Underpromise, overdeliver? Hands-on with the $24,950 Slate auto. - Ars Technica
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Slate provided flights from San Francisco to Los Angeles and accommodation so Ars could ride in the Slate truck. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.<br>LOS ANGELES—Slate Auto has pulled a Disneyland. Let me explain.
At Disneyland, if a sign for a ride says the wait is 45 minutes, it’s actually less than that. The idea is to set expectations low and then exceed them. Slate originally said its electric truck’s entry-level battery would have 180 miles (290 km) of range, but that has expanded to 205 miles (330 km). The tow rating was originally 1,000 lbs (454 kg); now it’s 2,000 lbs (907 kg), a nice jump. Finally, the load rating was 1,400 lbs (635 kg), and it’s now 1,550 lbs (703 kg).
The automotive startup has exceeded expectations. Was it part of the plan all along? Was leaking the price of the base model of $24,950 last week guerrilla marketing? Since the truck’s unveiling a year ago, Slate’s marketing has been extremely tongue-in-cheek.
At the Slate launch event in Gardena, California, new CEO Peter Faricy told the assembled press that “Slate is so much more than an affordable truck.”
Let’s ride
Unfortunately, Slate wouldn’t let me drive the truck, so I rode shotgun. What I gathered from the passenger seat is that while the Slate has built an inexpensive vehicle, it doesn’t feel cheap. The acceleration curve was smooth as the driver stomped the accelerator while turning right at an intersection. It’s not a speedy ride; the 0-to-60 is a mild eight seconds. The top speed is 90 mph (145 km/h). Not that you’d want to go faster in the little truck. The single motor outputs 181 horsepower (135 kW) and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque to the rear wheels.
I was impressed with the pre-production vehicle’s handling of the bumps in the road and cornering. There’s an expectation that a car not quite ready for prime-time will have squeaks and some hiccups during test drives. None of that appeared during my trip around the block. I did learn that the vehicle has one-pedal-driving regenerative braking. Fans of the feature on other EVs will be happy.
That said, that’s the only level of regen. I also learned that traction control can be turned off, so if you’re a maniac who loves to melt tires while drifting, you could probably pull that off with the Slate.
The specs are a little better than we were initially promised.
Credit:<br>Slate
The specs are a little better than we were initially promised.
Credit:
Slate
Another surprise: The seats were very comfortable. While my time in the vehicle was extremely short, I came away impressed.
The Slate is powered by a 65 kWh gross/63 kWh usable LFP battery pack with a targeted range of 205 miles. That breaks down to 3.3 miles/kWh (19.1 kWh/100 km). It’s not the most efficient vehicle, but it’s respectable for a truck with a flat front end and single-cab silhouette. As for the long-range battery pack Slate announced at the unveiling, the automaker decided to offer a single option with more range. So that 205 miles of range is essentially a compromise.
Charging is where things can get iffy if you’re planning a long road trip. At a DC-fast charger, the NACS-enabled vehicle tops out at 120 kW. Slate says the battery can charge from 20 to 80 percent in about 30 minutes. Sure, that’s possible, but expect to wait longer than you would with most other current EVs.
If you’re driving around town, you’ll be fine. The other low-cost EV on the market, the Chevy Bolt, only supports DC fast-charging up to 150 kW. The Bolt starts at $27,600 ($28,995 including destination). The vehicle also ships with an EPA-estimated 262 miles (422 km) of range.
AC charging is a respectable 11 kW. This charge rate should be of interest to fleet managers looking for a small electric pickup for deliveries and other uses. Slate notes that level 2 AC charging from 20 to 100 percent will take four hours. Over the course of a day with shift changes and overnight charging, a Slate truck could be work-ready without needing a DC fast-charge.
Slate’s president of vehicles, Chris Barman, told Ars that the company is already in discussions with fleet managers. These companies typically want a few vehicles to test before making a purchase decision, and Slate is working with them to make that happen. Barman wouldn’t share any names, though.
Chris Barman, president of Slate Autos, presents the truck to the media in Los Angeles.
Credit:<br>Roberto Baldwin
Chris Barman, president of Slate Autos,...