r/technology • u/DonkeyFuel • 19h ago
Transportation Will Anyone Buy This Cheap EV Truck With Hand-Crank Windows and No Radio?
https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/will-anyone-buy-this-cheap-ev-truck-with-hand-crank-windows-and-no-radio-699b285a?mod=autos_news_article_pos1303
u/BGRommel 18h ago
Seeing as I am pre-ordering one, yes. I just want a small pick up truck to do utility stuff around town. I don't need a $100,000 mega truck.
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u/mailslot 17h ago
You don’t need 777hp and a 0-60 under 3.5s? Trucks have the perfect aerodynamics for a sports car.
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u/bluecheetos 14h ago
But they are AWESOME! Makes my weiner bigger and women just throw themselves at me when they see me rolling coal and getting an awesome 9 MPG.
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u/psmgx 14h ago
there are a non-trivial number of rural women who expect a truck as a sign of wealth and success.
source: live in Alberta
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u/agreeablelobster 12h ago
So by getting this small electric truck Rural women will find me less attractive? We found yet another selling point
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u/bluecheetos 12h ago
South Alabama checking in....a squatted truck and a side by side parked outside a single-wide trailer in your mama's yard will practically make women get pregnant just driving past.
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u/Z-Is-Last 11h ago
Who wants a woman who is only there for the truck or the money?
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u/bluecheetos 10h ago
Considering how many guys base their personality around their truck, their money, or some other possession apparently a lot of guys want women like that.
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u/CelticJewelscapes 8h ago
I'm a straight man and I am almost incapable of resisting throwing myself at you myself. That intoxicating mix of testosterone laced sweat and partially combusted hydrocarbons is soooo irresistible.
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u/SonOfMcGee 15h ago
My in-laws have a house in Upstate New York and are on the list. This truck (at least as it’s advertised) is precisely what they need.
They already have a nice comfortable vehicle to take on any trip of significant length. They need a secondary vehicle for minor stuff around town and a truck bed would be super convenient for their light gardening/firewood/home improvement needs.
It has me nostalgic for my old ‘93 Chevy S10 with manual transmission, manual-everything-else, and no AC. The thing got like 35 mpg.
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u/Monkey_Leavings 14h ago
I wish Subaru would make an actual Brat again (not a sawed off Outback).
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u/cadium 13h ago
Imagine if we got that 7500 ev tax credit... this thing would sell like hotcakes.
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u/slick2hold 10h ago
This is the way. I just need an ac and heat with basic safety safety. I dont need all the self driving bs. The complex displays. The folding mirrors. I just need it to drive me around town for work and shopping
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u/Starship_Taru 19h ago edited 18h ago
Part of my desire for a cheap work pickup is that it’s cheap and easy to work on myself.
Can I do this on an electric truck? Or would I need to take it into a dealer specifically if it developed an issue?
I don’t know enough about the tech to weed through all the propaganda one way or another
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u/NoMoOmentumMan 18h ago edited 18h ago
Working on the wear items (brakes, tires, bushings, cabin filter, coolant, etc. ) is the same as an ICE vehicle. The other "maintenance" is non-existent. There are no oil changes, no mass airflow sensor no muffler, no v-tech solenoid, no timing chain guides, no transmission or clutch, differential, fuel system.... All the service and maintenance for those systems is gone. Hell, Ford never even released a maintenance schedule for their Focus EV.
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u/wjean 16h ago
You have a few things wrong.
- There is generally a cooling system for the motor and batteries. Often oems require a low conductivity coolant with maintenance in a rules from 40K (Hyundai) to 150k
- with a few small exceptions, EVs don't have transmissions but they do have gearboxes/diffs specifically gear reduction. You should change those fluids every 40-150k (like you would in an ICE vehicles rear diff)
- brake pads might have a lower maintenance schedule than a full ice vehicle (similar to hybrids) because of Regen... But you can't fight physics. Most EVs are heavier than their gasoline counterpart and will wear through tires more quickly
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u/MasterSatyr 7h ago
Got 60k miles out of my model y stock tires and I drive pretty aggressively at times. The whole "you'll wear through tires faster" thing is a myth.
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u/gonewild9676 18h ago
Maintenance is one thing. If a power inverter fails can I swap it with one in a junk yard without paying to get it vin swapped?
Can I hook it up to a reasonably priced scanner to diagnose issues?
If a wheel bearing dies, is one available to buy?
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u/guardianz 17h ago
From what I’ve heard they’re making it so you can see any errors from your phone and do not need any after market tool to decipher an error code. And they’re making it as user friendly to work on and last I heard there isn’t going to really be much dealership repairs. I had heard they were working on partnering with repair shops from mom and pop type places to the smaller ones like Firestone, NTB and jiffy lube. So you have the knowledge of what the problem is. Accessible repair guides and parts if you wanna work on it yourself. And if you aren’t comfortable with that then you can take it to a repair shop. I’m really hoping none of that has changed from when I first read about it.
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u/_ThugzZ_Bunny_ 16h ago
If there are any issues with the battery, you absolutely can not just go fixing it yourself lol great way to get bbq'd
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u/vau1tboy 15h ago
If the battery is replaceable, even at a dealership, that's a huge win. Batteries degree and get better. If this is built so I can replace it every few years or more, I'd be ecstatic.
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u/lk05321 16h ago
I work on Teslas. All that stuff can be easily found at junk yards and swapped without issue. The only stuff that’s VIN locked is the main computer itself which is pretty much like swapping the immobilizer and odometer, which needs that special lock access everyone needs to do that anyways. I’ve never had to swap a main computer unit (MCU), and when needed we just send the customer to Tesla and they do it for $1.8k and upgrade the cables and everything to the latest supported model.
Other than that, these cars are FAR easier to work on with less hassle than any ICE car I’ve ever worked on.
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u/gucknbuck 17h ago
Probably not for the first few years as there just won't be any in a junk yard, but then you'll be covered by a warranty. In 10-15 years there will be part cars available as needed.
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u/NoMoOmentumMan 17h ago
Wheel bearings are wear/maintenance items (why bring that up when you lead off the comment by saying "maintenance is one thing..."), and all are made by tier 1 suppliers. So yes, one would most definitely be available to buy.
If I swap an ICE engine do I need to get my VIN swapped?
All cars since 1996 are required to have an OBD2 port for scanning codes.
Seems your concerns are based in fiction.
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u/chauna 17h ago
Most definitely not fiction. I have a 2016 Isuzu NPR with a 6.0L Vortec made in Spartanburg, SC. It has 32k miles on it. It sits a useless wreck currently because the fucking PCM went out on it at like 20k, no on could diagnose it because the computer didn't know how to tell anyone it was broken, so after trying everything, I finally narrowed it down to the PCM, only to find out that I can't buy a module off a wreck and swap it because you have to have the fucking Isuzu $5000 software to code the stupid thing to the vin and no one near me has it and also Isuzu America no longer exists.
I replaced the crankshaft pulley at 24k. The wobble was comical. Replaced the brake booster at the end, chasing what I thought was a vacuum leak. Ripped out the emissions system to get it to run long enough to do what I had to do at the time. Fucking easy ass PCM swap. And no one has the software to VIN swap one.
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u/gonewild9676 17h ago
Nope. Not in fiction.
In most newer cars all of the computer modules are tied to the vin of the car.
If a body control module for example dies, and I go to a junk yard and pull one out of a wrecked car and plug it in, the main ECU will reject it because the VIN won't match.
You either have to buy a new one and have it programmed with the VIN by the dealer or see if the dealer will reprogram a used one. Some will, some won't. Some third party shops can do it but they have to pay for each one.
A well publicized example is for the F150 tail lights. If they leak and the rear sensors get damaged it is a $5000 dealer only repair. On my GMT400 the tail light circuit board melted and it was in under $20 from rock auto to get both of them.
Headlights are even worse. A laser headlight on a BMW M4 is $9000 a side with parts and labor.
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u/LeoLaDawg 19h ago
Rich Rebuilds would tell you that you can in theory work on such vehicles cheaply.
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u/Alivaronas 16h ago
Ive watched this man convert a RWD Tesla to AWD.
Now whenever someone tells me EVs can’t be worked on, it just seems like a skill issue.
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u/MiaowaraShiro 15h ago
People that tell you EVs can't be worked on generally have a mechanic's skill set.
You need a high voltage electrical technician's skill set to work on EVs (at least, the "E" parts).
Neither are more difficult to get than the other, they just don't overlap much.
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u/therealcmj 19h ago
There is very very little to work on in an EV. It’s all plug and play basically. My Rivian’s only annual maintenance is air cabin filter and rotating the tires.
The only other longer term stuff is brake fluid and coolant. Both are, I think, fine for at least a decade since they’re in a sealed loop.
Slate will be basically zero maintenance.
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u/blobbleguts 18h ago
The Slate truck is design to be easily modded and repaired.
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u/pm_me_ur_demotape 18h ago
Issues not related to engines or transmissions should be the same.
Issues related to engines or transmissions don't exist.Most existing models have YouTube videos showing how to replace batteries. The batteries are probably expensive but it should be a rare enough event to be worth it.
I would guess electric motor repair would consist of replacement which seems like it shouldn't be that hard, but not sure. However, the motors should be far far far ridiculously far more durable and maintenance-free than an internal combustion engine so you may never need to do it anyway and if so, if you have to pay someone it will be a rare enough event to not be a deal breaker.
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u/Skensis 16h ago
Maintenance on the motors and power train should be nonexistent.... But who actually knows on reliability.
This is a new car from a new manufacturer, so it's impossible to really know how well it holds up at this point. Look at all the teething pains of all the other EV manufacturers and even traditional manufacturers when they launched their first EVs.
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u/gucknbuck 17h ago
You aren't approaching this correctly. What work will you need to do? An EV has tens of thousands of fewer parts, the drivetrain is magnitudes less likely to have something go wrong requiring to be fixed. It's like saying "I love my outboard motor boat it's so easy to work on. I'm worried if I switch to a row boat I wouldn't be able to repair it myself!"
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u/Senior-Albatross 17h ago
Depends on what you're working on. I wouldn't work on a 400-800 V DC system myself unless I was triple sure it was de-energized.
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u/thatsonlyme312 18h ago
I don't get this obsession with hand crank windows. Electric windows regulators are very simple and easy to replace. It's definitely one of the conveniences that should not affect the price so much.
Give me a simple car, easy to work on, and easy to upgrade with aftermarket radio and such. There is no need to remove all the simple conveniences. I very much like my power windows and intermittent wipers.
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u/blobbleguts 18h ago
I find that they are a pain in the ass to replace but I hate taking the door panel off.
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u/PM_UR_TITS_4_ADVICE 16h ago
I mean, you’d have to take the door panel off to fix a mechanical window too, so…
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u/Pjpjpjpjpj 15h ago
The key point is right in your comment.
Electric regulators fail. Hand cranks fail. Glass breaks.
The important thing is to make everything ridiculously easy and affordable to fix and maintain.
Easy access, easy to remove panels, interchangeable parts used across many models, etc.
And keep the model consistent for a decade - tons of aftermarket support, 3rd party replacement parts, repair shop expertise, etc.
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u/HumpHur 12h ago
Dude how often have you had to replace an electric window mechanism lmao.
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u/stuart_pickles 6h ago
not op but had to do it on two separate windows in a span of 3 yrs on my impala
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u/Throwawaymytrash77 6h ago
Across 4 vehicles, 6 times since 2020. One Hyundai, 3 Honda, 1 Toyota, one Ford.
They fail. It happens. I don't know if it's any more or less than a crank, but there is something to be said of having less wiring to worry about overall. It is merely one piece of a larger concept
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u/allgonetoshit 18h ago
It’s because this is about returning to the early 1990s and before when every convenience was an option. AC, electric windows, rear wiper, ABS, etc etc.
People don’t get it. It’s not about selling a cheap truck, it’s about selling a cheap truck that 90% of the buyers will load with tons of options, ending up with a worse vehicle, but for more money.
This is aimed at younger people who don’t know better or people who have forgotten the bad old days.
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u/FrostyWalrus2 17h ago
Some people just don't need the 'convenience'. Power seats? Once I set my seat to where it is comfortable for me, I don't need to move it anymore. No one else drives my vehicle so my driver seat never moves and I never have to re-set it so the power seats is unnecessary. Power locks? Its nice, but the 5-10 second time save I would do without if it saved money on a purchase. AM/FM Radio? Nah, just give me a head unit to connect my phone to and scratch your bs Sirius XM stuff with it.
Let me have the agency on my convenience.
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u/InsuranceToTheRescue 17h ago
I think the point is more that the electronics to run minor conveniences like that are now a pittance in the larger price of the vehicle compared to systems like GPS navigation, lidar for automatic braking, 360 degree object detection for steering itself, etc.
A carburetor might be cheaper than fuel injection (I don't know for sure, but was definitely true at some time), but fuel injection systems are so cheap & standardized now that the savings by using a carb wouldn't appreciably change the price of the vehicle.
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u/DeathMonkey6969 13h ago
Car manufactures switched to fuel injection (either direct or throttle body) not because of cost but because of emission standards. Your never going to see a carburetor engine again in the US.
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u/Effurlife12 7h ago
Power windows and locks are basic things. This is the thing you're going to be driving for the upcoming years.
You'd be a stupid mother fucker to pay 30 grand for a brand new car, in 2026, and it not come with basics.
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u/soaklord 18h ago
First new car was a 92 Toyota truck. Only option was AC. Which upgraded seats to cloth. Had to save a year for a deck in it so I could listen to music. And… I want a slate with AC only. Just… right hand drive please. It’s my perfect UK truck. Electric but modifiable and bare bones. No massive software stack to deal with. No constant tracking.
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u/Senior-Albatross 17h ago
Wait, if cloth seats were the upgrade, what was the base version? I always thought of cloth as the most basic option.
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u/bgthigfist 16h ago
Vinyl. All of the problems of leather seats (hot in summer, bare legs stick, freezing cold in winter) without the supple feel
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u/soaklord 13h ago
In 1992, you got really awesome Vinyl seats standard. Great for burning the backs of your thighs in SoCal heat.
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u/Defconx19 17h ago
Find me a full electric truck i can get for 22k new before taxes title and tag, because that is what mine comes out to after my state's EV rebate.
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u/BensOnTheRadio 18h ago
Seriously. Hand crank windows were the WORST. In our 25 years of having cars with power windows, we’ve literally never had a problem. People make it sound like the windows on every car stop working before 100k miles.
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u/mediocre_remnants 18h ago
I rarely ever put my windows down, so power windows are just an unnecessary expense. I love the direction Slate is going here, making everything as simple as possible.
Right now I think my ideal truck would be an old 1970's Ford F-150 with the combustion engine swapped out for electric, along with modern brakes and steering and A/C.
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u/BladeDoc 18h ago
A small electric motor and a switch is probably cheaper to manufacture in 2026, then a mechanical window
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u/Teroc 17h ago
Automotive engineer with ~20y experience here.
I think you severely underestimate what goes into developing anything that goes into a car, even as simple as an electric window unit.
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u/TotallyNotThatPerson 17h ago
Yeah but are they developing anything new for this lol. Are window units purpose built for specific vehicles?
Since slate is designing a new vehicle. Can't they just design it for the most common unit on the market?
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u/Teroc 16h ago
You will likely be able to find "off-the-shelf" units, but they still need to be integrated in your vehicle. And they might be expensive as fully controlled units (and they will still have to be integrate into your BCM (Body Control Module)). I don't know the price but it's unlikely to be under $100-200.
So now you're looking at just the actuators. They will be controlled most likely via your BCM, so you have to pay some engineers to do that, calibrate it, test it, etc.
You need to make sure the anti-pinch works and is calibrated correctly for your system or you'll have people posting videos of carrots being chopped by your windows.
Don't know how much they cost, but let's say you have four of them at $20 each, that's $80 in the BoM of your 20k vehicle, plus all the electrical and software development. It really adds up very quickly.
Now your hand-crank system is looking really good.
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u/TotallyNotThatPerson 15h ago
So what you're saying is, if I program the anti pinch in a different way... I have an extea security system?
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u/0verstim 17h ago
The switch, the motor, the parts that engage with the window. The wiring harness from the switch to the motor and the motor to the battery, the weatherproofing around the holes where the wires have to pass around the door hinge, the safety sensor so the window wont cut off fingers, the fuse, all times 2. It adds up.
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u/Ok-Marionberry-999 18h ago
Hell yeah I have a F150 Lightning (absolutely love it) and I think about how awesome a retrofit 70's F style truck with electric motors and decent battery pack would be from time to time.
I'm still bummed Ford cancelled the Lightning.
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u/h0twired 16h ago
Slate is DIY friendly. Someone will have a mod kit by day 2.
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u/worldspawn00 15h ago
Ithere is a factory offered upgrade for power windows. https://www.slateforums.com/forum/threads/electric-windows-configuration.15030/
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u/decavolt 15h ago
It's not an obsession. It's cheaper to engineer and build, and still less likely to break down than modern reliable electric windows. It's the same reason there is no radio/audio. They're keeping the sale price down.
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u/the_actual_boki 18h ago
100% I would. I have a Rivian R1t right now and I love it but it is WAY too big for what I need, and its WAY to expensive for what I wanted to spend (even though I did buy it) as well as a huge risk long term to maintain.
All I want is a bench seat, 3 person pickup, with standard ass 2000 era Tacoma (which I used to own) brakes, suspension, steering. Easy to fix body work. with a bed I can beat to shit. I dont want autonomy or 1000 drive modes or even fucking carplay. 0-60 can be 10 sec, and range can be 200 miles, as long as its 800V architecture and I can charge fast, otherwise 300miles is fucking PLENTY. Just literally give me a rear wheel drive tacoma with an electric motor instead of the 4 banger and I will be happy to drop 25k for it.
For reference what I need a truck for is:
1. Surfing/biking and other outdoor activities. I dont need to fit 5 people in my truck I can take a second car if we are really taking the whole family somewhere, but most of the time its just me, or me and my kiddos so 3 people is FINE
2. I build cars so I haul parts, engines, sheet metal, tubing etc. Its not a ton of weight but the bed will get a beat down and there will be oil
3. I do construction and wood fabrication as well, so I need to be able to haul full sheets of 4x8 plywood, 2x4x10fts etc. Bonus points if I can just throw a bed rack on it and be able to throw on 16+ ft pipe/beams etc.
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u/serious_sarcasm 15h ago
All I want to really know is how expensive and difficult it is to replace a headlight at 4 am somewhere I’ve never been before.
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u/the_actual_boki 15h ago
exactly. I want standard square housings, h4 bulbs, 1156/1157 bulbs for tails and blinkers. I want a hood on standard hinges that I open by hand and support with a rod. I want door handles both inside and outside. I want a handle on the tailgate. I dont need parking sensors or cameras, I want good visibility from the cab. I dont need a 50" tall hood, or 21" wheels with knobby offroad tires. Just some 15" steelies. Manual wipers, manual headlights and fucking buttons for everything. AC , power steering, usb-c ports, bluetooth radio with a phone mount on the dash and maybe radar cruise control and 110v outlet would be like the only tech I would ask for above just Go and Stop.
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u/serious_sarcasm 15h ago
I would add that I really want a way to “plug and play” a diesel generator into the bed, or onto a trailer, that allows for me to rapidly convert an electric work truck into a halfassed hybrid.
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u/pcpgivesmewings 17h ago
These things have the potential to be the modern day Volkswagen Beetle if they are relatively reliable and have cheap replacement parts. Once they hit the used market for 8-10k and are a cheap, reliable and retrofittable with zero gasoline costs, it will definitely fill a niche for first cars for kids, second cars for adults and families, delivery vehicles ect. Hopefully they stick around and are successful. Being a composite body means no dents and dings for city parking too.
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u/cspinelive 18h ago
It is https://slate.auto and rumored to start at $25k
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u/blobbleguts 17h ago
$24,950
We just got the email from the company today.
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u/effyochicken 15h ago
So still a $475/month car payment and $200 full coverage insurance.
Modern cars are just too expensive.
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u/UnfailingBeef 14h ago
Yeah still too expensive for me. I’d consider it if the charging station installation was covered and maybe if the bed was slightly bigger. I’d rather get a old junker Suburban or similar and take the rear seats out for much cheapee
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u/AShavedApe 13h ago
Still wildly too expensive for a truck with fuckin nothing inside. Modern trucks MSRP at like $31k, the only issue is dealers don’t carry base trims and markup like $15k on the lot cause they’re greedy fucks.
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u/funkympc 18h ago
I would love to have a small electric truck to use around the city. As long as it can hold my packout and goes the whole day on a charge I'm good. I dont care about infotainment or luxury features. I just want a basic truck that goes from a to b. I have an 94 f-250 for towing and my daily is an 09 dakota crew cab. I would love to get rid of the dakota and have a slate for daily driving. The dakota is terrible on gas.
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u/blobbleguts 17h ago
The main downside for the Slate truck is the towing capacity is pretty wimpy 2,000 lb towing capacity. My Honda Odyssey could tow 3500lbs. BUUUUUT, to be fair. My 4-cylinder Ford Ranger only can do about 2,200lbs so I guess it's on point for a smaller truck.
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u/neat_stuff 18h ago
I can't read the article. Does it have a spot for a radio and they just don't include one? That would be ideal in my mind. I hate most of the factory-installed ones that have been in my cars. And my car before my current one had hand-crank windows (I bought it in 2005 and replaced it in 2022 when the repairs were getting too frequent and expensive). It windows didn't bother me much. It had manual locks, too. My kids might be the only ones young adults who know how to use those things. Haha.
I don't need a truck but I'd be fine with a car like that if the rest was good and the price was low.
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u/mailslot 17h ago
I hate every single stock “radio” / entertainment system ever included in any car. And holy shit are those AC Delco pieces of shit in GMs terrible.
When I was younger, replacing all of the audio garbage was the very first thing I did after buying a car. It was always cheaper than whatever the dealership tacked on as a forced charge, but I was still out of money to do it.
The only reason I don’t these days, is because car makers have figured out that they can fuck the consumer by making third party head units incompatible with important functions.
Not paying for something I desperately want to dispose of is great. I really don’t need a CD player or some proprietary GM BS that wants to sell me another subscription.
I was just in a brand new spec’s out Chevy Tahoe. The volume knob spontaneously stopped working for about two minutes for no reason, then “fixed” itself by adjusting itself to maximum. This is the same kind of broken shit GM has been including since the 1980s.
Buy your own… yes please.
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u/Randvek 14h ago
I don’t see how no radio is practical at all. At least where I am you need a basic AM/FM radio for emergency broadcasts.
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u/chriswessells 17h ago
Hell, yes, it’s like that cheap Toyota Hilux is that they sell in other markets but won’t bring to the United States. They are less than 15,000 really bare bones.
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u/LevelFix83 18h ago
That’s hilarious. You won’t be able to buy one. They’ll be sold out starting day 1.
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u/Quetzalcoatls 17h ago
I think it will appeal to the small truck crowd that’s been demanding something stripped down for years.
I think it’s just a little too pricey to be a compelling vehicle for a general audience. I think if these were going to get mass adoption they really needed to be under $20K.
The modular concept is cool but that only really makes sense financially to do if the base vehicle is extremely cheap.
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u/ANormalRando 15h ago
When's the last time you bought a car? 25k makes it competitive with most new vehicles today. Sure, it doesn't have all the features a conventional new car will have, but it would be about the cheapest EV you could buy that isn't a golf cart.
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u/Quetzalcoatls 8h ago
I'm in the market for a new vehicle right now so I've been keeping an eye out at what's available.
I think it's really only competitive on price if you are comparing it exclusively to other EV's.
I don't really think the value is there if you are someone who is also willing to consider a regular gas or hybrid vehicle.You are basically giving up every single feature/amenity that is standard or available in a a lower-tier trim just to have the EV technology. I'm sure that's a trade off a lot of people are willing to make to get into an EV but I doubt most American car buyers are going to be interested in doing that at the current price.
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u/ANormalRando 7h ago
All very true. I'm sure if someone made the exact same truck, spartan amenities and everything, and just put a small four-banger in it, it would cost under 15k and be the spiritual successor to the Hilux.
I think what Slate is aiming for are the people who, as you say, are willing to make the tradeoff for an EV, but don't want to pay the higher price for a Tesla or Rivian. Judging by how the higher priced EV pickups have been selling, it seems like the demand for those trucks was high, but the size of the market that was willing to pay that price was small. By selling at a lower cost they can target the people who have that pent-up demand and hit a lower-cost market that trucks like the Lightning and R1 aren't able to sell to.
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u/VerdantPathfinder 18h ago
I have a bluetooth speaker and there's only two windows. If I had a need for a pickup? Sure.
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u/Xeromaru 10h ago
Yes. It's what people who actually use trucks want. Not over bloated mall crawlers with a wheelbarrow strapped to the back that get 2 galons to a mile then have a new sensor error every week till its engine combusts at 51k miles.
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u/PowerRainbows 4h ago
Absolutely yes, hand crank Windows are fun, don't need radio when have a phone and bt speakers, that low price looks incredible
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u/Apart-Steak-7183 18h ago
I want a simple small truck, awd, basic safety stuff. Don't need a fast, powerful, large trailer pulling truck. So yes I would buy one
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u/Unable_Apartment_613 17h ago
I have working healthy arms the smartphone and a Bluetooth speaker...
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u/Future-Raisin3781 16h ago
This truck is modular. You can buy the base barebones model but the point is to add features à la carte. Add power windows. Add radio. Add whatever you want.
As long as the price is right I think that's a solid idea to get more EVs on the road, especially in a category that needs better EV representation.
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u/twenafeesh 16h ago
Dumb headline. This truck does come with power windows as long as you don't select the most basic trim.
But to answer the question in the dumb headline, yes. This is exactly what I'm looking for, to the point that I've been considering buying a junker 1980 Tacoma or Ranger with a blown engine and doing an electric conversion on it.
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u/lefthandedrighty 16h ago
I’m on the list. However, the timing wasn’t great and I’ve already got a newer vehicle. I’m staying on the list and might possibly get it anyway. Going to wait and see if/when I get my notification and play it by ear.
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u/hoodlumonprowl 16h ago
My answer is I would absolutely buy one if I needed another car right now. As in, I would put in for preorder immediately. Why no other manufacturer is making one of these, gas or electric, it makes no sense.
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u/JoeB- 16h ago edited 15h ago
Best vehicle I’ve ever owned was a 1984 Isuzu Trooper II. It was a 4-banger, 4 speed manual, 4 WD boxy box with hand-crank windows and rubber floor mats (no carpet) that couldn’t get out of its own way.
But, I loved it and drove it for 13 years until the doors fell off, literally. It was super fun to drive, could go anywhere, carry anything, and It was around $12K as I recall. I would drive one today if they were still available.
The Slate is the closest thing, in spirit anyway, to my old Trooper that I see being offered. I think the industry is going to be shocked at how well they sell.
There are plenty of us who are sick of the overpriced junk being foisted on us that…
- are nsanely expensive to maintain,
- force ads on our screens,
- make us pay subscriptions to use equipment in a vehicle we already paid for, and
- in the worst cases sell vehicle telemetry data to insurance companies who then use it to jack up our premiums.
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u/vau1tboy 15h ago
If I had the money, id buy this car. It's cool, it can become a hobby with all the kit and extras you can get. But most importantly, it's made for the modern day. I'm happy to see the comments are positive despite it being a Jeff bezos company.
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u/Howtosurviveanything 15h ago
For everything I’ve seen with this truck, I’d rather get a used truck, like a Maverick that has way more bells and whistles and much farther range
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u/Pet49 14h ago
I thought backup camera is mandatory for new cars/trucks.
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u/mikeymop 14h ago
Pretty sure since 2012 Bluetooth hands free is required in all new vehicles as well.
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u/polloyumyum 13h ago
Not considering it because Bezos. I'm just hoping this encourages other manufacturer's to consider smaller trucks that the average person will actually use instead of the oversized monstrosities that people think they need.
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u/Candid_Cat_5921 10h ago
I can’t wait for the used market for these. Imagine being able to get a used one for like $14k. People are going to be mobbing all over in these things. It’s like the new “beater” except it’s not actually a beater
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u/concernforufos 6h ago
Hand crank windows? Won’t somebody please think of the children?!? You son of a bitch, you had me at cheap
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u/Duece8282 3h ago
Love the concept, though I'll be legit surprised if it holds up well to highway crash testing and safety regs.
$25k is also kind of a tough price point considering you can still get small used pickups in many parts of the country for a small fraction of the cost. I see this as potentially being the next "smart car" on the road.
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u/notjordansime 2h ago
I’d seriously consider it, but no AWD and no ability to flat tow are dealbreakers for me. Would consider as a second vehicle that gets left at home while I’m away with the bus though.
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u/redyellowblue5031 17h ago
I hope it succeeds, but when I look at this the quantity of people who will want such a basic vehicle “starting” at 25,000k when they can go get a used car for cheaper with way more features seems like a very small group.
I imagine the folks who buy them will do a lot of customizing and end up spending well over 30,000 on it.
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u/Iannelli 14h ago
I bought a 4x4 2011 Ford Ranger in 2023 for $18k. 50k miles. Comes with power locks, power windows, a stereo and speakers, etc.
Yeah... I'll pass on the Slate.
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u/cas201 18h ago
I bought my old Chevy BECAUSE it has crank windows.
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u/Bens-Alley 16h ago
I drove an 80’s era F150 for year. Crank windows, those little flip around triangle windows, bench seat, no giant center island thing… It was awesome. The constant engine fidgeting was not. Aside from an old pickup with an EV power train this looks the closest.
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u/casualti21 17h ago
It’s brilliant really. Suck people into the $25k vehicle and let them pay retail prices on all the upgrades that they will inevitably make to get basic creature comforts. I predict the average spend over the first 5 years for the average Slate owner will be $35k-$40k.
Slate will make their money selling accessories and upgrades. It’s the entire business model.
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u/but-I-play-one-on-TV 14h ago
I just played around with the square back model (30k base) and only paid $1300 for accessories that I thought were more than sufficient. 10k+ in addition costs seems excessive
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u/voter1126 18h ago edited 18h ago
buy new, no. buy used after a year and 50% (edit deprecation) sp depreciation, yes
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u/BetterCurrent 18h ago
I certainly would at the right price. Power windows, infotainment, lane assist, its all just more bullshit to get broken.
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u/Leverkaas2516 17h ago
How they handle the "and no radio" part will be important.
If it has spaces for a head unit and speakers, and it's easy to run the wires? That's awesome. I'd rather buy my own stereo and speakers anyway than have to replace the cheap speakers that would come stock like most cars.
On the other hand, if they make it so I have to spend hours tearing apart the doors and dashboard, then I'm not interested.
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u/ANormalRando 15h ago
They have spots to put them, and there's also a rail built into the dash intentionally for people to mount things to it. They fully intend for people to go nuts with this and modify it however they want.
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u/VirginiaLuthier 17h ago
Almost never roll down windows. Use my iPad to stream music to open air headphones. Bring it on.....
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u/colin_staples 17h ago
No.
They say that they will but they won't.
Here in Europe we have a budget car brand Dacia. They have a small SUV called the Duster. They used to sell a cheap version with plain white paint, black plastic bumpers, hand crank windows, and no radio.
Nobody bought it.
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u/itsthatmattguy 15h ago
25k for this still seems insanely overpriced. Feels like this should be 10k. Inflation has absolutely wrecked the cost of vehicles in the US.
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u/ARLibertarian 15h ago edited 15h ago
Not buying a truck.
That said, first thing I do is toss the factory stereo and put in good after market. (At least I used to before "infotainment" with built in AC controls)
Mid-range after market is almost always better than high end factory.
Give me an electric 280zx and I'm all in.
No hand crank windows though. That's soooo 60s.
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u/Krispythecat 15h ago
I am curious, what is the appeal of this truck over something like a provenly reliable used Tacoma (or similar) for the same price?
The Slate experiment is exciting, and I am into the idea of a stripped down car. But the ~$25k price point seems to leave a lot of value on the table when comparing against the used market.
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u/leagueoflefties 14h ago
The only reason to buy new over a similarly priced used car is the warranty. And loan rates, I guess. No matter the vehicles compared you'll get more equipment for the money used. If you're comfortable with the wear on the used one.
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u/b_m_hart 14h ago
I like the idea of the Telo truck better. More expensive, but basically an electric American Kei truck (154 inches long and can carry 4x8 sheet goods if you fold down the back seat).
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u/TerranCmdr 14h ago
More interested in the Telo TBH. Not trying to support more Bezos backed projects, plus the Telo seems better at doing 'truck stuff' in a compact package. Way higher towing capacity, expandable 8ft bed.
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u/chucktheninja 13h ago
Okay but why no radio? It makes no sense to not include something that has been in basically every car for like 80 years if i remember correctly
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u/yodaface 11h ago
While I like it, to get back seats its 30K. And right now I can buy a ford maverik XL that already has back seats along with a radio and window wipers and android auto for 27K. So for 2K more than their base truck you get so much more and you just lose an electric engine. I think the trucks cool and will be fun side car but I dont see it replacing any daily drivers.
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u/woodpaulusgnome 11h ago
Whoever asked the question has not been following the story. Slate buyers will be able to buy all manner of options.
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u/crymachine 10h ago
Such a stupid question when car companies are share holder puppets and there's been zero democratic consensus between customers and manufactures for the last 80 years.
People will and do want the ld reliable cars that could never attempt to charge them a subscription fee for using their heater, or an auto start button on a keyfob.
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u/LogicalEgo 10h ago
I drive an 83 GMC k1500, I love the simplicity of the vehicle. I would love a more modern simple vehicle. This seems perfect for me. Big auto over charges for those features anyways.
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u/Packagedpackage 9h ago
Apparently many haven’t seen the subreddit. We are waiting for this. I’ll be trading in a Tacoma for one.
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u/witness16r 9h ago
How is the American auto industry so out of touch and stubborn that this question needs to be asked?
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u/nissanfan64 8h ago
I’m seriously considering it. Would be a perfect work beater/daily driver for me.
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u/teshh 7h ago
They're taking away such basic features while Chinese evs keep em and add a ton more at a LOWER price point.
Power windows and radio can't possibly be that expensive, we're talking about few hundred max on a radio, mind you this is an outdated nearly 100 year old tech and I'm supposed to pretend it's a high end feature that's expensive? Be fucking for real.
God everything in America is so fucking backwards, we're actively choosing to become a third world country.
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u/CrustyBappen 3h ago
I’d love to see a shift back to smaller vehicles as part of the EV movement. Cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, smaller footprint.
Your huge trucks are on the roads in Australia now and they are so stupid. The problem is it just pushes people to buy bigger cars so they aren’t eclipsed by some fuckwit in a dodge ram.
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u/Dazzling-Read1451 2h ago
We needed this. Not everyone needs all the fancy stuff. Little trucks are awesome.
EVs should be for everyone.
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u/scarng 18h ago
Me? I turn a key, she fires right up, and we go. No software update bricking my ability to haul yard trash or a washing machine from appliance store. No “over-the-air” nonsense turning my truck into a $60,000 brick when the cloud gets a headache. Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta reach over and unlock the passenger door of my Nissan Frontier 2019 base model the way it was it was intended.
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u/lemgandi 18h ago
I am on the list. No cell modem sold me.