Why Doug DeMuro Thinks the Slate Truck Will Fail

[dcgray2]

I actually agree with Doug that the price is too high.

I have a reservation for one but will be watching what the price does over the next year and a half.

I'm probably interested enough (I think it's neat) and have enough disposable income that I will buy one anyway but as things like the Cybertruck have shown, initial excitement by a small group of weirdos like us does not alway equal ongoing sustained demand.

Who knows maybe Slate will pull a Ford Model T move and drop the price over time... Model pricing went from $850 in 1908 to a low of $260 in 1924

 

[cvollers]

Doug is a shill for Big Auto. They keep him in business.

 

[cvollers]

What is techy and fun about it? Its slow to accelerate, slow to charge, and is BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).

The lack of tech makes it fun. Is driving a golf cart fun? It sure is and it’s not because of tech. It’s just a pure driving experience.

 

[cvollers]

The four door thing Doug is struck on assumes that the Slate is being targeted to families or to people as a "lifestyle" vehicle (eg. Jeep, Bronco, 4Runner, etc.). I can with almost complete certainty say that this is an incorrect assumption. The Slate is a commuter for 1-2 people. Its a light duty hauler for small businesses. Its a low cost way to get 1-2 mountain bikes to the trail. Its a first car for a kid about to head off to college. It is not a family car that needs to transport 3+ people. The target buyer doesn't need the extra two doors. Some really good examples of cars with two doors that have succeeded: Mazda Miata, Porsche 911, BMW coupes, Mercedes coupes and SLs. What do they all have in common? The target buyer only has 1-2 people in the car at one time. On top of that, if the Slate buyer's needs change, he/she can buy the SUV kit and move more people. You can't do that with a Miata.

 

[GaRailroader]

I actually agree with Doug that the price is too high.

I have a reservation for one but will be watching what the price does over the next year and a half.

I'm probably interested enough (I think it's neat) and have enough disposable income that I will buy one anyway but as things like the Cybertruck have shown, initial excitement by a small group of weirdos like us does not alway equal ongoing sustained demand.

Who knows maybe Slate will pull a Ford Model T move and drop the price over time... Model pricing went from $850 in 1908 to a low of $260 in 1924

Don’t forget when Cybertruck was announced in 2019 it was to start at $39,990. I wanted the $39,990 version. I cancelled my Cybertruck order the day after I reserved a Slate. Cybertruck would have sold a lot better if it came closer to the price they estimated in 2019.

 

[kcht66]

I saw the video again and I read and Cars article… and both have the same position.

Well anyone can think wherever they want… that’s true. But there’s position supported by the competition. I lost my respect with Demuro. You can compare prices of ICE (maverick) against EV (slate) if the price is the point anyone doesn’t buy a rivian t1 because you have a lots of models like Tahoes and all the cheapest.. silverados… Ranger, f150, etc… Hondas, Kia’s, Toyota etc…. And the same logic works with any other Ev compare with used market car. Even news ICE.

And maverick are growing to 29k the basic XL. The XLT quickly rise to 38 with some adds. Is not cheap anymore.

So I saw a lots of Demuro car videos but now not anymore. He lost all the respect. I don’t believe in his opinions anymore.

 

[MotoGary]

Doug has become quite wealthy understanding the automotive market.

Which only proves that you don't have to be very bright to make YouTube money. I don't know anything about this guy, but his argument is full of logical flaws. He rattles off all of the failed/canceled 2-door vehicles, which is actually a great argument for why Slate could succeed. It's like saying there's no market for a dumb phone because most people want a smart phone. The Slate team sees an opportunity and is perfectly positioned to take advantage.

 

[skidoofast]

Gotta love the manual steering.

did they state manual steering??

 

[GaRailroader]

I guess the question is since the market is now "trained" to want larger vehicles as a result of the asinine footprint-based CAFE regulations (seems oxymoronic) will there be enough of a market share that 140,000 Slates get bought by consumers. Is the bulk of the market familiar with and have a longing for the compact pickup trucks of the 1980's? Most of us who do are in our late 50's to mid 60's. Do we need a small truck now based on a near retirement lifestyle? How would a Dale Webb community look with hundreds of slate gray 2-door compact pickups in every driveway?

The problem I see here, and maybe DeMuro does too, is the Slate is not a family-oriented vehicle. I think the bulk of the market buys family-oriented vehicles. That said, for me the Slate is a perfect answer for what I need heading into my mid-60's, but I live in the woods on 40 acres, not a Dale Webb property. LOL. I need my Slate to make a run to the trash dump (err... Waste Transfer Station) every few weeks and haul gasoline and diesel back home.

Great points. Perhaps Slate should broaden the appeal by making it standard with a 3 seat bench in the front and promote being able to install 1 or 2 child car seats in it with provision to disable air bag. Probably a lot of families would like to have 1 family car and 1 truck but the ability of either parent to do the car pool line.

 

[skidoofast]

No, I meant the golfcart, it has manual steering.
[/

I guess the question is since the market is now "trained" to want larger vehicles as a result of the asinine footprint-based CAFE regulations (seems oxymoronic) will there be enough of a market share that 140,000 Slates get bought by consumers. Is the bulk of the market familiar with and have a longing for the compact pickup trucks of the 1980's? Most of us who do are in our late 50's to mid 60's. Do we need a small truck now based on a near retirement lifestyle? How would a Dale Webb community look with hundreds of slate gray 2-door compact pickups in every driveway?

The problem I see here, and maybe DeMuro does too, is the Slate is not a family-oriented vehicle. I think the bulk of the market buys family-oriented vehicles. That said, for me the Slate is a perfect answer for what I need heading into my mid-60's, but I live in the woods on 40 acres, not a Dale Webb property. LOL. I need my Slate to make a run to the trash dump (err... Waste Transfer Station) every few weeks and haul gasoline and diesel back home.

Its hard to say or guess, what I find interesting that 140,000 seems high to people

"There were an estimated 243,350,000 licensed drivers in the U.S. in 2023"

so 0.05% of the driving population is a stretch? I too am at a point in my life where my kids are out of the house, I live 40 miles from the biggest town, I think this will appeal to much more people than a lot think it will

do I hope that this does well so that maybe down the road we can have a SLATE 4 door, absolutely

I see a pattern of older generation looking for some simplistic options and a younger generation that does not want to have children and want something small, affordable and EV

and I see another 3rd group that want a small 3rd vehicle for running around, maybe see the benefit of less maintenance, less cost of ownership, less fuel

we will see, I'm along for this ride!!

 

[Luxrage]

I'm still of the belief that fleet sales will be a big helper for Slate in the long run. A quick hop on google maps shows random fuel-sipper fleet cars that are just used for around the town deliveries. If they had a place to charge them (or even just a 120V wall charger to keep them topped off), I think Slate would have a great niche. I know every time they seem to open a new auto parts store here they have two brand new Mavericks sitting in the back so they aren't afraid of buying new. If O'Reilly's is using Versas, surely a Slate could fit that spot just as well lol.

I'd love to see a future where there's a slate with the big "Rent me for $19.99/hr" on the side like you see on around the town Home Depot / UHaul rentals. Heck, I'd wish they'd do that with ANY EV pickup so I could have a chance to test drive one!

 

[cvollers]

I guess the question is since the market is now "trained" to want larger vehicles as a result of the asinine footprint-based CAFE regulations (seems oxymoronic) will there be enough of a market share that 140,000 Slates get bought by consumers. Is the bulk of the market familiar with and have a longing for the compact pickup trucks of the 1980's? Most of us who do are in our late 50's to mid 60's. Do we need a small truck now based on a near retirement lifestyle? How would a Dale Webb community look with hundreds of slate gray 2-door compact pickups in every driveway?

The problem I see here, and maybe DeMuro does too, is the Slate is not a family-oriented vehicle. I think the bulk of the market buys family-oriented vehicles. That said, for me the Slate is a perfect answer for what I need heading into my mid-60's, but I live in the woods on 40 acres, not a Dale Webb property. LOL. I need my Slate to make a run to the trash dump (err... Waste Transfer Station) every few weeks and haul gasoline and diesel back home.

The bulk of the market buys family vehicles because, other than sports cars, that's all you can buy. Auto makers are dictating the market, not the other way around. Actually government is dictating the market and the auto makers are just responding to what the government is incentivizing them to do. I personally don't need or want a family vehicle, unless you count my dog as "family". When I was heading off to college, I didn't need or want a family vehicle. When I was a single guy living in Boston, I just needed something I could drive out of a plowed-in snow bank...I traded a GTI for a 2-door Montero 4WD to get that done...still not a family vehicle. Small business owners don't need a family vehicle. Commuters don't need a family vehicle. Mountain bikers don't need a family vehicle...neither do surfers. Its about time people's needs drove the market, not the government.

 

[lgerger]

Caution: trigger material for us Slate fans.

Dear Doug: I DISAGREE!

I have really enjoyed Doug's series where he reviews cars. This podcast format is not well suited for his personality. He cuts people off, he comes off as arrogant and dismissive. Unwatchable.

 

[lgerger]

Great points. Perhaps Slate should broaden the appeal by making it standard with a 3 seat bench in the front and promote being able to install 1 or 2 child car seats in it with provision to disable air bag. Probably a lot of families would like to have 1 family car and 1 truck but the ability of either parent to do the car pool line.

How do you deal with airbags and shoulder seat belt with a front bench? I didn't see any indication of a center airbag.

 

[GaRailroader]

How do you deal with airbags and shoulder seat belt with a front bench? I didn't see any indication of a center airbag.

There is no center air bag so turning it off is not necessary if they ship them with benches instead of buckets. There is only a requirements for airbags on the outboard seating positions. Shoulder belt shouldn’t be a problem, they have solved that problem in the bench rear seats of 2 row vehicles. I trust the 40-20-40 bench seats on regular cab F-150s have a center shoulder belt as well.(My 2006 Ford Ranger Reg Cab only had a lap belt in the center position)