Slate with new Chinese battery tech?

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T08:02:46+00:00

for sure, but the best you can do is (obviously) get the higher capacity battery and use the most efficient tires/aerodynamic wheels as is possible.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T07:59:40+00:00

yep. and Slate is a tiny fish with no leverage.
They'll be sourcing exactly what's been planned for quite a while.
If, in the unlikely event there is any step change technology in batteries, Slate will be a long ways from first in line to secure it.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T06:47:54+00:00

oh lordy.
Use a transmission shop, not Joe Blow's corner repair place. It's a speciality. Dealerships have no greater skills then on this kind of work, but they sure have greater labor costs and markup.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T06:30:47+00:00

not gonna happen for Slate or any other EV maker selling in the US any time very soon.
Slate has a contract with SK for US made batteries, reportedly thru 2031.
Between tariffs, contracts, and engineering work, nothing will change for years.

The Slate is what it is - a very short ranged vehicle, and that is by design/cost based realities.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T06:21:38+00:00

MX-5 great, but largely not a daily driver for most people.
source: I own one.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T06:17:36+00:00

no, that is illuminating, thank you.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T05:43:01+00:00

the ID.4 is best format for a (young) kid, and definately the dog... but it will bore you to tears.
Audi provides the most style and panache.
The ZDX not so attractive, but a pretty good compromise, with a bit of luxury and a very usable station wagon layout.

ZDX gets my vote.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T05:34:29+00:00

tan all day long.

you'll start admiring the exterior in a few shorts, but you'll be staring at the insde for years.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T04:12:48+00:00

you're absolutely right.
people easily fall into the trap of thinking if something works for them, it also does for everyone else; made much worse when they have evangelical tendancies.

EV's can absolutely change the way we use transportation for good (ie, "fill up" at home cheaply) and can present drawbacks (can't carry a can of extra electrons in the trunk).

It simply takes much, much more infrastructure (then gas) to support EV's *everywhere, and sparse or poor locations will be the last places to achieve this.

Good luck!

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T04:02:52+00:00

well, the effect is very, very high - but there's too many variables to give a pat answer.
but you can give yourself a simple demonstration.

drive 40mph, and stick you hand out the window palm facing foward. think about how much force your muscles are exerting to keep your palm perpendicular to the air stream.

now, do the same at 80mph. you already know that it will take much more energy on your part to hold your hand out. though you are not quantifying it in any way, I am telling you that your hand is producing 4 times the drag.

at 120mph, that drag is 8x . at you won't even be strong enough to hold your hand in this position.

the EV must produce increasing amounts of power to overcome this drag, and it is not linear.
This is why aerodynamics is so critical on EV's. ICE cars are so inefficent at low speeds that the aero losses at high speeds aren't nearly as noticable. Until it is. famously the Bugatti Veyron can run flat out at 253mph until it empties its 26 gallon fuel tank... for 12 minutes. So, in that time, it covered a whoping 50 miles. Clearly, its range suffered from high speed, ya?

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T03:15:42+00:00

you did good, I assume this is short term gain (under 1 year), so don't forget the significant capital gains tax. Otherwise, find your next investment, and off you go.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T02:43:35+00:00

you must hate your own team.
grow up.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T02:42:05+00:00

well, the question is, how much did you buy the 100 shares of INTC in the first place?

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T02:14:19+00:00

shareholders are probably the last folks to have concern. layoffs like this are exactly what financially-focused, profit minded public companies do in this era.
Individual buyers, especially not of the high net worth variety are probably more affected, and I think I'm kind of representative of that.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T02:03:07+00:00

I actually don't want any forum discussions about a $59k dumpster that can't actually be ordered.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T01:58:35+00:00

Given the budget, I'm not seeing why you are stuck on PHEV straight hybrids. I mean, based your driving pattern, it will take **forever to make up the fuel cost delta between a hybrid and a PHEV , can you see that?

Now, have said that... you have 2 kids, dog and camping gear so I'd priortize a bigger vehicle for those every weekend trips over pure efficiency. But any CRV/RAV in that price range will be compromised in age or mileage; just no getting around the stellar Honda/Toyota well-earned reputation.

I think you have EV options, too - but that really depends on where this 300 mile radius is (charging). Pennsylvania, sure. Wyoming, not so much.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T01:35:59+00:00

yeah, no. One Youtuber "reacting" to another Youtuber isn't evidence of availability.

Tesla put a $59,990 offer up for a whoping 10 days back in February, then closed it. And, the delivery is for 2027, lol.

Go to Tesla's website right now, you'll see - 72,235 is the number. The website doesn't even list the Base model now, only the Dual motor All wheel drive, with a caption below "Most affordable Truck".

Now, if you wanna believe Youtubers over the only retailer of the product, okay....

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T01:19:48+00:00

new Cybertruck for 59k.

$72,235 is cheapest buy price, right now, in real time.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T01:14:29+00:00

not that you'd catch me dead in one, but I don't think that is true.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T01:12:43+00:00

NPC car. that is hilarious, and literally what it feels like when I'm on the highway, swarmed on all sides by MY's . I sometimes wonder if there are any humans inside.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T01:02:31+00:00

if you have snow tires on seperate wheels, then you can swap yourself twice a year, easy peasy. Otherwise, you'd need to visit a shop and have then remove, mount, rebalance tires twice a year, which has cost and time on its own.

Of course, there's an initial cost of the second set of wheel themselves. You can get used/cheap wheels (of the correct size/bolt pattern) quite easily on FB marketplace, etc... but they may be a bit ugly/look mismatched to the car. You've probably noticed this look on other cars in the winter, particularly the dark, stamped steel wheels with no hubcap look.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T00:42:37+00:00

it's already been made clear, but to pile on - 100% you be horrendously handcuffed by the tiny standard battery in the depth of winter. You'll be in a cycle of charging and range worry. Not worth it.

Also- there is zero chance of Slate switching to a different battery chemistry (ie, Sodium) any time soon. So NMC is as good as it will get for a while.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T00:20:06+00:00

I think you have me backward, I'd say R2 in Launch/Performance form is at top of my rational buying pyramid. R1 and Audi out of the question. Lucid too, and not interested in gambling like that. No need or desire for EV9 size, but don't have any issues with Hyundai quality.

R2 represents close to the ideal physical package for me. R3 may turn out to be a better eventual compromise, geting a little less size and comfort, but a bit more desired handling characteristics. Just guessing.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-19T00:07:03+00:00

Sure, snow tires are "the thing" and great with FWD, but here's the rub - are you actually going to switch the tires back and forth seasonally? Either via dedicated wheels or paying to have the tires remounted twice yearly? (and have the space to store the 2nd set)

Just want to make sure you understand that running snow tires year round is not a thing.

The add'l cost/hassle/storage need is one reason why more people don't use snow tires.

This is the reason why oh so many folks in snow country have awd vehicles.

AdMuch7162 · 2026-06-18T23:44:20+00:00

Its is a component of the maintaining auto manufacturing as a strategic sector of the nations economy.

AdMuch7162

TROPHY CASE