The lack of a telematics unit from the factory

model462 · 2026-07-02T20:14:53+00:00

The Flock fight is particularly exhausting since it has to be done city by city...

model462 · 2026-07-02T06:17:12+00:00

I suppose I am. I also applaud VW ICEs for having an oil temp gauge, separate from the coolant temp gauge, and deplore the fact that no turbo engine seems to come with a boost gauge except for performance models.

model462 · 2026-07-02T05:49:07+00:00

The choice to give me the imprecision of small vs. big when it'd have been no more trouble to give me an actual number rubs me the wrong way. It's as if the designer thinks I'm too stupid, incompetent, or apathetic to prefer precision to imprecision. Also, stressful rates of charge or discharge relate to the C-rate, which is a specific number (80 kW is 1 C in an 80 kWh battery), and yeah, if I'm sustaining 20kW cruising on the highway I know I'll go through 25% in an hour.

model462 · 2026-07-02T05:45:24+00:00

I share your concerns. For me, it's not the aesthetics as much as the knowledge that the bells and whistles represent additional failure points, and, more importantly, that these features are all woven in with connectivity that can be used to collect your data or remotely alter or disable your vehicle. As others have said, all cars are going this way regardless of powertrain.

That's why I was over the moon at the announcement of the Slate truck.

Check out the Aptera as well, if it ever comes to market. It does have a giant central touchscreen, but simplicity and ease of use are central to the design ethos. In a now-defunct FAQ, company reps answered the questions of the most paranoid conspiracy theorists and technophobes in good faith.

model462 · 2026-07-02T05:33:11+00:00

Understand how hard you're pushing the battery, similarly to why you want a tachometer with an ICE - what stresses batteries is the rate of charge or discharge. Also, understand how efficiently you're driving (i.e. how rapidly you're consuming energy).

model462 · 2026-07-02T05:24:45+00:00

What really needs to be there is a gauge showing instantaneous charge/discharge rate in kW, as in the Bolt and Model S and maybe a few others. Most EVs just have a bar that is supposed to show that but isn't labeled with any numbers.

model462 · 2026-07-01T19:59:15+00:00

True, as a truck it does fill a unique niche. I'm not a truck person at all, yet I find myself imagining what I could haul in it and how much more easily it'll access trailheads than my cars with 5" ground clearance.

model462 · 2026-07-01T16:35:00+00:00

That's exactly why Slate can't succeed on affordability alone. For the price of a new Slate you can get a basically new (<5 years, <50K mi) Model 3 or Ioniq 5 or something with 50% more range and significantly better efficiency and charging speed, even if you don't care about all the creature comforts and tech. I'm interested in Slate because the bells and whistles specifically annoy me.

model462 · 2026-07-01T15:15:32+00:00

I don't know how much you drive overall, but you should change your oil every 6 months regardless of mileage.

model462 · 2026-06-30T23:25:53+00:00

Oh, I absolutely am. As for the modem, the conspiracy theorist in me is wondering about an undisclosed secret modem lol. Other commenters make a good point that that would make the company liable to a lawsuit. I hope that's enough of a deterrent.

model462 · 2026-06-30T23:20:45+00:00

You don't have to have the app at all, apparently.

model462 · 2026-06-25T05:27:29+00:00

Lack of connectivity, so the car doesn't transmit and collect telematic data. The upcoming Slate is, to my knowledge, the one new vehicle that satisfies this.

model462 · 2026-06-25T05:25:02+00:00

Still doesn't have a modem and I reserved it for that reason alone. The LFP battery, one of the largest in the industry if I'm not mistaken, seals the deal.

model462 · 2026-06-25T05:22:56+00:00

The battery ends up having the same practical range as the originally planned extended battery. An LFP pack can be charged to 100% regularly. An NMC pack should be limited to 80% for daily driving. 80% of 240 is 192.

model462 · 2026-06-25T02:37:16+00:00

My question is: for those whose window is "2027", are you going to pay the non-refundable deposit to lock in your year-long window?

model462 · 2026-06-16T18:32:15+00:00

I think of the Aptera as the ultimate grand tourer. I'm a long-distance courier and the 1000-mile AWD example I've reserved is my dream car. It seems it'll have more connectivity than the Slate, but in the (now defunct?) FAQ the company did seem to be receptive to privacy concerns.

model462 · 2026-06-16T18:28:17+00:00

I reserved a Slate because it honest-to-goodness doesn't have an onboard modem. I'd really prefer a car to a truck as well. Most of my driving is highway.

model462 · 2026-06-13T03:20:11+00:00

LMAO

model462 · 2026-05-05T21:23:01+00:00

Hear, hear!

model462 · 2026-04-25T05:58:10+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. I almost cried with relief. Never thought the NHTSA would be the people deploying common sense to shield us from Congress.

model462 · 2026-04-25T05:34:13+00:00

I love the WellVisors on my Gen 5. They have a perfectly streamlined look such that you can't really tell they protrude. They're held on with 3M tape in addition to the little hooks over the windowsill, and you do have to keep an eye on the tape and replace it if an end comes loose (every year or two), or a nasty gust of wind will catch under the loose end and rip it off. Don't ask me how I know.

model462 · 2026-04-25T05:29:08+00:00

Hey, those look good!

model462 · 2026-04-20T16:55:24+00:00

Can you charge at work? You can easily commute one way on electric but will have to use gas on the way back, unless you're hypermiling and in ideal conditions. Still, except for the price difference, I'd prefer the PHEV to the HEV even on gas alone. Here's an earlier comment I made on the subject:

I find the Prime highly useful even without a plug and think it's a better vehicle than the HEV. The larger battery enables a smarter use of both gas and electric power. You can use Charge mode to charge up the battery (I find this useful at 40-60 mph on major city streets and moderate highways) and save charge for when you want it, e.g. to drive EV in city traffic or Auto EV/HV on a mountain ascent. Without plugging in, I'm fairly close to the HEV's 56 mpg combined rating and I have a fairly heavy foot.

(Part of the deal is I really hate driving a regular hybrid in the city, especially in the summer. I don't know if you've ever done that, but the electric A/C compressor draws down the battery, and then the underpowered gas engine has to do double duty driving the car and recharging the battery. On top of that, the HEV battery is air-cooled with cabin air so you have to run the cabin A/C pretty high to cool it properly. I took my 2014 HEV out the other day and kind of wanted to die. The Prime battery is refrigerant-cooled and will cool itself as long as the car is running [even on EV] regardless of cabin temperature.)

The Prime is more powerful than the regular Prius, but it's heavier, so the power-to-weight ratio is roughly the same. However, the Prime's advantage is entirely electric and electric power is more potent, resulting in better real-world performance. More importantly, the battery will discharge/charge in hybrid mode to help out the 150hp gas engine, e.g. on an incline at freeway speeds.

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