Slate Made People Dream Again
Last month, the auto start-up Slate came on the scene in grand fashion with an unveiling that took social media by storm. It was the biggest one-day shock in the auto space in at least a decade. The company introduced something of a modular EV platform in which consumers begin with a pickup truck but then can personalize their vehicle using four different bodies or kits, ranging from a more classic-looking SUV to a 5-seat hatchback open air body. People couldn’t get enough of the announcement, with some exclaiming Slate is what Apple should have aimed to be all along. Regardless of what happens to Slate – the hoopla also disappeared just as quick as it came – the craziness surrounding the company tells us a lot about the auto industry and how it’s not living up to expectations.
The mid-2010s was an exciting time in the auto space. Tesla, still a few years away from selling the Model 3, was gradually converting mindshare that EVs were going to be a thing.
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