It looks like SLATE has pathetic EV efficiency. (and a rant).

[Whitesands]

From one of the interviews, it sounded like the numbers weren't final yet. When I compare it to other similar EVs that have similar motors and batteries, the numbers Slate gives are underestimated. This could be due to terrible aerodynamics or they just want to underpromise. Vinfast got into a lot of trouble recently for overestimating their range for the VF8.

 

[GaRailroader]

There is either a Road & Track or Car & Driver article that listed usable battery sizes rather than the gross which is on the Slate press release. If you use the usable battery sizes then you come up with 3.2 miles/kWh. Still not great but better than any EV pick-up currently available. I agree that comparing a Bolt to a Slate is not a valid comparison. I have a 2022 Leaf and I average over 4 miles/kWh and would gladly trade it for a Slate because I want/need a pick-up on occasion. I still think these huge tires is a mistake. The standard tire should be a 215 low rolling resistance tire and that would probably increase the range 10%.

 

[JoeUser]

As said before, there just isn't anything you can do to make a pickup truck design aerodynamic. Even Tesla and Rivian, companies that know efficiency, don't crack 2.5mi/kwh

If they decided to pursue the Lucid strategy and pursue efficiency above all else, they would certainly find some efficiencies. Fancy mosfets in the inverter, sculpted body, extensive underbody aero. .. and the price would double.

 

[SlatePossible2028]

Something else id just like to toss out there is that the compact 90s trucks the Slate emulates were not much better fuel wise. Assume slate's actual range is 250, you'd be hard pressed getting 300miles out of a 90s ranger/shityota/s10 unless it had an extended fuel tank.

 

[cadblu]

Show me a vehicle that excels in every category. It simply doesn’t exist. There will always be trade offs in design, efficiency, performance, cost, etc. The Slate is marketed as a simple, affordable, and customizable platform. If they meet these targets with a quality build and it proves to be reliable, they’ve got a real winner on their hands.

 

[Sparkie]

over ripened grapes.....

🤔hmm...
Is that Californian for "raisins"?

 

[The Dude]

Zipn. Zip2. ? Hmmm. Are you a good Quake player too? 😀 lol.

 

[zipn]

Fwiw I really do hope the slate gets over 4 miles/kWh. I want to buy one. That said, there are a lot of ways to maximize the efficiency of an ev regardless of body style.

As mentioned before, low resistance tires but also efficient electronics, efficient motors, heat pump heating, etc. even pickup trucks can be styled to improve aerodynamics with air dams, mirror shapes, etc.

Slate offers very little information regarding the efficiency design elements. I don’t give a rats’ ass about 3d printed snapbadges on the dash. I’d like to know that slate is designing the vehicle to be as efficient as possible within the cost contratints.

 

[metroshot]

Fwiw I really do hope the slate gets over 4 miles/kWh. I want to buy one. That said, there are a lot of ways to maximize the efficiency of an ev regardless of body style.

As mentioned before, low resistance tires but also efficient electronics, efficient motors, heat pump heating, etc. even pickup trucks can be styled to improve aerodynamics with air dams, mirror shapes, etc.

Slate offers very little information regarding the efficiency design elements. I don’t give a rats’ ass about 3d printed snapbadges on the dash. I’d like to know that slate is designing the vehicle to be as efficient as possible within the cost contratints.

You should look for a different EV.
Slate is NOT your most efficient EV.

Pickup trucks are the lower efficiency due to higher parasitic + induced drag.

There are more efficient crossovers that can reach higher efficency and range such as:
Hyundai Ionia 6, Tesla M3 LR, Lucid Air or NIssan Leaf ?

 

[zipn]

You should look for a different EV.
Slate is NOT your most efficient EV.

Pickup trucks are the lower efficiency due to higher parasitic + induced drag.

There are more efficient crossovers that can reach higher efficency and range such as:
Hyundai Ionia 6, Tesla M3 LR, Lucid Air or NIssan Leaf ?

the lightning weighs between 6 and 7000 lbs. . Chevy over 8000, I maintain that as currently spec,d the slate efficiency sucks. Nothing wrong with expecting better.

a lot of slate fanboys here willing to excuse poor efficiency specs. 4 miles per kWh should be the minimum for any ev as small and as light as the slate. It’s a freaking SMALL ev! It should do better.

 

[panjak]

Something else id just like to toss out there is that the compact 90s trucks the Slate emulates were not much better fuel wise. Assume slate's actual range is 250, you'd be hard pressed getting 300miles out of a 90s ranger/shityota/s10 unless it had an extended fuel tank.

As parent said, range is dependent on capacity of battery/tank, not an useful parameter. The key parameter is drag coefficient: 1994 Toyota truck has 0.44, modern Tacoma 0.39, first Chevy Bolt 0.32, new Tesla 3 - 0.22. That makes hell of a difference in terms of energy use. In the city this doesn't impact efficiency that much, but at highway speeds it's pretty much linear relation: a car with drag coefficient of 0.25 will use half of energy the car with Cd 0.5 uses for same travel (or other parameters being equal). Boxy Slate doesn't seem to be optimised for drag, I would like to know how it fares in testing, given current data (2.8 miles per kWh) drag coefficient probably gonna be in 0.38-0.40 range. Same as Tacoma, basically.

 

[Sparkie]

the lightning weighs between 6 and 7000 lbs. . Chevy over 8000, I maintain that as currently spec,d the slate efficiency sucks. Nothing wrong with expecting better.

a lot of slate fanboys here willing to excuse poor efficiency specs. 4 miles per kWh should be the minimum for any ev as small and as light as the slate. It’s a freaking SMALL ev! It should do better.

It's physics. The coefficient of drag on a truck is very high. If you want great efficiency from a truck (or any other vehicle), keep your speed BELOW 15 mph. (And avoid New England winter driving.)

I agree with @metroshot , your EV expectations are not Slate's target market.

 

[Sparkie]

As parent said, range is dependent on capacity of battery/tank, not an useful parameter. The key parameter is drag coefficient: 1994 Toyota truck has 0.44, modern Tacoma 0.39, first Chevy Bolt 0.32, new Tesla 3 - 0.22. That makes hell of a difference in terms of energy use. In the city this doesn't impact efficiency that much, but at highway speeds it's pretty much linear relation: a car with drag coefficient of 0.25 will use half of energy the car with Cd 0.5 uses for same travel (or other parameters being equal). Boxy Slate doesn't seem to be optimised for drag, I would like to know how it fares in testing.

Ha ha ha.
You and I had the same thoughts.
I was not going to get into the technical numbers, but since you have now put them out there. So, people should remember that the resistance forces the motor (and battery) are fighting against increase at the square of the velocity not twice the velocity. To be very clear, doubling your EV's speed is 4 times greater forces on the surface of your EV.

 

[zipn]

Agreed that drag coefficient won’t be great for the slate, but as a commuter where there’s a good chance most travel will be city speeds it’s still less of an issue than for highway cruisers. ( and our bolts 4.w2 average was more city than highway) Being a truck the efficiency won’t be great, but since it’s a relatively small and lightweight ( for an EV), and brand new EV designed from the ground up, it should be much better than less than 3.

I hope slate is underestimating the range. I maintain it that as it stands now, the miles/kWh is still is awful for such a small EV and they should do better.

 

[Garbone]

Road trip nightmare is pulling into an Electrify America station that shows only 2 available chargers and both are occupied by Bolts and VWs already in line..... Thankfully Tesla opened their network.

Charge rate matters more than 50 miles of range.