Visiting Slate’s first showroom as its $25,000 electric truck nears production
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/10/visiting-slates-first-showroom-as-its-25000-electric-truck-nears-production/Open linkView original on slrpnk.netSyndicated from the fediverse. Read and engage on the original instance.
View original on slrpnk.nethttps://arstechnica.com/cars/2026/10/visiting-slates-first-showroom-as-its-25000-electric-truck-nears-production/Open linkView original on slrpnk.net
12 replies
Happy to see this, I like the SUV version.
I wonder what the used market will look like in five years. Can they come down in price to something actually affordable? Will they last five years? How badly will the battery degrade in that time?
They are affordable compared to other vehicles. Hopefully the secondhand market doesn't do the Prius thing where demand was enough to keep used prices in line with brand new.
Build quality is my one concern, but they are approaching it with simplicity in mind which increases the odds of being reliable.
It is my understanding that the majority of car batteries are very reliable and have held up better than expectations, with only a few outliers.
I am hoping that when I consider a new vehicle in a few years they are have sorted out the bugs and stayed ahead of demand so I can get one new or used for 25k or less.
Unless they oversupply these things, the used market will keep the prices as high as demand will support.
Talking with friends with families who want Toyota minivans. They can’t even get new ones without waiting 6 months at times. And 1-3 year old used models cost exactly the same price as orderigg by a new one.
I really hope Slate booms and sparks a small simple EV market.
14 months in Canada. People would wait over a year over buying a Chrysler Pacifica.
The Siennas are nice though.
If Kia’s didn’t have such a bad reputation for engines and being stolen, I really like the looks of those vans more. Same problem as the Pacifica I guess.
Sienna is the only reliable van option.
The batteries and motors are Chinese. The question is whether the rest of it will break.
No matter where the parts come from, the quality control they do up to and including assembly will be the thing that determines how reliable they are.
like everything else, they will plummet in value if the vehicle is not reliable.
New model from a new company? These are never without problems.
If they can get through the initial run and produce vehicles that don't have major issues then I'll be very interested. One one hand, I want absolutely nothing to do with dealerships when buying a car, on the other I don't want to figure out how to get a Slate to a repair center 200 miles away if it breaks down.
Just got the notification I can buy one if I like. Paid th $50 ages ago for a seat in line.
I hope Japan, South Korea and Taiwan offer something similar to Canada soon.