Why the Slate Truck Only Costs $25K

dtagames•about 3 hours ago

Many people will be pleased to have a vehicle with no communication, sensor, or surveillance systems.

It's hard to estimate how important that might be now that all other cars force them on everyone.

brookst•about 1 hour ago

It’s going to be very interesting. Has Slate identified an under-served market? Will they see mainstream success?

Or is this another iPhone Mini / Framework / sports wagon where a small, passionate minority ends up disappointed and angry that their priorities are not shared by the mainstream?

I sincerely hope for the former. We need lower-cost vehicles, I like diverse product offerings, and this is a purist’s take on a small truck. But then I like small phones, (the idea of) repairable laptops, and sports wagons.

wiml•about 1 hour ago

> a vehicle with no communication, sensor, or surveillance systems

Do we know that? The website seems silent on the topic, unless I've missed something.

dtagames•3 minutes ago

As we used to say in the car business, "it comes with a heater and paint."

In this case, not even paint, but you can buy decals and wraps.

WheelsAtLarge•about 3 hours ago

This truck is remining me of the Yugo. When the Yugos were announced people were thrilled about the price. Unfortunately after they were in use people understood why they were so cheap, quality suffered and they were basically disposable cars. Cheap is nice in theory but eventually you wish for something a bit better.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugo

germinalphrase•about 1 hour ago

I actually think it is not cheap enough. Start adding basic, standard features and the price doesn’t look as competitive against legacy manufacturers. Do those manufacturers offer an equivalently cheap EV today? Maybe, but probably not. Though they could, and if they did, Slate is probably toast.

bicx•about 2 hours ago

I also wonder if it will develop a negative stigma as a cheap beater truck used in company fleets and such.

Waterluvian•about 3 hours ago

Does it fit a standard 4x8 sheet flat with the tailgate down?

(Anyone seen detailed dimensions specs?)

pulvinar•about 1 hour ago

Not flat between the wheel wells (42.9"), but on top of them. There's a photo (don't know if it's real though).

https://www.slateforums.com/forum/threads/slate-truck-dimens...

gnabgib•about 3 hours ago

Easily found: https://www.slate.auto/en/specs

Waterluvian•about 2 hours ago

None of that seems to answer my question.

gnabgib•about 2 hours ago

Detailed dimension specs are.. right there.

Your other question is about.. bed vibes? That's not a real spec (for any truck builder). You can put a 100x4 sheet rock in any 4'+ wide bed.. best of luck to the person behind you. Don't forget the red flag (day) or light (at night).. in north america.

cherry_tree•about 2 hours ago

It seems like not quite.

The width is 50 some inches but the wheel wells are there so you may need some 2x4 or something to keep plywood from flexing over them. And the length of the bed isn’t near 8 feet so you’d need the bed open and the boards strapped in.

This jalopnik article had some helpful measurements: https://www.jalopnik.com/1845231/slate-pickup-bed-fit-every-...

gnabgib•about 3 hours ago

Discussion (296 points, 2 days ago, 463 comments) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48659451

JSR_FDED•about 3 hours ago

Easiest decision ever to skip the infotainment system - your phone is better at that anyway.

The Slate is like the original Nintendo Wii - swapping sophistication for fun.

mc32•about 3 hours ago

Price is nice to see. The cab design is from before the '90s though. That's to say, not much space and rather plain.

Also, like many contemporary vehicles it still has that snubbed nose design that limits vision of low profile objects in front of the vehicle. It's a design choice, not a necessity. Wonder why given it was a blank slate design,

sidewndr46•about 3 hours ago

is this vehicle actually available for purchase at $24,950?

jer0me•about 2 hours ago

Preorder shipping late 2026

Why the Slate Truck Only Costs $25K

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Discussion (18 Comments)Read Original on HackerNews