You generally don't want your calling card to be "you paid how much for fucking crank windows? In 2027?"

There's actually a really good reason even the cheapest new cars on the market, like the Nissan Versa, leave a few things in. Like power windows. Well, 2 reasons, actually.

1. Most people actually want them. Like 95%.

2. The cost-to-value ratio is high. Maybe it costs the manufacturer an extra $20 to include power windows. But to the customer, power windows are worth far more than a $20 convenience. Many people would pay, say, $500 extra for that.

When it comes to cheap cars, you NEED to have value. When people don't have much money to spend, they are looking to stretch their dollar as far as it will go. This, I think, is why Slate will fail.

So maybe Slate saved $20 by installing crank windows. But saving $20 sure doesn't mean they can lower the price by $500. So anyone looking at a $27,500 truck will look at everything else on the market in that price bracket and find it severely lacking.

Same with the 2-door, 2-seater format. People on a tight budget want a car that can do everything, because they can only afford one car. That sure as hell won't be the Slate.

Long story short, who is the Slate targeting?

1. People who don't want to pay $30k for a Ford Maverick, but mid-$20k is ok.

2. People who want a cheap car, but don't want used.

3. People who only need the car for a few specific tasks - they almost certainly own another car for other things, such as long distance travel or driving more than 1 passenger.

4. As per above, people who have parking space for 2 cars, and yet the Maverick is still too big/expensive, or they absolutely want a short-range EV.

5. Space/size is NOT the most important requirement, as the Telo is also upcoming truck at a higher price and even smaller size. But then again, cheap is also likely not the most important requirement, or else the used market is widely available.

And those 5 points aren't separate target markets. It's one target market that meets ALL 5 requirements. I think it's a set of requirements that kind of cancels itself out. Slate might get some emotional purchases but I think it makes very little sense logically.

Something like the Telo, IMO, serves a niche market but makes logical sense: You want maximum vehicle capability in minimum parking space. It's expensive, but literally no other vehicle can possibly do what it does.

Whereas the Slate... well, it's not especially good at anything. Not even being cheap (there are other used and new vehicles that are cheaper). It's good at seeming cheap (i.e. crank windows) but that's not exactly a selling point.