A GIANT “WE’LL SEE.”

Editor's Note: This week, Peter provides some much-needed perspective on the latest announcement of a no-frills EV pickup from new startup Slate Auto. In On The Table, AE's West Coast Correspondent Tom Pease gives us a preview of the Cadillac Celestiq in the element where it belongs - Beverly Hills - and should shine. Then, we learn about the latest cash-extraction plan from its faithful by Porsche - the 911 Spirit 70. We also take a look at the Next Generation Honda Fuel Cell Module, which will make its first appearance in North America this week at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo. And we preview Van Electric Architecture (VAN.EA), which "marks the beginning of a new era for Mercedes-Benz in 2026." (Can't wait.) Our AE Song of the Week is "I Love L.A." by Randy Newman. In Fumes, we have the next installment of Peter's riveting new series, The Great Races. And in The Line, we'll have MotoGP results from Jerez, and the first on-track INDYCAR action from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last week. Enjoy! -WG

 

By Peter M. DeLorenzo

 

Detroit. This business is, has always been, and always will be powered by Big Dreamers with Big Ideas. That is the lifeblood of the business. For instance, technical advancements accelerated the development of the automobile at a furious rate. A few basic examples? When the hand crank was replaced by the onboard starter; steering became assisted by power, brakes were radically improved with disc brake technology; automatic transmissions transformed the driving experience opening it up to a wide swath of the public; and, of course, engines, which blossomed with power and efficiency. The list goes on and on.

 

Some actual vehicle ideas were proven to be irresistible successes too: the original Corvette Sting Ray; the original Mustang; the VW Beetle; various iterations of the minivan; the Jeep (at least when it was affordable).

 

On the other side of the coin, some “big ideas” became abject failures. The Edsel, which was a disastrous overreach with its unfortunate, homely design, and even worse, its blue-sky pricing, which totally missed the mark.

 

Other ideas were excellent, but suffered from various factors, some self-inflicted and some from outside pressures. The Corvair was an excellent vehicle, especially in its second execution. But the disastrous episode that ended-up canonizing Ralph Nader – which was exacerbated by an incompetent GM legal staff that had him followed without authorization from anyone else in the company – effectively set the Corvair into a tailspin that it never recovered from.

 

And then there was the DeLorean, the vision of the truly gifted ex-GM engineer – John Z. DeLorean – who got lost in the canyons of his own runaway ego and relentless, unflinching arrogance, which ended up being one of the biggest disasters in automotive history. It not only resulted in piss-poor cars with lackluster performance and dismal quality, it negatively affected an entire country (Ireland) on top of it. The cocaine episode was just icing on a stinking cake.

 

Some would mention the Pontiac Aztek, but as I’ve been quick to point out in past columns, the original Aztek concept was brilliant packaging and set the table for countless crossover designs that came after it. That the Aztek suffered from a deeply flawed execution because GM put it on its minivan platform is an undisputable fact, even though in its last guise the Aztek was actually decent.

There have been countless other vehicle failures over the hundred-plus years of this industry. It’s just a simple fact that reaching for the stars while fueled by unwavering passion does not always pan out. In fact, the misses have far outweighed the hits.

 

The reason for this backgrounder is the recent unveiling of the latest “Big Idea” vehicle to hit the Internet (note I didn’t say the “industry,” because it exists on the computer and in the minds of Internet FanBoys only at this point): Slate - by Slate Auto - a new vehicle startup based right here in nearby Troy, Michigan.

 

Readers of this website know that I have hammered on the idea of “affordability” in this business for years now. I'm a huge believer in the need for the auto manufacturers to finally get serious about offering vehicles that people can actually afford, instead of offering crushing 84-month (and more) financing and other tools as their nod to affordability.

 

So, on paper, the operatives at Slate are saying all the right things. It will be a no-frills EV pickup (2-feet shorter than the Ford Maverick) with hand-crank windows, steel wheels, actual knobs for climate control, a curb weight of 3,602 pounds and a target price of under $30,000 ($20,000 with Federal incentives that are soon to dry up, just sayin’ -WG). But wait, there’s more. It will be designed to convert into a crossover with optional accessories that the buyers will do themselves.

 

“The definition of what’s affordable is broken,” said Slate CEO Chris Barman, a former engineering vice president at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. “Slate exists to put the power back in the hands of customers who have been ignored by the auto industry,” Barman said. “Slate is a radical truck platform so customizable that it can transform from a 2-seat pickup to a 5-seat SUV.”

 

Other specs of note? The Slate Truck is equipped with a 52.7-kilowatt-hour battery and rear-wheel drive. It will use the North American Charging Standard connector that was developed by Tesla. The truck can charge to 80 percent in under 30 minutes using a fast charger, Slate said. A single rear motor generates 201HP, which the company estimates will result in a 0 to 60 mph time in around eight seconds. Top speed is estimated to be 90 mph. (With a tail wind? -WG) With a range of 150 miles. (An optional battery pack will extend that range an estimated additional 90 miles.)

 

The other ingredient of note that goes into Slate? Jeff Bezos has dumped $111 million into the venture, which means absolutely nothing to me, but it might mean something to some of you.

 

My point in all of this? I applaud the Slate concept, everything said about it by the senior operatives of the company, and all the theories behind it; in fact, damn-near everything about it, to the point that if the other manufacturers aren’t working on creating direct competitors for it, they should be prosecuted for a gross dereliction of duty.

 

What I don’t like is the instant canonization going on in the Internet by FanBoys masquerading as instant pundits. Let’s be real here, folks. This vehicle exists on the computer screen at the moment. It is a concept - albeit one with many brilliant facets – that has many hoops and many daunting stages of development to go through. And that’s not even considering the fundamental execution of the concept, let alone the actual manufacturing of it.

 

When will it appear in the flesh for real? I’m guessing sometime in 2029, and that is if absolutely everything comes together exactly right. And if any of the features and especially the price point adhere to the original targets, it will be strongly worth considering.

 

In the meantime, everybody should just give the Slate “idea” a breath or two, because for the indefinite future, it’s nothing but a giant “We’ll See.”

 

And that’s the High-Octane Truth for this week.

(Slate Auto) 

(Slate Auto) 

(Slate Auto) 

(Slate Auto) 

Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG