this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2025
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Electric Vehicles
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They shouldn’t market this as a $20k truck “with federal incentive” if they’re expecting the incentive to go away
I’ve got a 50 mile round trip commute. I currently do it in a car with a 200 mile range just fine. I love the flexibility of a 200+ mile battery, but if cost was a concern, I’d be more than happy with 150 miles of range. Small battery would not be an issue for me. It’s cool that I could upgrade after the fact too, so I don’t have to plan ahead when I buy the car. Hopefully they give credit for the original battery when you upgrade, though
Highlighting battle scars is actually great! My previous car was brand new, and I would lament every dent and scrape. My current car was a used rental, so small cosmetic damage doesn’t bother me as much because it was never “perfect” to begin with. I’d love a car that leans into being “used in the real world” like that, and it sounds like it will be relatively easy to replace the body panels on this truck if they become too damaged. I’d never have to worry about rock chips again!
IDK, if they're injection molded plastic then it kinda seems like the only way to get major damage repaired is to buy a replacement from Slate Auto. You can't just visit the junkyard and start cutting material to weld on for patches.
Slate Auto will have a monopoly in addition to having a more expensive manufacturing process. Going with plastic panels means they need less capital to build the factory, but it also means the panels will take longer to produce. Stamping sheet metal can be done fast and cheap, but the machines to do that have a higher up front cost.
I don’t know. I get the impression they’ll be selling replacement body panels, but there will almost certainly be aftermarket equivalents you can buy, assuming this truck becomes at all popular. Maybe that won’t be the case if the body panels aren’t easily replaceable, but it seems like they’re going with ease of repairability as a major selling point
Genuine question: would fiberglass and resin adhere to this material? I'm familiar with it from patching up old boats and canoes and could see that being an easy weekend project.
I have no idea, but good thinking!
Maybe you can't but I don't give a damn how janky my car looks. The more patchwork the better, battlecar aesthetic is cool as hell.