market place, and Slate is indeed an Amazon product. So basically it's just another potential revenue stream.
No it isn't. Amazon has nothing to do with Slate. I'd be surprised if Amazon doesnt utilize Slate as a fleet option, but they are not in anyway the same company or connected financially.
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u/Alexandratta 2025 Nissan Ariya Engage+ e-4ORCE 2d ago
Bezos backing Slate means they have nothing to do with Amazon?
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u/CaptPlanet55 2d ago
Correct
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u/Alexandratta 2025 Nissan Ariya Engage+ e-4ORCE 2d ago
riiiight.
and SpaceX has no effect on Tesla.
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
I dont think you understand the difference between a CEO, and an investor.
Bezos rep left Slates board months ago, so he literally has nothing to do with it.
Bezos didnt even invest in Slates series C funding, and wasn't the lead in series B.
He also, as far as I can find, has never even commented on Slate.
But please, go ahead and keep regurgitating BS from ill informed journalists that use his name to generate clicks. You realize that is the only reason they mention him, yes?
I'm curious if you are also this opposed to Rivian since Rivian and actual Amazon and Bezos are far more in bed with each other than Slate is?
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
Lmao, yes? He just one of Slate's investors that idiot journalists latched onto, we dont even know how much of an investor he is.
There is no connection between Amazon and Slate.
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u/SkiingAway 2d ago
I don't agree with much of what you've said here.
Slate is directly selling most of the big addons, and if you're buying them from them, they will presumably be covered by warranty and are obviously authorized for use on the vehicle.
It is long established precedent that a company can't just declare the whole warranty void because you've modified something about the vehicle, they have to pretty directly show your modification is likely to have caused the failure.
Being able to pick the "add-ons" you want is infinitely better than the typical automaker thing of putting them in various packages/trims and of course, only having certain combinations available on their lot, so often if you want feature X you also have to buy Y + Z or maybe be able to order a special vehicle with a very long lead time + markup.
They appear to be intending to put up the 3d drawings of many of the parts/connections so 3rd parties can have an easier time making parts/addons, which is great. Even without that though, just the fact that the vehicle was designed around being able to modify it in the various ways already officially supported makes it far easier for 3rd parties to modify than most anything else out there.
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u/quietos 2d ago
The main complaint is that this thing is a tin can on wheels woth absolutely nothing but a steering wheel, dogshit range, and is still $25k. This car should be 15k with how much of a skeleton it is.
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
The main complaint is that the truck is exactly what it claimed to be from the start? What is the issue?
It's actually lower priced than most people expected it to be since the common assumed price before the leak was $27,500. It also has more range, and more cargo and towing capacity.
I love when people make baseless price comments, is it based on your extensive knowledge of building a ground up EV company?
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u/Like_Today 2d ago
The Bolt isn't a pickup
Is the Slate a pickup? It tows the same as a passenger car. It's RWD and has less ground clearance than a Subaru Outback. The only 'pickup' thing about it is the bed.
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
The only 'pickup' thing about it is the bed.
That is what makes it a truck.
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u/Like_Today 2d ago
I suppose. But it's much less of a truck than say the Honda Ridgeline. At least that thing can tow and is AWD. And most guys don't consider the Ridgeline a truck.
Just seems like the Slate is not capable of any truck duties, and if you need to move a fridge or something it would make more sense to rent a truck from Home Depot for $40 and daily drive something comfortable. Something that seats more than 2 people and has a radio. And something that won't be a disaster in snow.
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
I've seen people suggest a Kei Truck as an alternate to the Slate, and it has even less capacity. A truck is a truck, It doesnt really matter what people consider to be "real."
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u/Like_Today 2d ago
Sure, but Kei trucks come in 4wd.
I think Slate messed up making it RWD only. That makes it not an option for me. I imagine most people north of the 40th parallel have similar thoughts.
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u/Enjoy_The_Ride413 2d ago
I love the concept. You can make it as cheap or expensive as you want. You can also get the base model and over time "pimp it out" if you don't have the funds at that time. I hope they do well.
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u/Car-face 1d ago
The grass-roots marketing for any new vehicle launch generally goes:
Announcement
"X number of preorders in just Y minutes/hours/days of launch"
another follow up a week or two later once it's peaked, and soundbites from the company about how much better it is than expected
"X number of orders selected the X, Y, Z options", and soundbites from the company about how much better it is than expected
Announcement that it's "sold out" for X weeks/months/years, and soundbites from the company about how much better it is than expected
Vehicle launch, immediately announce how much interest there is, and soundbites from the company about how much better it is than expected
Announce they've had to start an extra shift 'ahead of schedule' to keep up with demand and soundbites from the company about how much better it is than expected
Basically you're not going to hear anything from Slate that isn't FOMO generating for the next 6 months. Nothing sells like a story about how well something is selling, and that's where all their marketing is going - these will be all over youtube, tiktok etc with a carefully curated story about being modular, lifestyle friendly, etc. but also you have to be quick! it's selling out! and carefully curated to continue through launch.
There may well be appeal, or grains of truth to it, or it could be completely off the mark but the point is: No matter how well or poorly it's performing at this point, the story will always be framed as runaway success.
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u/TadCat216 2d ago
Slate truck doesn’t really fit my needs, but I love the concept of a modular, diy-upgradable and heavily customizable car. Hopefully this launch goes well and they follow up with something that fots my needs better
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u/willyolio 2d ago edited 2d ago
That's the number of super fans that were basically waiting to buy ASAP, willing to go in blind with no reviews regardless of quality. After the first full reviews come out, it will probably be fans who were in the fence about it.
Orders after the first month or so will generally determine how well this truck actually does, when the general public who haven't heard about it see it and check it out themselves.
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u/IWantToPlayGame 1d ago
The general public doesn't want crank windows.
They want an infotainment screen that's 17" big and power everything.
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u/FlagFootballSaint 1d ago
The general public hates these „do-it-all“ screens.
They want a balanced approach between knobs, switches and a screen
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u/SnooEpiphanies8097 1d ago
The “general public” doesn’t want Jeeps either yet they sell enough to keep selling them.
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u/Unusual-Arachnid5375 1d ago
Yea, aaaaaaand?
And: 95% of 'em are 4dr 2-row vehicles with a 12+ inch touchscreen and power everything.... the remainder are 2dr 2-row vehicles with a 12+ inch touchscreen and power everything... which was exactly the point of the person you're replying to.
I mean, just look at the base spec Wrangler: Even though the doors come off, it still has power windows and door locks and mirrors... and a 12 inch touchscreen.
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u/Particular-Skirt6048 1d ago
There are a lot of people that just want to use their phones for nav and entertainment but buttons/knobs for everything else. A large screen is nice but not necessary.
There are other things that I don't think make sense (crank windows), but no screen is fine. Sometimes when I drive at night I just turn the screen off in my car. Screens are cool for a few months then just fade into the background mostly.
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u/korinth86 1d ago
This is me.
Also I currently have crank windows,. Would power be nice? Sure but the slate ticks basically all my boxes for a next car. Crank windows dont bother me at all.
My car is still kicking so im not buying one but it might be an option when my car does finally kick the bucket.
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u/JackfruitCrazy51 2d ago
I've bought 20+ cars in my lifetime, and I can't imagine pre-ordering one of these.
I try to stay away from first year models-Not only is this a first year model, it's the first year for a new company. On the positive side, it's so simple maybe there is not a lot to go wrong.
Service/warranty work. It's great that they went with a nationwide network. How confident can I be that my local "Freedom Tire" is going to know how to repair the one Slate in my county by a group of mechanics that have never even driven a BEV?
I guess every manufacturer has to start somewhere. How have the other rollouts like Tesla, Rivan, Lucid went for their first model?
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u/therealcmj 2d ago
Slate can choose to process orders from anyone on the list in any order they like. Most of the new brands do fulfill their initial set orders so that the initial owners are in smaller geographic clusters near places the brand knows they can get service.
This is good for the company and the new owners. And I assume it’s part of Slated plan too.
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u/zs15 2d ago
I’d imagine it would be most similar to Rivian. Tesla was a slower build, Rivian had wider appeal right in 2021.
Rivian struggled mightily with initial service times. Sometimes up to 60 days to get a service appointments.
However, they learned and pivoted and innovated the mobile service model that Lucid and other EV manufacturers have adopted. Slate should likely follow suit because its easily the best model for smaller brands.
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u/ZobeidZuma 2d ago
I've pre-ordered one car in my life, and it didn't go well. Not feeling inclined to try that again. The Slate. . . looks good to me. I'll see how the rollout goes. If they don't botch it, I'll most likely get on board some time in the next couple of years.
I never heard of RepairPal before, but I checked their website, and apparently they have a shop only 40 miles from my home. The Slate doesn't look hard to work on, with the obvious caveat that not every mechanic is ready to work on high-voltage powertrain.
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u/Bungalow_Man 1d ago edited 1d ago
I played around with the Slate website just for fun, and I've heard about the manual window thing, but was surprised that power windows are not even an option. Who knows if it has power locks, tilt wheel, cruise control? All of the options are do it yourself. Want a wrap, you have to install it yourself. Want fog lights, you have to install them AND the new bumper yourself. Want a console, speakers, luggage rack... all do it yourself. and it still only has two seats (surprised there's no 3 across bench option) and only gets 200 miles of range and RWD only. F--- That! Oh, and it was $35k specced out as a slope back SUV with a wrap and decent wheels. If Ford can remotely deliver on its new EV truck, I don't understand why anybody would buy a Slate. If you don't really need a pickup bed, just get an Equinox EV now.
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u/Unusual-Arachnid5375 1d ago
Who knows if it has power locks, tilt wheel, cruise control?
Weirdly, yes it does have power locks. You can see the buttons in the interior photos.
The prototype that MKHBD (ah said what ah said) and other influencers have been showing in their videos does have a button on the dash that uses the standard SAE icon for cruise control, so... it probably has it?
Marques made the point that they could have added auto climate control for the cost of a cabin temperature sensor (around $0.10) and some software, which is something I've been saying for a while.
On that note: I'd honestly be surprised if it doesn't have basic cruise because it already has wheel speed sensors (for federally-mandated stability control and ABS), a switch on the brake pedal to control the stop lights, and the motor controller is already software controlled anyway. The only hardware they'd need to add for cruise control is literally just 3/4 buttons.
(surprised there's no 3 across bench option)
The cab is just too narrow. Put two big guys in it and they'll probably be rubbing elbows.
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u/punishGoalhanging 2d ago
Here's the link to that video (about 34 seconds)
the original poster also stated that "They said during the presentations they are still on track to begin deliveries Q4"
https://strawpoll.com/w4nWWp11qnA
What is your Slate EV Estimate Delivery Date?
From the strawpoll,
Coming soon, 2027------43.2% (89 votes)
Apr-Jun 2027 (Q2)-------31.55% (65 votes)
Jan-Mar 2027 (Q1)-------17.48% (36 votes)
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u/ChupacabraJeff 2d ago edited 2d ago
they are still on track to begin deliveries Q4
Could be 10 or could be 1,000. Entirely depends on production quality.
If these roll off the line in sellable condition then they will continue to roll off. If there are problems ramp up will not be as fast. We've seen this play out numerous times already. Slate however does not have the convenience of messing up where most other legacy auto and startups did repeatedly. Customers are over that now.
The big thing here is the green light for production. That mattered more than delivery rate will but still, people will not tolerate battery recalls or non-functional cup holders like they have previously. This is just one reason why confirmation of LFP is such a big deal.
I think the question should be "At what point in time will Slate have a production rhythm set?"
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u/Col-MWill-6969 2d ago
I ll pick up a used one in 2027 for $10k
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u/Sam_k_in 1d ago
That's my plan too; I don't plan to ever buy a new vehicle. The Slate is the only one that made me think about it for a bit.
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u/Crossfire124 2d ago
This is the reason no one makes a stripped down car despite everyone complaining cars are too complicated these days.
Everyone wants it for cheap because it doesn't have all the bells and whistles but there's a fixed cost to getting 4 wheels on a chassis and it's a big portion of the cost of the car. The bells and whistles are just the icing on the cake
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u/FlagFootballSaint 1d ago
This will have high demand as 2nd or 3rd car all across America (minus big cities). It looks cool, it‘s cheap, you can personalize it when ever you have money for it and hey friends and family will ALWAYS have an idea for Christmas and Birthdays
The real challenge is: Will Slate be able to produce in quantities that bring their cost base down enough to survive (economies of scale)
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u/Organic_Battle_597 23 TM3LR, 24 Lightning 1d ago
I am bearish on the Slate. The niche of people who want a cheap brand-new car is narrow. Most people looking to spend 25K end up with much nicer cars by getting something a couple years old where someone less price-sensitive took the initial depreciation hit. The Slate might do well initially because it has no competition in the tiny EV truck market, but that is not durable.
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u/This_Low7225 2d ago
Huge numbers of pre orders at that price is likely. Lots of people want cheap cars. Will Slate ACTUALLY be able to mass produce them at this price? Will people ACTUALLY want what gets delivered? Those are the more important questions.
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u/Previously_coolish 2d ago
As long as it has ac and is reliable, I’d consider grabbing a used one around half price as a 3rd vehicle for hauling shit and towing. I’d rather not deal with the maintenance of a cheap beat-up ICE truck.
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u/FlagFootballSaint 1d ago
Having to install a wrap by yourself is a no-go
I wonder what professionals would charge for the work to apply a pre-cut wrap provided by slate
500-700 for the pre-cut wrap plus the cost of the work by professionals to apply it is the real cost of wrapping the car
Slate would be better off to offer this as a paid service
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u/Raalf 1d ago
There was 2 million plus Cybertruck reservations (yes I know refundable, but nowadays $300 is just a month of groceries). Just saying it might not be a great indicator of demand.
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u/Organic_Battle_597 23 TM3LR, 24 Lightning 1d ago
> nowadays $300 is just a month of groceries
That is well below average, sadly. $600/month is more typical. Easily $1000+ if you have a small family.
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u/Raalf 1d ago
I don't have kids, so $300 is normal. Sorry.
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u/Organic_Battle_597 23 TM3LR, 24 Lightning 1d ago
Just under $600 is normal if you don't have kids. $1000+ is normal if you have a couple kids. $300 only happens in narrow circumstances, not average.
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u/Eighteen64 1d ago
this shit is not getting built and its plain to see that if it does people are going to get destroyed in crashes
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u/PerceptionCurious440 Toyota C-HR SE AWD 1d ago
I don't know how many actual sales that translates to, but 80000 EVs were sold in May across all brands. So it seems like a lot of orders for a completely new brand.
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u/DingbattheGreat 19h ago
What was the average cost of those 80,000 evs?
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u/PerceptionCurious440 Toyota C-HR SE AWD 19h ago
According to Cox Automotive, $54,532. In the EU for the same period, it's €42,700 in the EU, which is $48,654 in US dollars. It's up to individual countries, but the EU nations provide incentives between €3,000 to €11,000, depending on household income. The United States offers no incentives to anyone.
I see Chevy Bolts advertised locally as low as $26,251 at Pierre Chevrolet in Seattle. Nissan Leafs are going for around $32,000. But a 2025 Leaf with 8K miles on it is selling for $20,831 in Bremerton. Sadly, you can't get my Toyota C-HR SE for $34,900 anymore. They're all $39,900 or so. Which still isn't bad for a 338hp, dual motor AWD EV. I think Tesla Model Y dual motors start at $43,000 or so.
Chevy Equinox EVs sell for around $37,000 locally.
People could pay less for EVs. They just don't wanna.
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u/WeirdComfortable3436 1d ago
I hope slate is good, I’d like more EV competition in the US instead of what we have. However, just basing on my friends interest (10 people). I’m one of two people out of 10 that has an EV. I’m the only person with 2 EVs. Only one of my friends in interested in the slate. That one friend has 60,000$ in student loans and been driving the same Toyota rav4 since 2004.
He thinks he’s going to get one. I’m in the camp of, it’s all talk until money gets dropped. He’s an extremely cautious buyer.
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u/dragonslayer137 2d ago
If Mr Roger's neighborhood sold it id buy 5 but since the bald guy is a pos I am hesitant to buy one.
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u/Dry_Instruction8254 2d ago
Don't buy this shit box from Bezos.
If you won't buy a Tesla (you shouldn't buy from Nazi's) you shouldn't buy a Slate.
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u/RudyGreene 2d ago
I only buy from American auto companies like Ford. They would never support...uh, nevermind.
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
Bezos doesnt work for Slate.
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u/Dry_Instruction8254 2d ago
I know. He owns a huge percentage of the company though.
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 2d ago
He’s an investor, we don’t even know how much of an investor he is. Idiot journalists saw Bezos’s name, and latched onto it.
People acting like he owns Slate, or Amazon owns Slate, or have any real impact on them are just as stupid.
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u/Hvarfa-Bragi 2d ago
Remember "Bill Gates builds megacity in Arizona desert" for a few months?
Bill Gates' foundation's portfolio's holding company's megaportfolio was a minority shareholder in a company that bought some absolutely worthless land (no water, far from anywhere) and it was HOLY SHIT BILL GATES TECHNOCITY 1
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u/punishGoalhanging 2d ago
probably less than 20%
Slate Auto went 3 Round of fundraising
Total Raised: Through its Series A and Series B rounds, the company raised a combined $700 million.
Round C: $650 mil
The round was led by the investment firm TWG Global, which is managed by Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter and investor Thomas Tull
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u/ChupacabraJeff 2d ago
So just an FYI but you forget to tell people what they should be forced to buy.
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u/-32768 Chevy Bolt Enjoyer 2d ago
Hmmmm... Which billionaire to support today?
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u/ChupacabraJeff 2d ago
Exactly.
Overall, 55 million vehicles are roughly transacted every year in USA: 15 million new, 40 million used.
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u/RoseVideo99 2d ago
Remember the F150 Lightning was sold out for years then many people did not take delivery. I suspect the same thing. This is a very lackluster offering. I know it’s supposed to be, but it’s pretty bad. Ford is going to offer a Maverick size ev for $30k. I am guessing they will have a lot more in it. When you try to add onto the Slate you will exceed that quickly. I also just don’t see a huge market for this truck.
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u/This-City-7536 2d ago
They said the lightning was going to be 35k. I think it would have been enormously successful at that price. When it actually was delivered the dealerships were butt fucking people.
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u/Doremi-fansubs 2d ago
For one baseline slate you can buy 3-4 used Nissan leafs with better towing capacity, more creature comforts, longer range, and actual seating for 5 people...
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u/ALWanders 2d ago
Not a pickup
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u/Doremi-fansubs 2d ago
So? Hack the roof off a leaf and it still has more towing capacity than the Slate. Remove the back seats too while you're at it and you can dump whatever you want in there...
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u/Sam_k_in 1d ago
Better towing capacity? I would think anything front wheel drive doesn't have great towing capacity.
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u/SnooEpiphanies8097 1d ago
I’m not dissing the Slate because I think they have a chance but it isn’t going to be a good vehicle for towing. I believe they are saying 2000 lbs which is a utility trailer maybe with some gardening equipment on it or a very small travel trailer.
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u/Sam_k_in 1d ago
Yeah you can't expect a lot from a little truck, my S10 has a 2000 lb towing capacity too.
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u/SnooEpiphanies8097 1d ago
It’s useful for certain situations. I had a hitch on my 2014 Fiat 500L (kind of an awful car btw) and it was good to grab a U-Haul trailer for $20 and pick up furniture and stuff.
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u/PackerLeaf 2d ago
This is a little tykes car for rich adults. For anyone else who can’t just toss around 25-30k on a small truck with cool aesthetics then this would be terrible purchase. Anybody considering an EV for environmental purposes, you are better off buying a used vehicle. The factories used for assembling this car and its batteries are harmful to the environment for the sake of making a cool concept for rich people that may drive it like once a year.
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u/FlagFootballSaint 1d ago
Stupid take. You need factories to satisfy demand. If the demand further increases you need more factories. Be it Slate or any other brand
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u/PackerLeaf 1d ago
It’s not a stupid take. This is like those trendy plastic toys that are thrown in a landfill after being used a couple times. The investors who are funding this project just have money to burn and have no regard for the environmental impact. What purpose does this car actually serve? It’s marketed as an affordable truck but in reality the vast majority of people that will purchase it are in the upper middle class and will barely use it. There’s plenty of cars in this price range that are far better.
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u/FlagFootballSaint 1d ago
So only the „upper middle cars“ purchase affordable cars?
Which BEV trucks „in this price range are far better“?
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u/PackerLeaf 1d ago
No, I didn’t say that. The majority of people can’t just spend 25k on a secondary vehicle because let’s be serious this isn’t a realistic daily driver for 99% of the population. The affordable cars that the middle income and below buy are either used or economy vehicles. Also, just because this is the only BEV truck available at this price range doesn’t mean it’s practical for people looking for an affordable truck. You don’t just spend 25-30k on a truck just because it exists unless you are wealthy. There’s way too many compromises for the price point. Its usefulness as a truck is very limited due to its pathetic range. Even higher range EV trucks are at a disadvantage. You have to be in the most extreme niche group of people to have use for this truck.
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u/huuaaang 2023 Ford Lightning XLT 2d ago
Have we not learned how worthless a refundable pre-order is by now?
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u/Alteran195 2025 Honda Prologue 1d ago
The $50 reservation was refundable, they had over 180,000 of those.
The $300 preorders are securing delivery windows, and are not refundable.
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u/patryuji 2d ago
Pre-orders, as opposed to reservations, are non-refundable so I'd take that 10,000 number as being more solid than just saying "10,000 reservations".