Abstract:
Slate Auto, an American electric vehicle start-up, launched an unexpected product on its online store on Thursday, a Rand McNally 2027 road map book, priced at US$30 (Quick Technology Note: equivalent to about 200 yuan), and is available in limited quantities. Officially it is called the "original navigation system", also known as "screenless GPS".
Slate played a word game in the product introduction, saying that this map has zero startup time, no subscription fees, unlimited battery life, and will never lead you into the construction site because it does not support turn-by-turn navigation at all.
To put it bluntly, this is a paper map book. This operation seems to be a marketing gimmick, but it also accurately conveys Slate's brand concept of building the cheapest car with the least configuration.
Slate Truck is the company's first product, positioned as a two-door pure electric pickup truck, priced at US$24,950 (approximately RMB 166,000).
The vehicle uses unpainted composite body panels and hand-cranked windows. There is no large central control screen or built-in navigation system.
In terms of power, it is equipped with a 65 kWh LFP lithium iron phosphate battery pack with a range of approximately 205 miles (approximately 330 kilometers), a maximum power of 135 kW (approximately 184 horsepower), a peak torque of 264 N·m, a maximum load of 1,550 pounds (approximately 703 kg), a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds (approximately 907 kg), and supports NACS charging standards.
As for the navigation problem, Slate's solution is very simple. There is a mobile phone holder in the car, and the owner can continue to use Google Maps or Apple Maps to navigate.
Officials stated that in terms of technology, they believe that users should use devices that they are already familiar with and like, not because they don’t like technology, but because they believe that users already have everything they need to reach their destination.
This minimalist philosophy is the key to keeping the price of the Slate Truck below $25,000. The vehicle only offers a battery, a cargo bed, four wheels, and the freedom from the complexities of modern cars.
If car owners want more configurations, they can choose from purely analog accessories such as paper maps, to digital devices such as mobile phones, and even include an SUV kit that can add additional seats and roofs.
At a time when cars are getting more expensive and there are more and more screens, Slate’s bet is quite bold. The first vehicles are scheduled to be delivered later this year, when the market will test whether consumers will pay for this minimalist route.
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