Posted on 04/26/2025 9:31:59 AM PDT by Cronos
Meet the Slate Truck, a sub-$20,000 (after federal incentives) electric vehicle that enters production next year. It only seats two yet has a bed big enough to hold a sheet of plywood. It only does 150 miles on a charge, only comes in gray, and the only way to listen to music while driving is if you bring along your phone and a Bluetooth speaker. It is the bare minimum of what a modern car can be, and yet it’s taken three years of development to get to this point.
But this is more than bargain-basement motoring. Slate is presenting its truck as minimalist design with DIY purpose, an attempt to not just go cheap but to create a new category of vehicle with a huge focus on personalization. That design also enables a low-cost approach to manufacturing that has caught the eye of major investors, reportedly including Jeff Bezos. It’s been engineered and will be manufactured in America, but is this extreme simplification too much for American consumers?
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Go to your local new car dealership and tell me how many pickups they have on offer that don’t have an extended cab.
It’s not about the technology, it’s about NOT ignoring a clear preference by the market. 2-door trucks DON’T sell.
In this DOGE era, why is the government handing out incentives for vehicle purchases?
We had it done over 25 years ago. The power company was offering a big incentive and also there was a big tax deduction. At the time, we laid out 15k. The system consists of 8 80 ft. deep boreholes connected to a manifold at about 4 ft. below surface and then 2 lines through the foundation into the basement to the compressor and other devices. The lines are filled with a refrigerant which then gets compressed or decompressed depending on whether heat or cool is needed. The benefit of air conditioning in the summer is a by product of hot water. From May thru Sept. our hot water is basically free. During the colder months the system does produce some hot water, but it’s minimal.
Probably a half-sheet. 4x4 instead of 4x8.
Less than 175” total length.
If it was gas powered, I’d get one.
If it had at least a six cylinder gas engine and a/c it would be a hot seller. I guess they still think we want an EV.
I still do. The more concrete we pour, the hotter it seems to get.
bed length: 5 feet. I guess it can handle a 5 foot sheet, but I don’t think the bed is wide enough to even handle a 4 foot width, so no. That’s false.
Now stick a six cylinder gas engine in it.😏
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