“No touchscreen” is a really great selling point imo
Every smart feature a vehicle *doesn’t *have is a selling point for me. I want my car to be dumb as a boot.
Yep, the more software it has, the less I want it. And I’m saying that as a software engineer.
Nothing made me want to distance myself from technology more than going back to school for computer science.
…well that and all the fascism espoused by tech CEOs.
After reading the article and the website, I can’t find anything that explicitly says there is no network connection built into the vehicle.
The instrument panel is a screen, and will be used to display the backup camera video. There is some computer capable of handling video processing and displaying the instrument graphics - so more than just low-level electronics to handle the battery and drive control. It could have built-in GPS, it could have 5G, it could still be collecting and sharing data on driving habits &etc, it could be subsidized by that on the backend. Just because those functions aren’t displayed to the end user doesn’t mean they aren’t in the system.
Hoping it doesn’t have tracking 🤞
If they also make a 4wd version in the future then this would basically be the first new car I’d consider buying.
Edit: I emailed them and they said it doesn’t have any data collection at all.
I fucking hate the touchscreen in my vehicle.
I dont mind a secondary 8" screen for things like navigation as long as there is no control over functionality of the vehicle on said touch screen.
My 2016 Veloster has a perfect balance
It’s backed by Bezos. Wouldn’t even consider it for that reason alone.
I’m sure, somehow, mostly everything is at least slightly backed by bezos
What else are you going to do? I hate Bezoz as much as anybody, but if I could actually get one of these for 25k? I’d buy three of them just to keep around for emergencies.
Just not buy one?
I second that. How about we tax Bezos and Musk et al. into “just” millionaire status and then fucking have parties without these Bezo-trucks.
The design is bad. The front trunk is a bad use of space, and the Japanese figured this out decades ago with the Kei truck. If you want to see real utility, look at this design.
The front trunk is a safety feature called a crumple zone and is objectively safer to be in a crash with.
Hm. Interesting point.
Maybe as we move our economy away from cars, and people dont all have to be drivers, we could also move away from cars that are poorly designed specifically around bad drivers.
You need infrastructure to actually support an alternative, otherwise cars are a necessity for many people to get to work and the grocery store.
Kei was recently found to botch all of their safety test scores for many years. As another commenter said, any crash in that design is guaranteed life threatening without some type of buffer.
If theres anything Ive learned from the fire departments insistence to have big wide roads so that they can shave off nano seconds to their response time, sometimes theres bigger things than persieved immediate safety to the individual.
For example, if we all drove Kei trucks slowly on small roads, a collision would not be as bad as driving a big safety focused truck at 80mph.
Still, your point is well taken. Maybe there are some ways to make safe small vehicles, including trucks, that arent explored yet.
That is true, except I’m talking about utility primarily. Garbage trucks already fulfill the design I’m mentioning and are used daily in most cities already.
Are you saying that because a heavy duty, highly specialized, utility vehicle, doesn’t have a crumple zone that the Slate truck is a bad design?
In my view the Slate truck is designed as a work vehicle. It’s for people who need to both hual things, and have a place to store tools. It’s trunk is perfect for that.
The Kei, and box trucks that we have in the US (which would have been a way better example for you to use.), are great for delivery vehicles. Jobs where you load things up and come back with an empty truck.
There’s a place for both form factors. The Slate is not a bad design, it just doesn’t fit what you think the use case for a small truck is.
Except that driver and passengers are above most crash situations. That is a cab over truck. The Japanese mini truck you referenced is a forward control. Different things , actually.
People in garbage trucks don’t experience the same magnitude of force in a crash of equal speed, even without crumple zones, for a few reasons:
- Sheer mass of the garbage truck means that the same amount of momentum transfer results in less force to the humans inside. A garbage truck might weigh literally 20 times as much as a kei truck, which means that an abrupt collision will transfer 1/20 as much impulse to the passengers (as most of the force goes into changing the speed of the truck). Even collisions with still objects (trees, walls, poles) result in less force on the passengers, as a lot of the energy ends up deforming or disintegrating that stationary object as a crumple zone.
- Driver/passenger height in a garbage truck is generally above where the collision/deformation occurs. The passenger compartment isn’t under as much crushing force in a garbage truck crash compared to a kei truck at normal human height.
- The height of a garbage truck gives a lot more physical structure to dissipate the forces in a crash.
So the exact same shape/proportions of vehicle can be vastly different safety when large versus small.
European vans are probably the safest of utility cars, they don’t have a front trunk.
Front trunks save lives in collisions though. I’d 100% rather be in a vehicle with a hood between me and another car, and I say this as an avid kei-truck fan.
They don’t make electric Kei trucks though.
Yet.
That’s cute. Do you have any idea how auto regulations work in Japan? The Auto industry owns the politicians and is the reason that cars are forced to be taken off the road after a set number of years. If companies like Toyota don’t want to make an EV, the government will not force the matter.
Car has to look big or americans no buy.
Americans won’t buy a Kei truck though. Granted, the frunk is a marketing concession, but it’s a fine one, if it can help push the market away from huge and expensive SUVs.
Or, more succinctly, don’t let perfect be the enemy of good.
Americans can’t buy them new because of the so-called Chicken Tax. We can only import them if they’re speed-governed, or at least 25 years old.
Even with those restrictions, lots of Americans want them, including me. There are quite a few importers bringing them over, including one that just started up in my area. They’re desirable enough that major media outlets are running articles about how people who need to get real work done covet kei trucks.
Yes, Americans would buy them. Americans are buying them.
It’s not the chicken tax itself, even if it plays a role. It’s that the chicken tax makes it not economically feasible to try to import light trucks, so they aren’t designed to U.S. emissions and safety regulations. And several U.S. regulations are, in my opinion, misguided, but that doesn’t really change the fact that an importer wouldn’t be able to comply with vehicles that weren’t engineered to those specifications.
Meanwhile, the cars and trucks engineered to American safety and emissions regulations face the perverse incentive to get bigger. This article describes some of the overall issues but contains this interesting nugget:
That’s a sensible recommendation. Except the 3,000-pound 2010 Ranger featured by IIHS has become the bigger and taller 2024 Ford Ranger, which weighs up to 5,325 pounds. Like so many US cars, the Ranger got supersized, a trend fed by a mix of consumer desires and government regulations that carved out gas efficiency loopholes for the trucks and SUVs that make up a swelling share of the US vehicle fleet.
In a sense, the trend of people wanting kei trucks paradoxically comes from the same reason why they’re not street legal: they didn’t get bigger because they weren’t subject to U.S. regulations pushing trucks to get bigger, but the noncompliance with those regulations makes them impossible to import and register (at least until they’re 25 years old).
You’re correct, my memory took a shortcut. Thanks for the very thorough explanation!
Yep, the Chevrolet Bolt is the closest I could get to a Kei van.
Americans won’t be able to afford anything anyway pretty soon.
Forward control trucks, like that Kei truck are shit in so many respects, it would take a while to list. Source: I’ve owned one of it’s larger siblings and learned to hate them (being 187 cm tall didn’t help)
Counterpoint: One of the first things people buy for a truck is a container for the bed for things they don’t want to be in the weather but also not in the cab.
A front-trunk eliminates this need which also frees up bed space.
Exactly, you can usually tell someone actually needs a truck if it’s got a stainless box behind the cab. Obviously there’s still people who cosplay as truck drivers that will have them too, but there are other signs you can use to tell them apart.
I have owned a Nissan vanette, And let me tell you, it’s a van-full of nope! Steering is super weird, as the wheels are under you, the feeling that your knees are going to be what crumples in a crash is unnerving, having the engine right next to you (it’s between the front seats) is smelly, warms up one of you thighs, but just one, even in the summer, and a slew of other shit. Standard layout for me, at least Eurovan layout.
Crazy how so many people have been begging for bare bones, affordable electric vehicles.
Then when one comes on the scene they do nothing but complain. Can’t please anybody these days it seems.
Edit: sp
They claim 20k, which is nice, but noone will believe it will stay that way. Given the [gestures broadly to everything] they likely will need to find an non-lithium based alternative battery before the reserves run dry, the price sky-rockets and then would-be buyers deal with scalper prices (not like thats much different than going to a dealership anyway).
This would have been a smash hit in 2022, but now its too little, too late.
The 20k is after government incentives, definitely not permanent pricing. Lithium isn’t scarce in the US, at least. The McDermitt Caldera reserves are quite substantial. More than half of the world’s total supply.
Its range is also only 180 miles. The smaller battery definitely helps keep the cost down.
This car might not be for me but I definitely see its value and hope they’re successful.
20k after 7500 tax incentive. So 27,500 approximately. Cheapest EVs are I think 29k right now. So this is well within the realm of possibility imo. It will probably go up a bit by the time it makes it out the door. And probably no one will get the barebones model and spend 2-3k at least on accessories.
It’s a great concept, but it has blinding LED headlights and automatic high beams
instant fuck off
There’s no radio, no Bluetooth, and no speakers of any kind beyond for those required to play basic warning chimes.
Many will consider this a cost-cutting step too far, but the interior was designed for ease of upgrading, with easy mounting space for anything from a simple soundbar to a full sound system.
There’s an integrated phone mount right on the dashboard, but there’s nothing stopping you from bringing something even larger. I expect the low-cost Android tablet and 3D-printing communities to have a field day coming up with in-car media streaming solutions.
framework truck😭
This is 100% it.
All I want is a modular car system. Everything modular. Dashboard. Body panels. Whatever. I want 3+ cars possible on one frame, and to not need anything more than basic tools to swap parts around.
You wanna drive a FOSS OmniMech and so do I
Gm said they’d build a sled drivetrain that they could just plop bodies on top of but that never happened sadly.
Wonder why? Seems to me like a money printing machine for them, the factory and non- factory repair shops and the aftermarket.
Unless it’s seen as a way to hide your car from illegal activities, which well now that I think about it is probably the reason they didn’t follow through with the idea.
It’d cannibalize part of the market for their higher-priced offerings. Same reason Toyota dropped Scion and GM dropped Saturn.
Probably a balance between it would make it cheap for them to produce, but also bring down the barrier to entry for third party manufacturers to compete with them.
If only that money wouldn’t be partially going into the pockets of Bezos, it would be amazing.
And while easily replacable panels and such are a good thing. Having the mounting screws exposed like that is a horrendus idea. Because I suspect I know what much younger and very drunk people would do, based on the Mercedes hood ornaments I have in a box somewhere.
Lost me at “American”.
I hate that Bezos backed them
When you got unlimited money, you have a finger in everyone’s pie. An unfortunate reality.
Rich people’s money and actual dark illegal money is intertwined in our economy. The economy would probably collapse without it.
I wonder how this could be fixed?
If you taxed the rich would it work best to do it gradually? Also would that give cartels and organized crime advantage? Would you have to tackle both?
I wonder if in doing so without doing it gradually would be as messy as what the Trump admin is doing now?
Fucking FINALLY.
I’ve been waiting for a small pickup like the old 90s 4-banger Toyota. And this is electric, simple for function, and actually affordable?
Capitalists must be seething. If it doesnt have leather interior, 19 speaker surround sound, and cost 80k, get it out of our country! /s
Small gas-powered trucks are effectively illegal in the US.
It’s regulation made in response to automakers calling everything a “light truck” to get around fuel economy and emissions standards in the 90s and 2000s.The straw that broke the camel’s back was the PT Cruiser being classified as a truck by Chrysler.
So, starting in model year 2012, vehicle fuel economy standards started being based on vehicle footprint. The side effect was that small, powerful vehicles designed for moving cargo more efficiently or in tighter spaces than large trucks were impacted. It’s why 2011 was the last year model of the old Rangers, S10s, Dakota, etc.
That’s why the new Rangers are larger than the old F150s. They have to make them bigger to meet CAFE standards.
Same issue hit the small cargo vans in 2021/22. As the CAFE standards went up, it became impossible to meet fuel economy standards for the NV200, Ford Transit Connect, and Ram ProMaster City compact cargo vans, so they were all discontinued.
New York City was changing its whole Taxi fleet to NV200s due to their flexibility and accessibility options, and now can’t buy new ones because a Toyota Camry has less-strict fuel economy requirements.
Don’t get too excited about seething capitalists. Bezos is a major investor.
Article said it caught his interest, which to me means he took notice and will likely try to own it and enshitify it soon, not that he is currently behind it.
He’s one of 16 investors. Source:
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a64564869/2027-slate-truck-revealed/
Relatively affordable. It is 20k after the federal discounts and kick backs. Meanwhile, the Chinese EV market has been making cars as low as 4k. https://greenspeedx.com/cheap-electric-cars-available-in-china/
I’m not a pro China person (because one time in Ark, a Chinese team kept destroying my thatch base), but they seem to have the things. Apparently Mexico is aiming to compete in the EV market as well.
If by “the things” you mean underpaid labor, then yes.
Is it a networked surveillance nightmare?
It doesn’t seem to come with any gadgets. No touch screen, not even a radio. It’s possible that it still broadcasts location data and it’s possible they could hide a mic to record audio as well. But it isn’t connecting to your phone with Bluetooth, it can’t exploit the Bluetooth connection to scrub your messages and socials. So it’s a LOT better than most new cars.
Yes, more of this please!
No idea why it has no stereo though. That feels like a pretty basic feature. Doesnt even need to be built in. Just iso standard head unit bay would do.
Make it 10k-12k and it would be a yes if parts and repair ability were guaranteed for 10 years.
Glad someone has the balls to produce a truck people actually want. Give me power windows, locks, radio, cruise and a cheap radio and I am fine. I guess I throw in 4x4 because I live in Colorado.
I would love to also see an ice or a hybrid version of this truck too. This is exactly want so many people are wanting right now. Very excited to see this EV when it hits the road
As an FYI, (In the United States) all modern cars will have to have some kind of screen (whether built in the mirror, on the dash, or as part of the gauge system) as all cars are required to have backup cameras as of 2018.
Starting in 2029 all cars will be required to have automatic braking technology as well.
We’re never going to be able to purchase new cars that are completely dumbed down ever again, but with how many lives it will save I’d say it’s worth it.
I’m glad that there are some companies that are willing to offer cars with the bare minimum of features at least. I personally would prefer having automatic windows over crank, but if someone wants to save money more power(har har) to them!
EDIT: weather vs whether Braking vs breaking
Way over-thinking it.
Europe and Japan 10-15 years ago all had radios with 4x6 inch no-touch displays for pre-loaded GPS with no internet connection. They switch to backup cameras when in reverse.
America doesn’t need to invent anything here, this is old technology widely used by large parts of the rest is the world.
Can we get another edit for braking instead of breaking, please? Surely all this fancy new-fangled tech never breaks? 😉
all modern cars will have to have some kind of screen (whether built in the mirror, on the dash, or as part of the gauge system)
Starting in 2029 all cars will be required to have automatic breaking
As an FYI, they mention both of these in the article
It is a legal requirement now to have back up cameras. This thing also doesn’t have any airbags, or seatbelts in the back when converted. There is nothing connected to the HVAC controls, you would need a heater box. They haven’t even bothered with a plywood mock interrior is all just 3D printed garbage, literally falling apart in the reviewers hands.
The Chinese have tried this approach for low volume projects with a space frame and bonded plastic and carbon fibre panels, but its just too labour intensive to be practical for any sort of volume. The space frame still has to be painted, so you don’t save any money in a painting setup.
Perfect except for it being a truck. Why is North America allergic to small cars?
Trucks are incredibly useful?
Sure but not every single person needs a truck? My comment isn’t even intending to hate on trucks, I literally just want a small car that’s electric. I don’t drive often and I want something that’s electric but doesn’t take up much space
My hope is this will be another nail in the coffin for the giant bro dozers. Everybody I know who does actual real truck stuff have been crying for this exact vehicle for years. A small (in American terms) utilitarian vehicle for getting your truck stuff done. Essentially an American kei truck
Plus I think there have been a lot of small smart-car sized EV offerings, but I can’t really think of a small truck besides the Telo truck.
This is like the electric version of the bare-bones Toyota ICE pickup
