I just think they're neat!
No touch screens, no telemetry, no cellular modems, no wifi, no apps, no subscriptions, no infotainment.
One of the most appealing things about Slate motors is that they seem to lack all the telemetry bullshit.
The least appealing thing about them is that Jeff Bezos is a primary investor.
no telemetry
In 2026?
I'd settle for Android/Apple Auto and no cellular
Hitting the gas in an EV is like filming with a digital camera.
Yeah. Gas [pedal] is used here in the same way the "save" icon is still a floppy disk.
Gas? No thanks.
I think they meant the pedal.
Yes that's the joke.
Can't even call it a throttle
I guess I'll have to stick with "accelerator"
Dunno what it'll be called when I trade in my motorbike for an electric one someday
But then we also need to call the brake the accelerator, too.
ohh sorry, i didn't notice it was a joke I feel dumb lol.
No camera filming me please.
On a broader note, this is a failure of capitalism in which products can never be perfected.
There are sooo many technologies that we fully figured out years ago but they can’t just make it optimal and move on.
This is why we have washing machines using internet for whatever reason.
I would also like "turn" please
That requires a premium subscription.
Backed by amazon? LOL if you think it won't still have a cellular radio and full tracking suite installed.
Slate has stated that they will not have a cellular or other type of connection. It does need some type of connection to do software updates, and that will be from your phone using their app to the truck via USB.
They've also stated they won't track your driving data. You can opt in to share data about the truck's health through the app for servicing purposes, but that's all. They've also promised not to sell any kind of data to third parties.
That could always change, but I'm on the wait list for one and there are people on the slate forums who are serious about privacy and are watching this and seem pretty happy for now.
And it's only ~~$20,000~~...~~$25000~~...$30000. soon I'll have one parked next to my Aptera, and Tesla Roadster.
I'm quite excited for the Slate to be released. Electric truck, optional SUV conversion, decent price, minimum frills, customize it yourself if that's your thing. That sounds so much better than wheeled tank with built-in privacy concerns.
I just wish there was a version with a full size bed. Not that any of the other light truck options are any better in that regard.
Yeah, I've been watching that. It is supposed to start fulfilling orders this year (last I read anyway), but it'll be at least next year before I can probably look into one. And even then, I'd want to let some other/braver people test them out for reliability and repair-ability.
Manual Gears (5 speed)!
There are no gears on an EV. They just go.
Do EVs even have transmissions? I ask this legitimately, I know shit for dick about cars beyond how to change oil
They have one drive reduction gear, just one speed, no shifting.
I'm gonna have to ask what that means. Cars are just something my autism just does not comprehend
Internal combustion engines are very picky about how fast they spin, since they get their power from burning fuel the rate at which fuel enters the cylinders to burn correlates strongly to the power they have available. And since each cycle of a cylinder burns about the same amount of fuel the faster the engine spins the more power it generates.
This is why internal combustion engine vehicles have gearboxes (transmission in the US?) to ensure that you can spin the engine fast even while the wheels are slow) or stopped) so you have enough power to start the car.
Electric motors by contrast generate power through the strength of their electromagnetic fields, which is just how much current gets pushed through the electromagnets. How fast the motor spins just changes how fast the electronics have to "move" the generated field without changing the strength, so you get similar power even at slow speeds.
So electric motors have enough torque at low speed that you can start your car without needing a gearbox.
Note: this post is a gross simplification and probably mis-uses some terminology but it should give a general understanding of why the transmissions are different.
Okay pretend they are trains without tracks
I’d honestly love this. I don’t even care if the stick doesn’t actually switch gears and it can just give me fake engine rev sounds. I just miss driving manual and paddle shifters just aren’t the same.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N wowed the cartubers crowd back in 2024/25 because it simulated a lot of the driving feel of gas cars.
Maybe keep an eye on Hyundai.
Edit: although I don't think they have simulated stick shifting
They were doing paddle shifters in the Ioniq. Toyota was working on a car with a six speed shifter and a clutch. I don’t even care if it’s simulated shifting, I’d still get one.
This article is from 2023, but it has more info on it. The manual transmission from Toyota is expected to go to production this year I think.
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a45754176/toyota-manual-ev-prototype-drive/
I don't know why they turned their station wagon into a sports EV, and then waited like 3 years to do it with their sedan.
And a cool loud exhaust to attract women.
if you’re american isn’t that the chevy bolt?
The bolt has buttons and no real smart features but it also has an infotainment tablet. It also still has gps and Wi-Fi and whatever else as options, so I don't particularly trust it not to be tracking everything. It's certainly miles better than most of the competition but it's still a modern car.
As I understand it, one of the other advantages of the bolt is that it's fairly easy to disconnect. There's a dedicated fuse you can pull which will disable the telemetry as well as the microphone and a lot of the related infotainment system functions like gps. Or for those who want more of those functions, you can open the panel behind the screen, unplug the antenna, and replace it with with a terminator so that it thinks it's intact but has no signal.
Of course, it will still try to send data home through your phone if you let it. Apparently it can do that through android auto and carplay if they are connected via bluetooth but not over USB.