Slate Auto’s electric pickup is no longer ‘under $20,000’
Posted by CrimsonFlam3s@reddit | cars | View on Reddit | 349 comments
Many of us knew this would be a possibility, so I wonder if they will do any price adjustments.
Love the idea of the Slate truck/suv but mid 20's is too high for a barebones build, maybe if I could get one with all the goodies (including the suv camper).
1988rx7T2@reddit
The entire business model is based around giving people in /r/cars what they say they want, they’re not going to actually make money selling vehicles to real people.
Their biggest competitor is a used car.
Plastic_Willow734@reddit
The biggest problem is that when people say “I’d first in line to buy a modern 1st gen Tacoma” is that they’re saying that with $10-15k in mind (and a fucking radio and speakers), not $30k OTD
1988rx7T2@reddit
It’s the truck equivalent of the brown manual diesel wagon stereotype/circlejerk
Plastic_Willow734@reddit
Yeah a modern 1st gen taco could be put onto dealer lots for $10k tomorrow and suddenly it’s “oh well uh my wife wants an SUV, and I need 4x4 because I might get into off-roading, huh it doesn’t have wireless apple car play?”
Remarkable_Ad5011@reddit
I’ll go $12500 for a NEW first gen Taco in reg cab, short bed, manual transmission, 4cylinder.. if I have to give a bit more for AC, power windows and locks so be it. I’ll even buy that 10 year 125k Platinum VSA and finance part of it to help out the dealer! 😂
IncomprehensiveScale@reddit
hard disagree. $10k? that’s so absurdly cheap for a 0 mile truck. give me cup holders and i’m set
GrynaiTaip@reddit
We have a few cheap vehicles for just a bit more in Europe, like Dacia Duster. They aren't selling very well because for that price you can get a much better equipped used vehicle.
Pretty much the only ones who buy them are fleet operators.
Elvis1404@reddit
The Dacia Sandero was literally the most sold car in Europe in 2024
garden_speech@reddit
You and the 89 other redditors who upvoted your comment might buy it, the mass market would not touch it, especially given that it would fail every crash test that’s not old enough to be your grandmother
IncomprehensiveScale@reddit
man yall miss the point so hard it almost seems intentional. their point was that a modern, safe, running, brand new tacoma wouldn’t sell if it was ultra bare bones and MSRP’d at $10k, because mass market is picky and wants useless features that they’ll never use. obviously it wouldn’t be possible to actually manufacture a well made truck that’s up to emissions and safety with enough margin to sell at $10k. my point is that i personally WOULD buy this hypothetical safe truck for $10,000 if it existed. obviously it can’t exist, but if it could, id buy it.
garden_speech@reddit
You can’t make a modern “safe” Tacoma for 10k, that’s my whole fucking point, thanks for being a tool about it though. If you make a Tacoma for 10k it won’t pass modern safety standards
IncomprehensiveScale@reddit
its like you don’t know what a hypothetical situation is and refuse to try to figure it out
garden_speech@reddit
Oh okay if we can just totally make up unrealistic scenarios like a comfortable and modern safety compliant $10,000 Gen 1 Tacoma then sure people would buy it. I was under the impression people were discussing an at least physically possible situation, where they would happily buy basally a Gen 1 Tacoma made today with minimal updates.
metengrinwi@reddit
Well, yeah, in 2025, for $10k, you couldn’t buy the materials to make a 1st gen Tacoma.
PlatinumElement@reddit
Veritable death trap? That’s my kink!
apolarbearfelonme@reddit
In 2025 you could buy a Tesla model 3 2022 for under 20,
altiuscitiusfortius@reddit
Yeah. I'd love to drive a smart car but 95% of vehicles in my town are trucks, and mostly huge quad cab f250s or rams. The smallest thing I feel kinda safe in is a crossover suv.
Baby_Doomer@reddit
My ‘86 MR2 is so small compared to the average vehicle on the road at this point that motorcycles commonly give me nods like “ya, we in this together”.
Clerence69@reddit
AW11 is perfection
sharktoucher@reddit
if you have a car small enough, you maybe get away by going under the wheels of a truck
Plethorian@reddit
Duct tape a roll of duct tape to the dash: Instant Cup Holder.
Source: I did this in a U-Haul.
TPM_521@reddit
Wait you MIGHT be the thinker
Box_of_Rockz@reddit
LISAN AL'GAIB!
GatorSe7en@reddit
You can’t buy a new golf cart for 10k nowadays
fmjintervention@reddit
Yep. All I want is cupholders and music streaming thru Bluetooth and that's all I need. Bench seat is preferable, air con would be nice but isn't necessary and anything beyond that is unnecessary. I don't even care if it has no radio, just give me a slot for a single DIN head unit and holes where I can put a pair of speakers and I'm on board. If I need navigation I'll get a phone mount and stick it to the windscreen. People on here say that no one is prepared to buy a stripper model base trim ute, I am so ready to buy a stripper model base trim ute.
Give me my exact car but brand new and I'm in there like swimwear. Single cab diesel ute with a manual and zero luxury options, weighs 1200kg and has a bench seat so I can fit 3 people if I need to. Sign me the fuck up.
JasonKLA@reddit
Mine was $11k in 1996. The cupholders suck.
Carl-99999@reddit
With $10k to work with AND all modern features you would have something that can’t go anywhere. I think a base modern car with all the required stuff minus the power train would be about $10k
Ambereggyolks@reddit
Because a single cab truck is not the best vehicle to have as your only mode of transportation. I'd rather have a 2 door blazer or something so at least I have an area to store stuff. Extended cabs have limited cab storage too. They're good if it's a company car to run errands in but personal use is super limited.
Refrus@reddit
This is only if you leave a tub on the back.
In Australia, most of our utes end up with a tray on the back. Most tradies put a canopy or boxes on the tray. It becomes extremely practical that way.
xrelaht@reddit
Lots of trucks in the US have either a cap or a bed cover.
Refrus@reddit
I probably didn't articulate my answer that well.
It is common to buy a ute in Australia as 'cab chassis '. This means, it doesn't come with a bed. We instead, have a large industry that is dedicated to making custom flat beds and other backs for them.
Beds weren't common on utes in Australia until recently.
xrelaht@reddit
Gotcha. In the US, that’s only common on commercial trucks, which are typically at least 3/4 ton.
Drzhivago138@reddit
I can't recall the last time I saw a half-ton or lighter pickup with a flatbed or other service body, at least not one made in the past 30 years.
_N4AP@reddit
Dude you could honestly put a 1st gen Tacoma on a lot tomorrow at $20k and I'd camp out to be first in line to get through the door to buy it in cash.
I've been looking for a small body on frame manual 4x4 for years. I've been trying to figure out how to import an Izuzu DMAX Spark from Thailand for a while now, because even with the 25% chicken tax and shipping, I can still get a new 3.0L turbodiesel with a 6 speed and 4x4 for less than any base model Tacoma period.
metengrinwi@reddit
Maybe, but that’s you and 20 other people. Not exactly a business case.
_N4AP@reddit
Bullshit. It doesn't exist to purchase, and hasn't for like 15 years, so obviously there's "no market for it". Meanwhile that exact configuration is readily available in every other country in the planet. If it was available here without some insane markup it would sell.
xarune@reddit
You could buy sub $20k RWD Frontiers and Colorado's up through 2020.
They weren't exactly flying off the shelf's and the OEMs discontinued them.
Captain_Alaska@reddit
the D-Max was sold as they Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon until 2022.
_N4AP@reddit
Base MSRP for the diesel Colorado was $35k, never available with a manual and diesel, nor diesel and regular cab, let alone any combo of the three. It was sold overseas in that configuration, and could have been brought to the US easily as well, but then who would have bought the overpriced, higher profit margin version they sought to push instead?
They only spun out the least utility viable options because they know there's no other choices, so you'll either deal with the option they've presented for you or deal without. Obviously nobody buys it, and finds a way to make something else work, because why would you?
Captain_Alaska@reddit
Yeah they’re only that price because that cheap spec is full stripped out (as in a hole where the radio goes) and they don’t have much in the way of emissions standards. The base Aussie single cab is $26k USD and that’s not up to current EU emissions either.
Pretty much nobody in the exact same way pretty much nobody buys the base single cab instead optioned 4wd auto crew cabs down under.
You fully realise the rest of the world made crew cab small bed utes popular well before the US right? Your first crew cab Ranger came out in 2019 and it was out Ranger. We had a crew cab compact Ford (called the Courier at the time) in that spec 40 years ago.
Car-face@reddit
100%, and everyone says they want a single cab until they have to live with one and realise it's less practical for everything except work - my MR2 has the same interior space as single cabs, and in a ute anything large needs to go in the tray where it's immediately a target for theft.
Even an extra cab/space cab makes a huge amount more sense than a single cab for everyone that isn't a landscaper.
D-Max sells well here in Australia but as you point out it's grown just like everything else.
EloeOmoe@reddit
Yeah, side by sides are super popular for a reason.
metengrinwi@reddit
So, go fund a startup and do it. You’ll be a billionaire!
_N4AP@reddit
I'd rather just import one from Thailand, the EU, South America, etc., where you can just go to a dealership and buy it, pay 25% duty, and skip the whole fucking hassle while still coming out ahead v. new base model US Tacoma.
If our import guidelines were straightforward I'd have done it already.
metengrinwi@reddit
Always with the excuses.
pdp10@reddit
You'd have to have several examples crash-tested and emission-tested by certified third parties.
The U.S. is a highly protected auto market due to emissions and "crash test" requirements.
Idontownamustang@reddit
Thailand has awesome small diesels running around everywhere. Your average ride on grab just shows up and it’s 6sp/xcab/4wd/diesel. Just rockin around in what would be a holy grail home built project in the states. Chicken tax/import $ got nothin on good ol home grown inflation these days.
TP_Crisis_2020@reddit
The #1 most important feature that /r/cars users actually care about is carplay and infotainment screens.
owleaf@reddit
There’s definitely a good cohort of young car boys who love very basic and fun cars, who this would probably appeal to. But the average man in this subreddit 100% wants CarPlay and heated/cooled seats and a modern plush interior.
PotatoDrives@reddit
I was totally on board with buying a new Tacoma if there was a barebones version available for like $40k CAD OTD, but it's more like $60k CAD. Insane for what that truck once was.
testthrowawayzz@reddit
or something like "why is the interior so cheap and outdated? Toyota can't design anything modern to save their lives. Pass"
bimmervschevy@reddit
I always think that line of thought is really funny. With modern emissions, safety and NVH targets, there’s no way a stripped-down Tacoma with manual everything is going for under $25,000.
Plastic_Willow734@reddit
The closest thing we’ll ever get was the maverick when it was 19,995 when it first came out, and that’s not even a body on frame truck that you can build up to be a great off-roading or towing machine.
But even at $20k people were STILL complaining that the interior was full of cheap plastics and that it didn’t have some creature comforts
rudbri93@reddit
this always bothered me about the maverick. Ive had several fords from the early 80s to the early 00s in varying trim levels and they literally ALL had plastic dashes and door panels. Even in XLT trim broncos or f150s. Its not new, and its an economy compact pickup.
Yankee831@reddit
What irritates me more is people comparing Ford’s to Japanese interiors and complaining about the plastic. I’ve never been in a Toyota I thought was nicer than an equivalent Ford interior.
__-__-_-__@reddit
I have a lariat ranger and it’s full of plastic too. I don’t really care though.
hutacars@reddit
I mean, I wouldn’t exactly expect, say, a bunch of coworkers going for lunch in your truck to unprompted go “you know --_-__, the interior of your truck is kinda plasticky. Think we’ll just walk.”
__-__-_-__@reddit
Oh believe me, the people I hang out with would 100% announce any displeasure they have.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Dunno. I think the interior is dogshit, especially at the higher trims and when you get to 40k builds. It's a Ford thing for sure, but not exclusive to them. I would have paid more to have more durable plastic and less creaks.
velociraptorfarmer@reddit
I used to have a 3 year old F-150 Lariat that had a $70k MSRP when it was new. At 3 years old and 45k miles the thing was already a rattletrap and having electrical issues.
I owned it for 9 months and dumped that piece of shit.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Rough. It's too bad quality doesn't go up with price at Ford. It's just more shiny shit.
velociraptorfarmer@reddit
That, and the fact that the dealer and Ford corporate basically told me "tough shit" are why I'll never own another one. Sucks for them since I'm still young, basically the ideal customer for a Ranger Raptor, and have already bought 2 new cars in the past 3 years.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Definitely have had my eyes on the same truck since they launched in Australia.
Just don't know if I can stomach spending 60k on a Ford after my poor experience with quite a few dealers' service departments and Ford corporate.
bimmervschevy@reddit
I remember being underwhelmed by both the Bronco and Bronco Sport interiors when I had sat in them.
InsertBluescreenHere@reddit
Duh, they are designed to be easy to clean if not able to be hosed out.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Yeah, the Escape is light years better on the interior. Haven't driven the others.
Larcya@reddit
Fords specifically on the base trim level have always had dog shit interiors.
I mean Look at the KIA K4 Base model. It's what $22,000 MSRP? And it completely shits on even mid trim level Fords in terms of interior space.
A Base K4 completely shits on the Maverick Lariat. And it's not even a competition.
And while I haven't had the opportunity to test drive a Trax or Equinox I'd bet money the base interiors of both of those also shits on the top trim level of the Maverick.
Outside of the larger BOF Trucks Fords interiors are hot garbage.
motorblur@reddit
Had a K4 rental for a 1,000 road trip. The interior was surprisingly nice and comfortable for an econobox bar.
metengrinwi@reddit
The thing Ford can’t do is properly appoint upper trim levels of economy vehicles. The Platinum trim of a Focus (or whatever) always has 90% the same interior components of the SE trim.
metengrinwi@reddit
Because a fwd unibody platform is way cheaper to build than a rwd body-on-frame. Whatever the Maverick cost, this mythical Tacoma rebirth is 20% more unless it’s imported from China or India.
hutacars@reddit
Well import it from there, then! Revoke the chicken tax!
hutacars@reddit
Well import it from there, then! Revoke the chicken tax!
SonovaVondruke@reddit
The people complaining about the interior weren’t the target customer. The people who were buying them in spite of $5k dealer markups were.
to11mtm@reddit
My only gripe with the interior on mine is the arm pad on the door does -not- hold up to long term use well. I'd almost they used a hard plastic instead of that foam padding that doesn't survive a long road trip.
I guess lesser, the flaking window switches. One (of now 3) started flaking bad right at 32K and FFS that should have been a solved problem by now. I wouldn't care except those slivers of whatever the hell metallic plastic hurtttttt.
Honestly they did decent with the 'cheap' plastic otherwise tho.
Seamus-Archer@reddit
People want $50K trucks to cost $20K, they don’t want the type of truck that can actually be built for $20K.
cat_prophecy@reddit
I'm currently driving the "basic transport" that people claim to pine for; a Mitsubishi Mirage.
But based on the sale figures from 2024 (26k units) this is not actually the car people want.
The problem with cheap cars is that they only appeal to people who want a cheaper car and would only buy new.
Jigagug@reddit
Mirage's problem is that it's not attractive in any form and was a downgrade over the facelifted Colt that it replaced which's even lower specs had the upside of looking absolutely gorgeous
Maybe it didn't meet emissions anymore idk.
True-Classroom4961@reddit
I wish I could forget this
Cheesybox@reddit
I think the Mirage is a neat looking car. What kills it for me is the wheels. They're so small they look out of proportion with the rest of the car
Inept_Parsnip_6784@reddit
I have driven plenty vehicles and I can say the mirage is not the worst looking or handling thing on the road. Its only problem is American perception. I would take a mirage over any BMW (with exception of certain M or Z models) or most other higher end sports cars made today for the simple fact that in a mirage you feel connected to the road. In almost all higher end brands I have driven the feedback and response feels muted or disconnected from user input. You not only have so little sense of what is happening underneath you but when you respond to what you do feel it seems more like a suggestion than an actual input.
RandomGenName1234@reddit
That's... Wild to me.
Ever driven a BMW? lol
Ran4@reddit
Those are mostly RWD or RWD-biased, you don't get the feeling of control that you get from an FWD platform.
You should drive more FWD cars.
RandomGenName1234@reddit
Incredible amounts of cope.
I've driven plenty, FWD is fucking shit lol
Even more so in slippery conditions.
I try not to drive FWD because it's just miserable, I'd much rather have control of both axles than just one and I'd also much rather have oversteer rather than terminal understeer.
Inept_Parsnip_6784@reddit
Yes, I have. Mostly 20-24s and a few early 2ks but I have been in ide say 10 or so. They all feel very muted. The earlier 2000s BMWs weren't so bad. The oldest were a 96 318ti and a 02 530. Those were the two I liked the most though the 530 was a bit squishy. Granted the mirage is harsh in comparison but you at least still feel connected to the road and not like you're driving in some simulation.
AlexBondra@reddit
That’s gorgeous to you? They’re both horrendous looking vehicles
Ran4@reddit
Maybe not gorgeous, but horrendous? now you're just making shit up
BrandonNeider@reddit
Just sent him an eye doctor referral at my expense.
zukiguy@reddit
I wouldn't say its gorgeous but it is a pretty cute little car.
BananaPalmer@reddit
Omg it's like a baby Lancer 🤩
Plastic_Willow734@reddit
Hell people will get on this sub and type up a storm about “99% of the time it’s just me and my work bag in the car, I’d just rent if I needed more space for whatever reason” and then run off and buy a Honda Pilot or whatever because “ah well this one has adaptive cruise control, has 3x the storage space, can seat 5 and only cost me $17k more!”
hutacars@reddit
They could buy a motorbike or scooter, but then the goalposts shift to “yes but I don’t feel safe in anything less than a CUV on American roads!”
HighHokie@reddit
People that buy new cars are willing to spend the money and therefore not buy small trucks. People that buy used are annoyed when their options on the used market never include cheap trucks or what not.
That’s all this ever boils down to
pdp10@reddit
29k units.
Dealers have a big influence on the models and options available in the U.S. I don't know if that hurt or helped the Mirage.
Not necessarily. If I'm shopping for a two-door warm hatch, I'm not going to decide to buy a used pickup with 150k miles, just because it fits in the same budget.
plsnoban1122@reddit
Wasn't the old taco like 10k MSRP? Back in the 90s? So with inflation, about 25k?
Zhombe@reddit
Only if it’s AM only with mono speaker and no tape / CD / Aux. I don’t want factory garbage audio.
BimmerJustin@reddit
Starting price of a 1995 taco was $12,500. That’s nearly $27k adjusted for inflation. 2025 base starts at 31k and is more well equipped with more doors (comparable to a more expensive 1995 model). I know everyone will respond with “but muh wages stagnating”
Yes, wages not keeping up with inflation is a macroeconomic problem. But it’s not Toyotas to solve. Toyota still operates under the expenses of everyone else. These trucks have not really gotten more expensive, they’ve just become less affordable.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
A modern first gen Tacoma is a 5th gen Tacoma.
HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit
I'd take a brand new vehicle with a warranty over a higher specced used vehicle anyday of the week
abattlescar@reddit
So you think that having a warranty for 4 years is worth half of the car's value evaporating into thin air in that time?
SileAnimus@reddit
Yeah? If you aren't churning through cars and are driving them till you can't then the depreciation doesn't matter. The reason cars depreciate in value is because you end up having to spend that money on repairs/maintenance anyways. And hell, you never know if a used car is just someone else' lemon.
My car's power warranty is 8 years/100k miles by default so whatever.
abattlescar@reddit
Doesn't matter, you're still wasting something around $20,000 by buying it new instead of 3 or 4 years old.
But I thought you drive them till you can't, so you still pay for that maintenance PLUS you take the upfront hit. Also statistically, no, repairs/ maintenance does not outpace depreciation.
Get a PPI. Be smart. Regardless, it is a statistical anomaly to end up with such a car.
SileAnimus@reddit
What car depreciates $20k in 3-4 years? You have to be buying luxury or high trim vehicles to be the case. Something universal like a Rav4 depreciates at best around 25% in 4 years and then starts to plateau after the fact.
Not at all. Repair and maintenance costs get more expensive the older a vehicle becomes. Having to perform end of life repairs is much more expensive than having to perform start of life repairs. And that especially becomes doubled if the vehicle wasn't maintained as well as it should have been- which again, is a gamble.
Just look at the difference in price for doing LOF, CAF, EAF, and S/Ps on cars vs doing maintenance work like timing belts, axles/seals, and other basic stuff like control arms/bushings. The older a car is, the more expensive they are to repair- not cheaper.
People massively overstate how much a PPI can protect you. It's just a more thorough multi-point inspection. It doesn't give you any information on main bearing, piston ring, intake port, or timing chain phasing wear. It doesn't tell you anything about transmission state of health. Hell, it can't even tell you if the air conditioning or cooling system on a car has temporary leak sealant inside of it. It also doesn't do anything to tell you about the internal condition of any components.
It's a "as it is now" check over, it is not a "this won't happen in the future" warranty- that is something you can only get with a new vehicle.
It's not at all. There's a reason most dealerships (both OEM and 3rd party) send the vast majority of trade ins to auction instead of turning around and selling them. The volume of cars out there that are badly maintained far outnumbers the number of cars that are well maintained.
Gambling is gambling. Buying old cars is gambling. If you don't want to gamble, you buy cars that have warranties that you know exactly how you've driven and maintained them. It's a very basic and simple cost analysis. Some people hate gambling and would prefer to pay to not have to deal with it, simple as that.
And hell, with some brands and their lease incentives that you can rollover into a purchase it can be outright cheaper to buy new instead of used- but that normally requires some financial literacy and baseline understanding of finances; Which is often lacking in this industry.
HalfFrozenSpeedos@reddit
Yep And that's assuming I trade it after 4 years and dont run it longer still Used Vs new is a no brainer, if it breaks then it's someone elses problem on someone else's dollar Used the repair costs can rise rapidly especially for someone not handy with tools or doesn't have the time (I've been there and done both ways)
megjake@reddit
And for $20k you can get an immaculate old ford ranger/Toyota Tacoma which ticks all the boxes this does
1988rx7T2@reddit
It doesn’t meet regulations so no.
UncannyVibes@reddit
I definitely think this is the issue - some people are just oddly opposed to used cars, but if you are truly on a budget you can get all kinds of cars with tons of features for under $10k. Obviously they won’t be modern electric trucks, but if you want cheap transportation you do not need to spend more than $10k. I’m not even on a budget and the most expensive car I’ve bought was $11k, and my most recent daily was $8k and has lasted me a decade. The majority of car transactions are still used and many highly equipped used cars are much, much cheaper than a new Slate
Larcya@reddit
Becuese it is very easy to get fucked over by a Used car these days.
Do unless you are buying a Certified Pre owned vehicle that is at most 4 years old buying a used car just isn't something that people are interested in.
Add in the fact that the used car market as never unfucked itself since Covid.
ChaosBerserker666@reddit
On the other hand, the used EV market is amazing. If you just need a commuter and can charge at home, you can get some NICE cars for less money than you might think. The used market has decided EVs depreciate super hard. That’s one reason I’m keeping mine for at least 10 years.
UncannyVibes@reddit
I disagree, I think the used car market is far more normal than during Covid, I browse used cars for fun almost every day. Also I disagree on the first point - I will never buy new, you can get perfectly reliable used cars, my family has done it over a dozen times in my life and we’ve never been screwed. The majority of car transactions in the country are used and people truly on a budget have tons of options to choose from under $20k
Larcya@reddit
OR you can get a used car that blows it's engine 2 days after you bought it and then are stuck with a literal paper weight.
Consumers don't want used cars.
Also your take is purely anecdotal. I've never had a single issue with my KIA does that mean they don't have engine reliability issues? Fuck no.
Again, people don't want used cars and they definitely don't want a sued car in this fucked up car market.
abattlescar@reddit
This is so statistically improbable that it's not even worth considering. You have fallen to availability bias.
In 2024, approximately 15.9 million new cars were sold in the US. 37.4 million used cars were sold, including about 19.9 million from dealers. That's about a 30-70 split in favor of used cars.
nswatika@reddit
Do these cars you're buying have less than 100k miles?
UncannyVibes@reddit
I got a 4Runner with 100k on it for $8k in 2015 and that is still going with minimal maintenance. Got a Mazda3 for $11k with like 60k miles (totaled by deer) and a Miata for $6k with 40k on it. I still follow the used market and see stuff for under $10k all the time!
RandomGenName1234@reddit
10500 bucks for a 2006 Prius... What is in the drinking water in the US?
UncannyVibes@reddit
I’m just saying if you don’t have a lot of money to spend you don’t have to - people actually for real in a budget buy cars for a lot cheaper than even the Slate is. I’m not saying the Slate will fail, but I’m not sure it’ll sway the truly budget buyers, and new car buyers who have more money will prolly get something with more features.
Also that Prius has 40k miles - it’ll prolly run for a decade and be dirt cheap to work on
RandomGenName1234@reddit
Sure but that is an outrageous sum for an old Prius lol
Sure but so would one with 140k miles lol
I hope the Slate fails, it's also an outrageous sum for a far too basic car, essentially just a scheme to leech money from the US state.
abattlescar@reddit
Honestly, it's low mileage, it's clean. It's actually an extremely good value. Your cost per mile for that car would probably be less than $0.30.
The only thing comparable to that in the current market is a high-mileage 2017 Bolt EV, and would you truly argue that's a better value?
nondescriptzombie@reddit
Ten years ago, when I was halfway through my automotive career, I had only seen three vehicles that had NEVER had the oil changed. No turbo no direct injection engines crap out around 60-80k without ever changing the oil.
In the last ten years I've seen at least ten cars that have NEVER had the oil changed. Turbos don't appreciate it the way naturally aspirated engines do, the turbo shits the bed first and the person gets the memo at 20-30k.
I won't buy a used car today that has had more than a couple of owners, and ideally it has proof of maintenance.
devilishpie@reddit
Nah it's a Maverick
Original_Wallaby_272@reddit
That’s what I’m thinking. The Ford Maverick started off with a similar $20k aspirational price tag that quickly increased.
It’s tough to settle for a bare bones car. My Lariat Maverick was almost $37k out the door. I really like the factory spray in bed liner, pleather heated seats, navigation, adaptive cruise, and the hybrid engine. I like that it’s safe for the kids too.
I also have a manual Nissan Versa that was $19.5k out the door. The kicker is that I’m the only one in the family that will drive it because it’s so spartan.
unclesam_0001@reddit
Genuine question, why the Versa over a CPO Civic or Corolla?
Original_Wallaby_272@reddit
To start, I like new cars because I find the maintenance and care decisions others make to be undesirable.
I test drove a manual civic and the car just felt flimsy. The seat frames were very thin and lacked padding. Nothing about the car felt substantial or powerful. It was also fairly expensive for what it was. I used to have a Honda Accord that nickel and dimed me to death so I’m not a Honda fan (although my extended family is).
Toyota dealerships have a lot to do with me not owning Toyotas. They are the epitome of “I know what I’ve got. No Lowballers.” I used to have a Geo Prizm (Corolla clone from NUMMI) that treated me well, outside of the excessive oil consumption, but also led to the aforementioned cheap seat aversion.
I also am not a big trust the brand guy. I have worked in manufacturing and look for powertrains and vehicles that have been in production for a number of years without substantial changes. That’s Toyotas secret sauce. Just don’t ever change anything after the initial quality issues are worked out.
The Nissan Versa with the 5 speed manual checks the powertrain stability box, avoids the CVT issues (that I believe have been largely fixed), has great seats, and was like buying a new 1995 Geo Prizm in 2024 for the same price (or even less based on inflation), with the benefit of emergency braking and lane detection.
Not everyone’s cup of tea, but I like it. It gets 40 mpg, is easy to work on, and I think it will last me a good long time. A Corolla was next on my list if the Versa didn’t work out.
unclesam_0001@reddit
Thanks for the comprehensive reply, sounds like a great car for what you were looking for.
Original_Wallaby_272@reddit
Yeah, I get why Honda and Toyota are so highly recommended.
In general, you don’t have to worry things like what month and year did the CDF drum in the 10 speed for the F150 get updated, will the cv axles fail before 100k miles on a hybrid Maverick, will a revised MT82 D4 Getrag manual hold up over time, and does my engine have port and direct injection, among other things.
I just have really specific tastes and am willing to do the extra homework to get what makes sense for me.
ChaosBerserker666@reddit
As far as Honda goes, I had to worry about transmission issues. Many years ago, I had one of the infamous Acura CL’s from 2002, and that thing I swear had a glass auto transmission. 2 warranty replacements and one out of pocket. Finally dumped it after the third one started to slip. Had an 07 TL-S that kept popping out of 3rd gear (it was a manual). Had a 2016 TLX that didn’t break but the transmission shifted so hard due to the ZF9HP design with 2 dog clutches.
pdp10@reddit
Those look fun. Is the drivetrain comfortable at full highway speeds?
Original_Wallaby_272@reddit
It’s geared more for highways speeds than for starting out.
You have to be careful when pulling into traffic at a stop because there’s not a lot of power available in the lower gears.
I find the car to most comfortable cruising between 65 to 75 mph. The tires that come from the factory tramline a bit on the freeway though, which I find odd. I’m looking forward to replacing the tires in a few years.
captainnowalk@reddit
I’m always kinda curious on how hearing decisions are made for cars. I’ve got a 5-speed that’s geared the exact opposite of you: great in town, but is hovering at 3000 rpm at like 60. Mine’s an suv/CUV from 20 years ago, so maybe they figured more people would be taking them on low-speed off-road/soft-road excursions?
It works great for me, I needed it to be good enough off road, so the gearing works fine, but I just found it weird that 5th was still so high on the revs at cruising speeds.
hutacars@reddit
This describes most manuals I’ve driven TBH. AW11, xB, 8th gen Corolla, 2nd gen CRV, and so on. I think the main exception I’ve found was the C6 Corvette.
hutacars@reddit
This describes most manuals I’ve driven TBH. AW11, xB, 8th gen Corolla, 2nd gen CRV, and so on. I think the main exception I’ve found was the C6 Corvette. Either way, not just a soft-roader thing.
1988rx7T2@reddit
A maverick has 4 doors and runs on gas
devilishpie@reddit
How many used two door EV trucks will buyers be cross shopping this with, because there aren't any.
It's normal for buyers cross shop EV's with ICE and hybrids, as they do with two vs four doors.
1988rx7T2@reddit
Nobody is insane enough to make 2 door trucks anymore. They have a small fleet demand for park rangers or something and that’s about it. remember that wrangler sales took off when they started making the 4 door
-SUBW00FER-@reddit
A huge contributer to that is that EVs from factory themselves have gotten a whole lot cheaper with better features than ones from 5 years ago. A Model 3 Long Range used to go for around $50-55K, now its close to $42K without the $7500 EV credit.
This truck does not have many features to begin with and I can see iterations of this truck adding more basic features that every other car already has. Its going to depreciate faster than most EVs out there.
Legend13CNS@reddit
Am I crazy for thinking that businesses would be falling all over themselves for a Slate? As the base truck or with a bed topper it can do 99% of things I've ever seen a work truck do, and probably 50% of work van stuff.
hutacars@reddit
Yes, no fleet manager who cares about his job is going to jump ship to a brand new vehicle from an unknown marque with limited service options and wildcard reliability.
1988rx7T2@reddit
Why would a company with a fleet account at the local Ford dealership jump ship except maybe for one or two vehicles?
PaulClarkLoadletter@reddit
You hit the nail on the head. All of the “car” people that whine about not being able to find a brown wagon with a four speed and a diesel or a single cab pickup with an 8’ bed, crank windows, and a three speed column shifter wouldn’t buy one because they want somebody else to buy it first and eat the depreciation. That’s why the manufacturers don’t build them.
pdp10@reddit
Let's bear in mind the demographics of the average new-car buyer:
hutacars@reddit
Off topic, but those sat scores are interesting. If true, dealerships should have nothing to lose by allowing manufacturers to sell direct. They can always compete on customer experience.
metengrinwi@reddit
They also say they’d buy it, but when they got to the dealership, their pride wouldn’t allow them to have a low-end car.
pdp10@reddit
Dealerships stock low-end cars?
-SUBW00FER-@reddit
We had the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Scions entire lineup, Mazda 2, Mitsubishi Mirage, and Nissan versa that all started under $20k.
All of these are discontinued now or in the process of.
ICantDecideIt@reddit
Once all is said and done, I wonder how close in price they will be to a maverick out the door.
electromage@reddit
Are there a lot of used 2-door electric pickups? Where are you seeing them?
Lighthouse_seek@reddit
The business model revolves around believing what enthusiasts say they want online and thinking the entire market is like that, when even enthusiasts wouldn't buy what they say they want.
RandomGenName1234@reddit
Except it's priced as a pretty alright new car, not the barebones flintstones-mobile it is.
mililani2@reddit
LMAO. That sounds like a great marketing campaign.
turb0_encapsulator@reddit
why does Jeff Bezos back two EV startups aimed at the US market but also support a President and party that killed the EV tax credit?
mustangfan12@reddit
Wow without the EV tax credit that will really kill EV growth in America. The tax credit was one of the main reasons why people bought them. I don't see how Slate can have a successful product. $25k is way too much for a small truck with basically no features. It has less features than a Nissan Versa and Juke
Alone_Peace371@reddit
So we’re all done pretending these things have anything to do with conservation
sponge_welder@reddit
If you don't think that EVs are relevant to conservation or environmentalism then you just don't know how much emissions cars release or how much less emissions EVs produce
Alone_Peace371@reddit
If you won’t protect the environment unless you’re given Bluetooth and massage chairs then you don’t actually care about protecting the environment, high speed.
sponge_welder@reddit
I would prefer to reduce car dependancy overall, but I truly believe that with the attitudes of many people in this country it will be impossible to actually implement effective public transit for a very long time.
I think electric cars are a stopgap between car dependancy and efficient public transit that are necessary to sway those who don't care or don't realize the impact of personal vehicles away from ICE cars to something that at least minimizes the impact of having your own vehicle
GatorSe7en@reddit
Even though I always thought that it’d never be under 20k for it, ending the federal EV tax credit definitely made it impossible. Remember when the cybertruck had a 40k version when it was announced.
LouDiamond@reddit
Well to be fair - Elon made up everything about the cybertruck
shenaniganizer1776@reddit
Don’t worry bro FSD is coming soon I promise bro you just gotta believe me this time for real
Perfect_Cost_8847@reddit
It’s very strange reading comments like this compared to the many glowing reviews of FSD in the Tesla subs. IMHO, FSD is kind of amazing. They just completed their first autonomous delivery. You can watch the whole video on YouTube.
LC_Fire@reddit
What tesla has is not, by any stretch, FSD.
Logitech4873@reddit
That's the name of it, and they do have a product with that name. Do you need an explanation of why it has that name?
LC_Fire@reddit
OK, to be more specific, they are at SAE level 3 at absolute best. Happy now?
Logitech4873@reddit
Eh no it's level 2 lol.
LC_Fire@reddit
I think it's technically 3 these days but I'm definitely not an expert. But yeah despite the marketing gimmick shit's driver assistance, really.
Logitech4873@reddit
It would be level 3 if it gave 10 seconds or so warning before a disengage, and Tesla was responsible for anything happening within that timeframe. But they enforce that you have your eyes on the road all the time, so it's level 2.
Of course their robotaxi thing is different, but it's geofenced and not open to the public. It's technically level 4.
LC_Fire@reddit
Yeah I know Waymo is level 4 and they're actually really great. I don't see how Tesla will ever get there with vision only.
Logitech4873@reddit
They might, but i don't believe it before I see it.
UXyes@reddit
And uh… robots! And uh… a colony on Mars!
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
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JAVACHIP1738@reddit
Tesla is weeks away from building nuclear FSD
Seamus-Archer@reddit
Currently being designed by AI paid for by crypto.
preruntumbler@reddit
TM
stainedhat@reddit
Two weeks
Occhrome@reddit
He used to make stuff up. He still does but also used to.
3MATX@reddit
Unbreakable glass! What an idiot.
Furryyyy@reddit
The tariff and the tax credit cancellation are a massive 1-2 for it. If they can get it under $30k I'll call that a win tbh.
Bizaro_Stormy@reddit
You could get a lot of used truck for 30k. A bare bones unknown brand is dead at that price.
Furryyyy@reddit
This doesn't compete with generic half-ton pickups. It's a small utility vehicle that would absolutely shine in urban areas. IMO its closest competitor is the Chevy Bolt.
Larcya@reddit
At $30,000 this thing has no market. No one is going to opt for this when they can get any litany of vehicles with actual modern futures at the same price point.
Furryyyy@reddit
Eh, it'd be perfect for someone in my situation. Just graduated college, single, and got my first good-paying job. It's hard to do maintenance in my tiny apartment garage and I have an outlet in it so I could charge it in my garage. I don't really want an open truck bed so I'd probably get the SUV shell for the back instead. It'd be the easiest vehicle to live with.
Bizaro_Stormy@reddit
Used Maverick, Santa cruise, old ranger, billion old small truck options that offer more for less. Tradesmen don't want electric, regular nerds don't want bare bones.
Lighthouse_seek@reddit
Literally the only way we can get sub 20k evs in the US is if the tariffs on Chinese evs are gone. That's it.
animerobin@reddit
It’s pretty funny that Jeff Bezos invested in this and then supported the guy who is killing it. Maybe billionaires aren’t that smart?
deleted_by_reddit@reddit
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RandomGenName1234@reddit
Never have been.
Slowhands12@reddit
Bro is getting an enormous tax cut with the bill, I don’t think he cares about his investment into an EV startup
GatorSe7en@reddit
I don’t think he cares anymore. Whatever meager investment he has in Slate, he’s by far passing it with the latest legislation
jackerman729196@reddit
I like that truck
LouDiamond@reddit
I wish I didn't find the Maverick so freaking ugly.
Also wish it came with a 2d extended cab version. I currently have a 1994 Nissan and it's the perfect sized truck, a modern version of that would be so amazing
volmeistro@reddit
Body on frame would be nice too. I don't want a truck I couldn't replace the bed on if I were to mess it up using it for actual truck stuff.
LordofSpheres@reddit
You can still replace body panels on unibody vehicles (almost none of them are true monocoques), and I can't imagine what you'd be doing with a truck that would beat up and destroy the bed sufficiently to require replacement. Especially a truck with just 1500lbs of payload.
to11mtm@reddit
Mavs total out super easy on rear-enders tho.
Unusual-Arachnid5375@reddit
Sounds like an insurance company problem, not a me problem.
volmeistro@reddit
That's what I'm getting at. The crumple zone of a Ute is in the bed. The bed is integrated into the frame since the frame is basically the whole body. They're easy to write off because of that.
volmeistro@reddit
Body work and welding in new panels is not exactly DIY friendly like the bolts that hold down a typical truck bed are. Me personally, I'm an auto tech. I do lots of blue collar shit, if I'm buying a truck I'm buying it to be a workhorse I can beat the crap out of for years and because of that easy DIY repairs are important.
That's why I bought a Canyon, so I can got get a pull-a-part bed if I need to. I've already had to get 1 bed put on it because someone ran a light and hit it. I don't want a truck I could potentially total with frame damage just because a panel of the unibody got creased. I want my truck to last 20+ years.
coyote_of_the_month@reddit
I would venture to guess that at least 10-20% of people who have actually removed a truck bed, instead of just talking about it, either know how to weld at a super basic level or would be willing to try it.
volmeistro@reddit
Believe it or not the vast majority of dealership techs I've ever worked with don't know how to weld, including myself, either don't know how to weld or can't do it well enough for that. But pretty much all of them have taken off a truck bed.
coyote_of_the_month@reddit
There's a HUGE gap between "don't know how to weld at all" and "don't know how to weld well enough to stake your professional reputation on it." I bet you could figure it out well enough for a truck bed; doesn't mean you'd put your name and your employer's name on it and warranty it though.
volmeistro@reddit
Ah I see I was talking more about patching a unibody than a truck bed
coyote_of_the_month@reddit
I mean, I'm dumb enough to try it. On a beater, that is.
volmeistro@reddit
Just hope you don't compromise the crumple zone. Don't want to make it too crumply lol
coyote_of_the_month@reddit
YOLO.
LordofSpheres@reddit
I do plenty of blue collar shit. I've had cinderblocks and engine blocks and lumber and livestock and wood and chainsaws and cement and goosenecks and just about everything else under the sun in my truck bed.
It looks fine.
I just don't think that there's anything you're going to do to a pickup truck bed (again, especially with a 1500lb payload) that's going to actually damage the bed meaningfully.
And for everything else, i.e. car crashes, either the crash is significant enough to damage the unibody, in which case it would damage a truck frame too, or else it's cosmetic, in which case you can just use those auto tech skills to repair it. Or pay someone else to, like you seem to have with your Canyon.
volmeistro@reddit
Im just saying on unibodies a creased trunk pan is enough to call it frame damage. I used to have to inspect specifically for that when I was a used car PDI tech. It's the same for Mavericks and Santa Cruz - or mini vans, hatchbacks, etc... It doesn't take as much to call it frame damage on a unibody.
And to an extent really anything is technically fixable if you have the money or patience to fix it. I ran across one that came in with electrical issues that wound up being 2 different cars welded together down the middle and the owner didn't even know.
LordofSpheres@reddit
That's because creasing the trunk pan is a symptom of unibody damage, not a cause. A creased bed floor in a BoF pickup without direct body damage to cause it would be just the same. But putting something in the bed floor of a Maverick and damaging the bed floor or whatever probably won't fuck up the unibody. The whole trunk pan thing isn't because unibodies are easier to damage the frame on, it's because that damage creates more easily visible symptoms. You see what I mean?
volmeistro@reddit
I'll agree to disagree there. Just as an easy example you can flip a cab off truck and not damage the ladder frame. The cab and bed are bolt on parts. If you roll a unibody and bend a pillar - that's structural. It's easier to just buy a new car at that point. Structural damage is not something you want to fix. If it gets damaged again it'll be like crumpling the same beer can twice, way easier the 2nd time.
LordofSpheres@reddit
I'm aware - I'm an engineer. I just don't see that that's a problem you will have in the process of using your pickup truck for pickup truck things.
volmeistro@reddit
I don't plan on buying another new truck so I guess I want this one to last me a good long time. It was basically the last year before they started putting radar, lane cameras, and giant tablets for radios in them and it's a manual transmission so it's not really replaceable anymore.
I'm glad that it's built modularly enough that I could replace pretty much any part of it instead of 80% of the whole structure being frame that you basically have to discard when it breaks.
TempleSquare@reddit
When's the last time you had to replace the bed on a truck?
I feel like if I was at that point, I totaled the truck
volmeistro@reddit
Snoo93079@reddit
Does anyone ever actually replace truck beds?
volmeistro@reddit
I mean yeah. I've seen weekend warriors take them off to replace fuel pumps. My current truck has already had one replaced from a collision. I've had a couple of ols S10s that needed bed replacements just due to age - whether that be rust or the bottom just being so dented to hell from years of abuse that it wasn't straight anymore or a combination of the 2.
Snoo93079@reddit
Yeah but the vast majority of trucks I see are with their original beds.
Might matter more to country folks though
Captain_Alaska@reddit
Not that I care that much for the rest of this argument but like, how would you know that unless it was painted in a different colour?
volmeistro@reddit
Exactly. In my case it got the new bed paint matched since it was covered by insurance. You'd never know.
Snoo93079@reddit
Can the Maverick bed not be repaired by a body shop?
volmeistro@reddit
Of course it can lol but body work isn't cheap. When I worked in used car reconditioning the company would order whole doors and beds from LKQ for me to put on because it was cheaper to just swap them out than pay a body guy.
Snoo93079@reddit
I just remain unconvinced that most owners care and will let insurance worry about that.
volmeistro@reddit
I guess it depends on how disposable or replaceable you consider your vehicle. Im sure it isn't a big deal for most people, I'm not saying otherwise. Most people buy a new car every couple of years anyway. I just like a more modular vehicle for longevity and ease of repair. Some people like to keep their old shitboxes running for a long time.
volmeistro@reddit
I'm not really country but from the south I guess maybe we worry about different stuff down here but that right up there with right to repair for me. Typically I like my vehicle to be as modular as possible.
Upbeat-Armadillo1756@reddit
Not really. If you’ve got a 20 year old truck with a rusted out bed, maybe. But odds are everything else is rusted out too.
mta1741@reddit
I saw an extended 2 door prototype. Not sure if it is will ever come out tho
Ididntevenscreenlook@reddit
Same, I also find the 2nd gen ridgeline to be a bloated mess. The stana Cruz is not bad looking but it might now age well and that dual-clutch transmission is uhhh cool while it works
velociraptorfarmer@reddit
The Ridgeline is one I always find funny that this sub has a boner for, considering that it's the same width as a half ton truck, with the fuel mileage to match, and the capability of a trucklet.
UnsurprisingDebris@reddit
I wish it was a Toyota.
Upbeat-Armadillo1756@reddit
If it was a Toyota, it would have engine and transmission problems
UnsurprisingDebris@reddit
I thought the hybrids were holding up really well though.
CouncilmanRickPrime@reddit
IDC how it looks. I just wish it was actually cheaper.
MechMeister@reddit
It isnt going to happen. They need to just sell one or two optional packages and streamline production and get it rolling or its dead in the water. Having two battery packs and 8 or 9 configurations means this things is just vaporware.
Upbeat-Armadillo1756@reddit
The minute I saw how complicated their customization options were, I knew it was never going to happen.
It needs to be one vehicle. Choose between 4 or 5 colors. That’s it. It’s a barebones EV truck. You get what you get for $20K. In a few years when they’re established could they sell add on accessories and more options from the factory? Sure! But 1.0 needed to be a blank Slate. Not “make it completely bespoke from the factory.”
It’s vaporware, but it didn’t have to be.
Unusual-Arachnid5375@reddit
Uh… it is one vehicle. There are zero options aside from battery size.
All of the “options” in the configurator are to be installed by the buyer (yes, even the power window upgrade!). They’re not even dealer-installed options.
owleaf@reddit
Execs will never learn. Apple didn’t start selling 6 variants of iPhones in different sizes and colours and capacities. You got one type, that’s it. After they were confident it would be here to stay, you started getting options and they allowed it to blossom in response to market demand.
This truck is doing the opposite and it’s going to fail.
isthatsuperman@reddit
It is one vehicle. all of those configurations are different camper tops essentially with the option for bolt in seats in the bed. The rear wall pulls out and becomes the rear window for the SUV. Most of the interior is designed to be multi use as far as parts and SKU’s go. It comes unpainted from the factory and they sell the wraps at markup. They’ve put in a lot of thought to get everything as tight and efficient as possible for production. Out of all the vaporware ev’s I see this one to be the most promising of actually being made and profitable.
Red-Panda@reddit
IIRC they're selling different color wraps and DIY wrap kits, it's all one paint job.
Legend13CNS@reddit
I had assumed the crazy configurator was a market test to see what people spec out. You can't make any kind of order or price from it, just a design for fun.
iammobius1@reddit
Disclaimer: I thought the EV tax credit dying was absolutely gonna kill this thing before it even launched unless they decided to pivot in the event of its demise. I knew this the second it was announced, I just was just hopeful it would never come to fruition. It was clear the current administration was not friendly to the tax credit at the time of announcement.
However, their "customization" options were largely outsourced to either their buyers, or "authorized dealers". Everything was basically a bolt-on addon: colors (wraps on the base paint), seat/body mods to change it from a pickup to an SUV, light decals (cheap injection molds or 3d prints), body wraps, in car stereo, power windows etc. The streamlining at the factory clearly already happened, and their addons would be basically pennies on the dollar to provide to buyers. Remember, their body panels were basically all plastic. Only thing they could really do at the factory that nobody else could was the battery pack, and maybe the suspension/wheel options.
Anyways what I'm really trying to say is while my brain knew a small EV truck would never happen my heart wanted it so bad I hoped it would come to fruition.
Tuxedo_Muffin@reddit
Nissan Leaf MSRP is $28k, 150mi range, apple car play and Bluetooth.
This is an uphill battle...
beall49@reddit
Yeah but nobody wants to be seen in a leaf.
AltruisticMobile4606@reddit
Not everyone is so shallow that they’d pass up the right car choice for their needs because they “don’t want to be seen in one”
beall49@reddit
Oh fuckin please. Stop with your Reddit holier than thou act. The vast majority of car buyers would never consider a leaf because they’re fuckin ugly. I’m so sick of people on Reddit just denying reality.
DrSpaceman575@reddit
And a higher towing capacity
Tuxedo_Muffin@reddit
LOL, I wasn't sure if you were joking, but it might actually be true. Leaf doesn't have an official towing capacity, but seems like people do anyway. The Slate is advertising 1k lbs?... that's nothing! THE SAME AS A MITSUBISHI MIRAGE. Jesus, this is grim
IWantToPlayGame@reddit
And the new one actually looks good.
Deinococcaceae@reddit
This thing is gonna get a great Jalopnik article in like 10 years
Doip@reddit
Nah, everyone who did the good stuff is over at the Autopian now. Jalopnik would just be a slide show of 32 cars that they should have made (24 almost did!)
superdude4agze@reddit
Which is nobody.
Doip@reddit
Read your CRV reviews all you want, I’m in it for the interesting stuff
C-C-X-V-I@reddit
Your flair says otherwise
RandomGenName1234@reddit
Number 7 will surprise you!
nondescriptzombie@reddit
Peter Thiel killed Jalopnik over Gizmodo outing him as a gay.
And now he's getting ready to make FedAI.
opkraut@reddit
Jalopnik was already dead/dying by the time that happened. They had been doing the same kind of lower-quality articles for a long time, with some good stuff still occasionally sprinkled in. Pretty much all of the good writers had jumped ship to other sites by then as well.
BearyHungry@reddit
Jalopnik is clickbait trash. I can write better articles with Ai
elswede@reddit
You don't like having an article on "do fuel additives work" where a paragraph is saying "lots of companies say they do, but idk, and like if your car is running fine and uses good gas who cares it should be fine", instead of actually testing them or analyzing what they are made ofd
bstyledevi@reddit
Is this a recurring problem in this era?
Meetings that could have been emails
Netflix documentaries that are basically just a long winded explanation of a Wikipedia page
500 word articles answering a question by saying yes - yesterday, I wasnt sure if Chik Fil A was open for the 4th, so I googled it. One of the first results was an ad laden AI crapfest explaining how Chik Fil A fans are curious if their favorite restaurant is gonna be open blablabla JUST SAY YES OR NO
Iliveatnight@reddit
We are in the attention economy, a simple yes and no is much smaller than a 6 hour long winded explanation. A simple Yes or No is economic suicide.
lumpialarry@reddit
Headline: "This exciting feature was revolutionized cars in the 1950 and 60s and now its gone!"
Article: Five paragraphs vent windows.
There's literally a nine paragraph article on the main page that's about why cars don't have spare tires anymore.
Tuxedo_Muffin@reddit
THE GREATEST TRUCK NOBODY BOUGHT
"When I was a young boy growing up in south Boston, I always thought I'd own a pickup truck just like my deadbeat dad. [RUMPROUND NISSAN GET A LOW APR QUOTE FOR PREFERRED CUSTOMERS] When I got into mini trucks in college, it really opened my eyes to what a cheap pickup could do."
AD
"So when my college roommate told me about Slate's sub-20k, single cab, bare bones [popup video] [PLEASE UPDATE YOUR BROWSER SETTINGS FOR BEST PERFORMANCE.]
abattlescar@reddit
I haven't read Jalopnik since the writers left to Autopian, and this really took me back.
Cake-Over@reddit
I miss old Jalopnik. The article that Rogway wrote about the family that lived next door to Area 51 was a fascinating read.
Bigdongergigachad@reddit
Assuming they’ll be here in 10 years
pandaSmore@reddit
Boooooooo
bwoah_gimmethedrink@reddit
They're retracing VW's footsteps.
DisastrousAnt4454@reddit
Isn’t this car - after being spec’d out to be a normal functioning daily driver - like the price of a ford maverick? Why would you buy this over a Mav?
misterglassman@reddit
Shocking
TraitorByTrade@reddit
Shame they had to make it an EV.
paintkilz@reddit
Anybody who understands production costs and vehicles knew they were never going to be under $20k.
darkknight302@reddit
This truck reminded me when Yugo decided to come to America back in the 80’s. I think it was slightly below $4000 when it debuted. Some people loved it for its cheap price, others quickly realize why it was so cheap.
Queasy-Hall-705@reddit
Glad I bought my Tesla with Full Self Driving used!
Stride1736@reddit
shocked pikachu
TheTexan94@reddit
I just watched rich rebuild's video on these too...
sjgbfs@reddit
shocked pikachu
Novel-Mechanic3448@reddit
It's a piece of shit made to impress reddit. For people who want trucks its a bad truck. You can get a real one used for the exact same price that does 10x more.
GrynaiTaip@reddit
If goodies get added, price would go up to $60k and then it would be just another boring small SUV.
CrimsonFlam3s@reddit (OP)
There's close to 0 interesting small suvs around and where is your source for this 60k price point? I'm talking about the goodies they already announced for the slate vehicle.
Psarsfie@reddit
I still want to know where they are going to get the $25 to $50 billion to setup the manufacturing facility?
magnament@reddit
It never was, I thought it was a rebate this and that switcharoo gotcha price for Articles anyway
mini4x@reddit
All Teslas advertised prices were with the $7500 Fed tax rebate factored in too. Every EV is marketed like that.
_badwithcomputer@reddit
Maybe it's time for EVs to stop relying on false advertising and subsidies to be competitive
mini4x@reddit
Because ICE car manufacturers are profitable without government subsidies, and are completely telling you the truth..
fidelio1995@reddit
Big deal. A truck that has never sold a CURRENTLY driving vehicle.
November87@reddit
It was never under 20k- from the company.
ALaLaLa98@reddit
Hot take: Less than 20k is great on paper, but not after seeing all the stuff the truck is missing. No radio? Roll up windows? I get that some people actually want it that way, but for 20k, it's unacceptable. When people say they want a cheap car, they mean they want a complete car that actually ticks some boxes, they just don't want all the extra stuff that adds to the cost for no reason.
PJKenobi@reddit
I love these companies just straight up fucking lie to generate hype, then reneg on everything promised before launch.
blackbirdproductions@reddit
My prediction is that this will launch in the low to mid $30,000 range. In my opinion, there will never be anything brand new for sale at even the newly adjusted price of this Slate anytime soon.
...and call me crazy, but whose to say they met their reservations quota and announced a price increase shortly after... just something to think about.
AyyNooMijo@reddit
not even the new Bolt? it'll be priced under the Equinox EV, which starts at under $35k with over 315 miles of range.
ajyahzee@reddit
It would be a miracle to hit 40000, these OEMs won't really try until the Chinese EVs are here
Plastic_Willow734@reddit
Bold to assume the US would even allow Chinese EV’s to be sold here
TempleSquare@reddit
What's going to happen is a decade (or two) of getting so far left behind, that eventually public sentiment will say screw it, and the tariffs will go away.
And there won't be an American auto industry left to save, because at that point a freaking equinox will cost 75 grand.
Legend13CNS@reddit
When China plays on a level playing field they're more than welcome to try their EVs in the market. The whole reason the US is so harsh on them is all the subsidies the Chinese government gives those brands. It's one thing to have a $7500 tax credit requiring a certain amount of US made materials, it's a whole other ballgame to have Chinese government sponsored violations of anti-dumping regulations.
MiloRoast@reddit
I've seen a ton of Polestar 2 cars in LA already...
I myself worked for an electric car company that was manufactured in China and sold in the US. They went bankrupt, but it still happened, lol.
V8-Turbo-Hybrid@reddit
Any possible now ? America now requires every Chinese EVs with their own approval infotainment.
WordWithinTheWord@reddit
I don’t think they will even try to compete at that price point. They’d just resolve to selling less units at higher prices and target mid to luxury segments.
morchorchorman@reddit
It’s probably under 20k with the EV rebate.
FreshSetOfBatteries@reddit
That number is going to keep going up. It will end up being the same price as things that actually have features.
Weak-Specific-6599@reddit
This thing will need to be as practical as a Maverick and priced as such for anyone to choose it over a Maverick.
time_to_reset@reddit
I said this would happen the day it was announced. The only thing I'm surprised by is how quickly it happened.
Calgrei@reddit
More than $20k for a vehicle with no radio, speakers, or power windows is absolutely ridiculous
deathbysnusnu7@reddit
That didn’t take long
Lux_Aquila@reddit
If it was dependent on the govt. paying some, it was never really under 20k.
Hugh-Jass24@reddit
Was it ever suppose to be under $20K? Every article I read and video I watched stated it would start around $27K and I agree that is too much.
rudbri93@reddit
there was supposed to be a tax credit of 7500 bucks that would bring the price down
CentralMasshole1@reddit
Was there something I missed in the last couple months that ended that?
rudbri93@reddit
that bill that got signed today, no more federal ev tax credits as of september.
RandomGenName1234@reddit
Yeah, you just paid the 7k by way of taxes instead.
hockeymisfit@reddit
IIRC Colorado was one of, if not the only state to get to under $20k with rebates. The cheapest model would have been in the $18k range out there.
CrimsonFlam3s@reddit (OP)
I think Slate themselves mentioned the price being under $20k *With the now defunct ev tax credit*
hatsune_aru@reddit
spoiler: it never was going to be 20k lol
great way to save face
ikilledtupac@reddit
The federal $7500 tax credit is ending September that’s why.
chfr@reddit
Vaporware and I've been saying it
SuperDuperSkateCrew@reddit
The truck was never truly under $20K to begin with.. you literally needed the $7,500 tax credit for it to be that low. Now that those credits are gone due to the new bill being passed it’s just going back to its regular unsubsidized price.
Carl-99999@reddit
because of the EV tax credit being revoked.
Also it’s literally impossible to make the same thing cheaper in this country.
Stop asking for the vehicles of the Reagan era for the prices of the Reagan era. it’s impossible and illegal.
OttoVonCranky@reddit
Color me SHOCKED!
NOT
Opinionsare@reddit
The Slate truck is still going to be a value for many people and fleet buyers. Their plan only needs to sell 150,000 a year to turn a profit. In states with reasonable electricity rates, they will be cheap to operate.
I expect that they will start at under $25K to generate sales, even though it's losing money.
Another sales gimmick could be a bonus card that you can use to buy accessories in the future, in the $1,000 to $2,000 range.
dsm1995gst@reddit
Unfortunately I lost interest in this when I realized it was A. $27,000 and B. Electric.
SpaceghostLos@reddit
Lol didnt see this coming.
Anyway.
Carl-99999@reddit
Because of the EV tax credit. Nothing changed for them.
HNixon@reddit
This truck is bound to fail. $27,000 for a truck with a 150 mile range? With no radio radio, roll-up windows and a tiny bed. I would have to charge it every 2 days.
thefanciestcat@reddit
Gasps, clutches chest
Darksolux@reddit
I'd rather get a used Maverick?
Throwawaymytrash77@reddit
We it did specify with the ev tax credit, which is gone. It's not even surprising, lol. Mid 20s would still make it one of the cheapest vehicles on the market
THE_GR8_MIKE@reddit
I'm shocked, I say.
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tronaldrumptochina@reddit
oh no who could have seen this coming
Ro-54@reddit
It’s going to end up over 30 and people will buy it. Just to say they paid for top dollar for a Lego with a electric motor
TSLAog@reddit
Well if we took the $29,000,000,000 that gas and oil gets annually EVs would be a lot more competitive when gasoline is $9/gallon. I guarantee you’d see basically an end to people buying full size trucks unless they absolutely need them.
But heaven forbid we ever take gas & oil subsidies away… So much for an even playing field.
Awesome_to_the_max@reddit
Using your numbers of 29B and the latest numbers I could find for numbers of gallons of gas sold in the US in 2023 of 137.05B, Ending the O&G subsidies would raise the price of gasoline 21.12¢ per gallon.
Most estimates put it at .20-.50 so your $9gallon is hogwash.
TSLAog@reddit
Smaller companies that rely heavily on those subsidies, like exploration services, ship leasing companies, supply companies, sonar surveyors, etc.. would likely be wiped out and huge layoffs would occur. It’s not a direct dollar-to-dollar comparison.
They also base their future business decisions on these subsidies being in place. Because it’s been happening for decades.
If the rug gets torn out from below by eliminating these subsidies, it would have devastating effects across the gas and oil businesses. The costs would be compounded with having to in-house those smaller contract based companies, pulling more loans to do that and not sucking on the tit of taxpayer money would mean they’d have to structure the business more on consumer profit margin.
elswede@reddit
They should have gone with a cheap 4 cylinder instead
lepetitmousse@reddit
A 3 cylinder option would have made sense.
ZZZ-Top@reddit
It never was, it was fucking stupid that anyone ever believed that
Outrageous_Sand_8226@reddit
so... thats it? no more "being different by being cheap and cool" truck anymore?
crudeman33@reddit
Was never going to be
Angry_Homer@reddit
I hate this truck
hirs0009@reddit
The slate makes no sense at 30k needs to be 15k for the compromises it has. The Ford Maverick is cheaper with all the normal features missing from the slate.
Available_Win5204@reddit
Literally nothing has changed other than the removal of the EV credit. How fucking stupid are the people in this sub??
Sea_Perspective6891@reddit
Wasn't the original target base price $27k? Even that seemed like a long shot. Probably not impossible but definitely hard to achieve.
No-fear-im-here@reddit
No body is surprised
Ihathreturd@reddit
Behold, for i will bear this cross on this fourth of July! Nay, Americans shan't not read!
The price will go up to the mid 20 thousand.
spl4tterb0x@reddit
Overpriced at 20k. Hope they fail.
six_six@reddit
EV sales are about to fall off a cliff.
Guy-Manuel@reddit
Yeah of course not
_zir_@reddit
Old news its been 25 for a while
RusBot9000@reddit
Was never going to be.
Their whole recent reveal was just a cash grab for investors. By the time this thing releases if it ever does it will be a 25-30k vehicle and at that point you might as well just get a nissan versa.
Cownbread@reddit
The bridge I have for sale will only cost you $50 if you’re able to crowdfund $20M
rudbri93@reddit
well this was one of the big worries with it, right? That 7500 dollar tax incentive would disappear and then it just wouldnt make sense financially anymore.
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