Slate says seniors, and parents of newly licensed teens, are among its top deposit holders
I wrote earlier this month that Slate's sub-$20K USD electric truck is looking more like $25K+ after Trump dropped the USA's federal tax credit, but that's still good value IMO.
Interestingly, Slate says two groups most interested in its EV are:
1) Parents of newly licensed drivers, who apparently are drawn to the fact that the Slate only seats two and isn't decked out with the wall of infotainment screens we see in most new cars.
Indeed, Slate's EV has no built-in screens at all beyond the mandatory driver display behind the wheel, requiring – as with Dacia's cheapest new models – that you BYO device.
"Parents like the fact that there are only two passengers, it doesn’t have an infotainment for distraction, it has really high safety standards, and it’s affordable," CEO Chris Barman told Sherwood News.
...Not sure how to break it to these parents that a phone or tablet will be just as distracting as an integrated display. Probably even more so, given that a personal device has no built-in limitations on what it can display while the vehicle's moving.
2) And "contemporary seniors" who want an EV but for some reason find most options too complex.
"They’re individuals who are semiretired or retired and are interested in an electric vehicle, but have been intimidated by all the other technology that has been in an EV. They just want a simpler form of driving," Barman says.
Of course, this can all be Slate making shit up. It's the smart thing to do: Instead of it just being direct marketing language, you get to pretend your talk track is actually genuine buyer feedback!
Look at point two above, for example. There isn't anything about the cabin tech or driving process in a new EV that's more complex than what would greet you in a new Honda Civic, but Barman dresses Slate's spartan interior as a magical solution to complexity.
This is a cynical take, I know – but when you're dealing with marketers, as I've had the pleasure oh so many times, the cynical take is usually the reasonable one.
If you want the short version of Sherwood's interview, here are the other three of what Barman calls Slate's "five core customer groups".
- Everyday Americans: "Some of it is individuals who are those kind of everyday Americans, for whom it’s just an affordable vehicle and a lot of utility and value for the money."
- Young professionals: "The other thing we’re seeing is a lot of young professionals — individuals who are either just finished trade school or are just out of college. They’re looking for value for the money, and what they love is the fact that it’s an EV and they love the customisation."
- Auto enthusiasts: "And then the fifth type that we see is a lot of people who are just auto enthusiasts. They want to just be able to trick it out."
To be clear, I wish it success!
If the best thing new brands can bring to the market is affordability through not being burdened by decades of existing tech and equipment to recoup costs on, that's good for buyers.
Of course, going with a startup brings its own risks, as we've seen with the Fisker brand, among others in the automotive market and elsewhere.
The Toyotas and Hyundais might be more expensive, but sometimes you're just buying the assurance that they'll still be there in 10 years.
Read the full story, or catch up on my previous Slate coverage:
Rani Molla
Mike Stevens
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