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Slate Truck

dpep

dpep

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Some of you may already be aware of this thing but I just stumbled onto it. A well backed start-up will be selling a simple, no frills EV pickup for under $20,000 (after government incentives). No infotainment, no touch screens, hand crank windows, all the same single color (gray). But designed to let the owner customize to his liking DIY. There is even a kit that will let you change it back and forth from a pickup to an SUV.

The concept appeals to me a lot--a low, low maintenance vehicle to get from point A to point B with no gasoline required and designed so the owner would be able to work on it.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/24/b...5Z5Gf1k6dCokH3IkVq-OcFREW805eVKYC6kMKvxMuq5Xa
 
I went to the website and looked around, interesting and might meet my needs well.
 
I like it! It's purpose will be just an extra vehichle to run errands, recycle and brush dump trips.
 
dpep said:
Some of you may already be aware of this thing but I just stumbled onto it. A well backed start-up will be selling a simple, no frills EV pickup for under $20,000 (after government incentives). No infotainment, no touch screens, hand crank windows, all the same single color (gray). But designed to let the owner customize to his liking DIY. There is even a kit that will let you change it back and forth from a pickup to an SUV.

The concept appeals to me a lot--a low, low maintenance vehicle to get from point A to point B with no gasoline required and designed so the owner would be able to work on it.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/24/b...5Z5Gf1k6dCokH3IkVq-OcFREW805eVKYC6kMKvxMuq5Xa
Click to expand...

I'd be really into one of them, but by the time it gets here will have trebled in price.
 
Nifty truck, but it needs a longer bed.

While lamenting the lack of true mini trucks in the marketplace, I came to learn that CAFE (USA market) is the driving reason. There is a formula, based on "footprint" size. In a nutshell, a large footprint size trucks, like most full size trucks, are allowed to use far more fuel than small footprint vehicles. In fact, the old Toyota/Datsun sized trucks, if brought into modern times, would have to get some stupid/crazy high mpg, otherwise they would be noncompliant to current standards. It seems clear that the big OEM's, making full size trucks, has lobbied these standards into existance. But it also, for all practical reasons, made small IC trucks a non starter in the US market.
 
Nessism said:
Nifty truck, but it needs a longer bed.

While lamenting the lack of true mini trucks in the marketplace, I came to learn that CAFE (USA market) is the driving reason. There is a formula, based on "footprint" size. In a nutshell, a large footprint size trucks, like most full size trucks, are allowed to use far more fuel than small footprint vehicles. In fact, the old Toyota/Datsun sized trucks, if brought into modern times, would have to get some stupid/crazy high mpg, otherwise they would be noncompliant to current standards. It seems clear that the big OEM's, making full size trucks, has lobbied these standards into existance. But it also, for all practical reasons, made small IC trucks a non starter in the US market.
Click to expand...

Yes, I was unaware until recently that this glitch (loophole, whatever) in the fuel standards are what helped kill off the great little Japanese pickups we had back in the 70s & 80s--perfect for hauling motorcycles and parts but still able to park on the street without traffic cones. I haven't researched it but I suspect you are right about the manufacturers having a hand in it; full size pickups are their highest profit margin product. My 1988 Toyota pickup had a 7ft bed, was one month shy of its 30th birthday, and was destined to be part of my estate sale when Hurricane Irma took it away in 2017.Otherwise it would still be in my driveway.

If this Slate Truck succeeds as much as I think it might, maybe the other manufacturers will get the word. I hope that is the case.
 
Definitely interesting. Will let the buyers of the first models figure out the issues and if the platform is viable/everything they claim.
the slate.auto site has some size comparisons.

vcjI12zh.jpg
 
dpep said:
Yes, I was unaware until recently that this glitch (loophole, whatever) in the fuel standards are what helped kill off the great little Japanese pickups we had back in the 70s & 80s--perfect for hauling motorcycles and parts but still able to park on the street without traffic cones. I haven't researched it but I suspect you are right about the manufacturers having a hand in it; full size pickups are their highest profit margin product. My 1988 Toyota pickup had a 7ft bed, was one month shy of its 30th birthday, and was destined to be part of my estate sale when Hurricane Irma took it away in 2017.Otherwise it would still be in my driveway.

If this Slate Truck succeeds as much as I think it might, maybe the other manufacturers will get the word. I hope that is the case.
Click to expand...

Too bad you couldn't retain your truck. Those vehicles were so simple, and reliable, that even if you needed a new engine, it would have been worth the project.
 
Been driving small, reg. cab Japan 4X4's since 1980, those little trucks will rarely get 20 MPG. Shoot, I see some full sized trucks get that much, but never figured why the little ones don't do better...If the public accepts it, that little Slate may be the coming thing. Maybe one of their many optional parts will be a bed extender so we can haul our bikes.
 
I was highly interested in this because I _love_ the goals they're shooting for. Until I saw that they're using plastic body panels. Meh.

Saturn did that once and within a few years every single one of those you saw on the road had some non-trivial percentage of their quarter panels missing from an incident that would have only caused a dent in metal panel. I mean, I get it, they need to make them cheap and light. But plastic is also basically non-repairable insofar as you care anything at all about the looks. And I'm betting replacement panels will either be expensive, or hard to find, or both.
 
I've seen a number of different companies touting their latest project as the "New cult car" and this one doesn't appear to be any different. Yeah, I'd be in at that price and if we could hustle up a few hundred thousand more of us it just might be possible to see it actually happen.

Does anyone else remember the Elio?
 
LAB3 said:
I've seen a number of different companies touting their latest project as the "New cult car" and this one doesn't appear to be any different. Yeah, I'd be in at that price and if we could hustle up a few hundred thousand more of us it just might be possible to see it actually happen.

Does anyone else remember the Elio?
Click to expand...

Lol…..Elio must be coming up on their 20th anniversary of not selling cars.
 
the minimalism of this truck is obviously awesome and a long-overdue concession to the small truck guys but I would spend 1/4 of the money on an old diesel pickup rabbit and beef up the suspension and it will outlast amazon/bezos itself. ~50 mpg but it will also only go 50 mph... but hey if you wanna go fast you should be on a bike.

of course theres also the old toyota land cruiser pickup that I have not yet seen in the USA... Absolutely stunning vehicle but having driven one it could use some power steering.
 
stossboss_gaming_and_news said:
the minimalism of this truck is obviously awesome and a long-overdue concession to the small truck guys but I would spend 1/4 of the money on an old diesel pickup rabbit and beef up the suspension and it will outlast amazon/bezos itself. ~50 mpg but it will also only go 50 mph... but hey if you wanna go fast you should be on a bike.

.
Click to expand...
The VW Vortex has some interesting tuning for the old smoky coal burners. That ancient wheezing 1500cc diesel can produce some amazing power for its size without blowing up too much.
Reason I took an interest is that somewhere along the way I picked up a pair of those lumps and an Eaton M45 supercharger...
 
Grimly said:
The VW Vortex has some interesting tuning for the old smoky coal burners. That ancient wheezing 1500cc diesel can produce some amazing power for its size without blowing up too much.
Reason I took an interest is that somewhere along the way I picked up a pair of those lumps and an Eaton M45 supercharger...
Click to expand...

VW Vortex is great. My son has owned
many VW’s. Here is one he bought and sold
on BAT, it certainly had mods!

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1990-volkswagen-cabriolet-15/
 
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