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USA: Slate's New Electric Truck Will Cost Slightly More Than $24,950 (www.caranddriver.com)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/electricvehicles@slrpnk.net
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Range is said to be 205 mi (330 km), higher than the original estimate. This price is for the basic truck. The SUV configuration is expected to be $5000 more.

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[–] 3 points 4 months ago (7 children)

I think it's pretty cool but honestly it's too expensive. It is so minimalistic I doubt many people will want it in it's basic form called the "Blank Slate." Everything is essentially a la carte and many of those upgrades are only available as a kit for the owner to install. For instance, there is no sound system, no power windows, no power mirrors. It's one color. It can't go over 90mph. I like this kind of thing personally, but I think normal car buyers will be a bit upset when they find out all the extras add up to the same price as a Chevy Bolt.

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago (5 children)

    Maybe I'm wrong, but their website makes it seem like whatever add-ons you add at time of purchase they will install for you. I was also under the impression that there's only one stretch of road in the US that has an 85mph speed limit and everything else is lower, so being capped at 90 isn't exactly a problem.

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  • [–] -1 points 4 months ago (4 children)

    LOL. You're not a car guy are you? I don't do it often but people do go over 90mph.

    The other info came from a guy that visited the factory and provided the "kit" info. He was thorough, but I don't recall when the video was made.

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  • [–] 6 points 4 months ago

    As a car guy; nobody should go 90 on a public road. This isn't a race car, it's a bare bones electric truck.

    If I want to go fast I take my sports cars to the track, so if I fuck up it's only other people who are there for the same reason in harms way. Not a family going to soccer practice.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    'Not a car guy' here. I'm pushing 40 and my entire life idk if I've ever driven 90+mph. A car is a point A to B machine and nothing else, ideally without drawing the attention of law enforcement or playing chicken with a tree. Not being able to exceed 90mph is an absolute non-issue.

    What is an issue is new cars, especially EVs, being loaded up with with unnecessarily fancy shit that I don't care about, jacking the price up.

    There are some a la carte features that are actually applicable to that point A to B: fuck yeah I want that sound system, I listen to music while traversing A-B. But that's the cool part about a modular product like this, I can fork out for the comforts I actually give a shit about and go without everything else.

    If my wishlist stacks up to an extra $10k then I'm probably better off with one of the dozens of other options that just have the fancy shit built in; but if I can get a basic-bitch EV + an an extra grand from the handful of things I actually want, then sign me up (...in like, 5-10 years once we have a good feel for the build quality of these things and can verify that Bezos's dick isn't stuck in the whole op).

    It's the perfect concept for 'not car people', which I'd wager is most people. It's honestly bonkers that things like this haven't been offered by leading car manufacturers for decades, but I'm sure there's plenty of marketing strategy geared around "people will pay for loads of stupid shit in their EV if the only EVs on the market are packed with stupid shit!".

    If nothing else, it might prompt other manufacturers to hop on the bandwagon and offer an actual variety of minimalistic EVs.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Yeah, I never understood in a market where people suffer from range anxiety and EV's weight 4000lbs, they have to put motors on everything; a motor to open the hood, a motor to open the trunk, a motor on every door handle. Been driving for 40+years and have had to shut my own trunk for all of them. What a nightmare!

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago

    Yes! Weight aside, it's just more shit to break and need expensive repairs.

    And I'm sure some people really like motorized trunks and stuff - if it's in as a modular option, they can get it.

    Win win.

    ...at the end of the day I guess I'm just a big fan of customizeability.

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