Slate Truck

[Furious]

What do you guys think about Slate Truck?

To me, now that EV tax credit is gone, that thing seems DOA.
I don’t think Americans want that kind of a basic truck that has no modern creature comforts that also isn’t actually any good at being a truck.

I’ve seen a bunch of posts about people saying this is exactly what they want/need, but I’m skeptical. However, I might be severely mistaken here.

Wonder what you guys think.

[Danoff]

Unpopular opinions here, I don't understand pickup trucks much at all. I guess this thing can be configured as a pickup with a cover, which seems like it kinda sucks, or I guess some kind of two-door hatchback? I don't know a ton about all of the possible configurations of this vehicle.

Hatchbacks are awesome, and something with a little ground clearance and an EV could be really great. But I don't see a lot of benefit of a small pickup (or a large pickup for that matter).

[Joey D]

Unpopular opinions here, I don't understand pickup trucks much at all. I guess this thing can be configured as a pickup with a cover, which seems like it kinda sucks, or I guess some kind of two-door hatchback? I don't know a ton about all of the possible configurations of this vehicle.

Hatchbacks are awesome, and something with a little ground clearance and an EV could be really great. But I don't see a lot of benefit of a small pickup (or a large pickup for that matter).

Pick-up trucks only make sense for a small portion of the population. If you live in the middle of nowhere, need to tow, or need to haul stuff they make sense, but if you live in the city and drive to and from work while taking a trip to Home Depot once a month, you probably don't need one. People also overbuy trucks too. No, you don't need a heavy-duty truck to pull your 12-foot boat. Hell, most people don't even need a full sized truck. The Tacoma, Ranger, Colorado, and Canyon are the right size for probably most truck owners but there's a stigma that you need a V8 or something.

I'm perfectly happy with my long-bed Tacoma since it has a usable bed, a good 4WD system, and can haul everything I need it to. It can also tow a side-by-side without any issue. I could've gotten a full-sized but then it would've have fit in my garage and it wouldn't have been nearly as easy to park. Full-size trucks also suck on narrow trails, but a vast majority of people aren't actively off-roading.

As for the Slate, they'll probably be popular enough among certain crowds of people. The Ford Maverick makes some sense for those crunchy people who sell exotic, organic produce at the farmer's market. They only need to carry a small amount of stuff, but it's not exactly stuff you'd want rolling around in a car.

Electric trucks are kind of weird though. They become completely useless once you attempt to do any truck stuff with them. Hauling a payload nukes your range, the tires are eco-focused and suck off-road, and a lot of the time, the torque curve makes you spin your tires on soft surfaces. Even when you try to make them more robust, they're still pretty crap off-road. Some dude tried to run the Rubicon in a Cybertruck and broke so many axles they ran out of spare parts halfway through the trail. Meanwhile, the dude bro who went to the Jeep dealer and bought a Wrangler can do that trail completely stock and still drive it home.