I have yet to experience a truly bad Chinese-market electric vehicle. They’re all generally well-resolved and reasonably priced—which scares the daylights out of the rest of the world. And so, even here in the United States, every new EV startup or groundbreaking project should be viewed through the lens of how this particular vehicle can push back against the growing impact of China.
Including Slate Auto. This electric newcomer made waves for its backing from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, its utilitarian simplicity, and its enticing price tag—under $30,000, now that tax credits are going away. Although Slate itself sort of shies away from directly marketing its car as part of a great American resurgence of manufacturing, it is certainly seen as that in some circles.
During Slate’s recent pseudo-groundbreaking at its factory in Indiana, GOP politicians in attendance alluded to the company as being part of what will fight against our “enemies.” The enemy, implicitly, would be China.
But I am not convinced the Slate truck is the answer to Chinese EVs. Heck, I’m not even convinced that it’s exactly what most Americans are looking for.
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Source: Slate
This was my first time seeing the truck in person, so let’s start out with what I like about the Slate truck: the styling. The Slate truck’s dimensions and styling are a breath of fresh air in a world full of overstyled and oversized pickup trucks. I’d wager that it could be the smallest pickup on the market, matching the height and width of the petite Ford Maverick, but being much shorter in length.
The Slate truck looks best when converted into an SUV. With the boxy back and rear bench seat, it feels like a modern interpretation of the Ford Bronco II. Add in the possibility of wraps and minor exterior customization, and the Slate’s style and ethos feel charmingly homebrew.
But that’s where my appreciation for the truck kind of stops.
Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs
As unique and novel as Slate’s concept is, I question whether this is what consumers are actually looking for. It is hard to understate just how Spartan the Slate is solely by pictures. Yes, the truck doesn’t have a dedicated infotainment system, and even has crank windows—two things that are a godsend to people who hate how connected cars have become in any given online comments section. But the Slate truck doesn’t even have a carpeted floor. This Spirit Airlines-style lack of amenities will feel jarring to the average consumer.
Of course, interior finishings and plastics of the handful of pre-production test cars I was able to see up close may not be entirely representative of what will actually be delivered. But if this is what Slate’s shipping, then expect something more akin to a commercial vehicle suitable for deliveries, and not a passenger car designed with comfort.
In fact, the Slate truck reminded me of the handful of commercial vans and light-duty trucks I experienced in China, like Geely’s Farizon-branded vans. Simple and basic—a tool meant to do a job, not necessarily one to be enjoyed. It really will need customization to feel like a place you’d want to be, at least from what I’ve seen on the ground.
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Source: Slate
And sure, there’s a case to be made about the truck’s level of customization. The end consumer will have their choice of adding the options they’d like to the truck. This ranges from infotainment to speakers or power windows, but also includes a whole set of rear seats and an add-on body style to convert it into a more practical SUV.
And there’s a but here. Are people going to really customize en masse? Turning the attention back to China, customization is fairly ubiquitous, especially among cheaper and smaller EVs. It’s not uncommon to see cars adorned with decals, wraps and probably-not-safe add-ons bought for cheap at a 4S store or Alibaba. Chinese brands have even leaned into Chinese drivers’ penchant for customization by offering it from the factory, as Xiaomi does. It’s easy to go to a Xiaomi store, pay $75, and clip in a row of buttons on the bottom of your car’s infotainment screen. It’s not that hard to buy a big Crayon Shin-chan sticker and slap it on the side of your Lincoln Corsair; I saw some guy in Suzhou that had done just that. Why? I don’t know. Meant something to him, I guess.
Photo by: InsideEVs
Yet it’s another thing to hack the rear of the car off, install some seats, and a whole new roof, and do all sorts of work to take a half-car-specced car, to a real car. Personally, I’m not willing to do major surgery and labor on a new car, and I question how willing the average person is, either, especially since Slate’s price advantage has somewhat eroded with the ending of the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax incentives. Are people really going to be willing to create an SUV out of a truck? Especially when Ford is promising a four-door truck without the need to DIY it for not much more money?
I’m not convinced, and I’m not alone in feeling this way.
Photo by: InsideEVs
“My biggest concern with Slate is actually the choice of form factor for the vehicle, a two-door pickup truck. I don’t think the ability to convert it to an SUV actually helps that much,” Sam Abuelsamid, the VP of marketing research at market analytics firm Telemetry, told me via email. He thinks that the desire for a small truck is overestimated by the internet comments sections and automotive enthusiasts who have given the truck coverage. The desire for a two-door, two-seat truck is low. Even in the ICE truck world, two-door single-cab trucks have largely been canceled for four-door double-cab base models.
The only single-cab models that still exist are those of the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado, both of which are only available in basic work truck trims. There’s a Ram 3500 single-cab truck, but that’s pretty far out of the realm of comparison with a daily-driver pickup.
Photo by: Slate
“We’ve had small two-door pickups and utilities in the past, and I’m old enough to remember when that was the only form factor for these vehicles,” Abelsamid said. He doesn’t think that the ability to convert the vehicle from pickup to SUV will matter much to consumers, because when consumers see a back seat, they’ll want another set of doors to go along with that.
“Once we started to have the option of four-door smaller SUVs and extended and then crew cab pickups, the market for two doors evaporated,” he said. “Look at what has happened to the market for two-door coupes in the last 30 years. If there is going to be a back seat, people want four doors.” Abueslamid thinks that when Ford reveals its truck, customers will see that they can get a better-equipped truck for not much more, and demand for the Slate could dry up.
Photo by: Slate
A Chinese EV that would cost the same as a Slate may be small and less customizable, but it doesn’t feel or look like a commercial vehicle—unless it’s expressly built for that. It wouldn’t be a compromise that you’ll have to spec out à la carte to feel comfortable. It would have four doors and be usable for families and all sorts of situations, not be Spartan and limited. It would feel like a fully-featured, real vehicle.
If you think this is what we needed to push back against China, then I fear you’re not really understanding why we’re losing so hard. The Slate truck is cool, cute and a novel idea, and it certainly will have its use cases. But I don’t think it’s enough.
Contact the author: kevin.williams@insideevs.com
