These definitely exist. They are typically referred to as 'compliance cars' - i.e. the manufacturer is obligated, usually by regulations, to produce an EV, but they don't want to spend money designing a new platform for it - so they take an existing model, rip out the engine, cram a motor and batteries wherever they will fit and call it good. Examples: Volkswagen eGolf, Fiat 500e, Mercedes B Class EV. Ford Focus Electric...

However, doing this means you are constrained to the shape of the combustion vehicle it is based on. So the aerodynamics may not be optimal to get the best range, you may have a transmission tunnel taking up space in the interior that is no longer necessary, directly swapping the position of the engine and the motor/inverter means you lose the opportunity to repurpose the front of the car for additional storage - ultimately it ends up compromised in one way or another.

If on the other hand you design the platform from the ground up to handle an electric drivetrain then all of these points can be taken into account.

(And regarding cars in general becoming rolling computers: this is not an EV specific issue, unfortunately.)

My FIL has a 2021 Smart ForFour EV that's as barebones as it gets. No screen, buttons and knobs for the climate control, popout rear windows AND an actual key you have to put into an actual hole.

It also looks like manufacturers are catching on and making EVs for normal people. Renault. Kia and Hyundai all have nice selections plus some of the Chinese models from Leap and BYD.

So it's definitely getting better on the EV front.

1988 Toyota Corolla GTS, 1999 Toyota Solara V6 SE, 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder (just sold it after 20 years), 2020 Hyundai Velocter N (technically a 3 door, but it looks like two from the driver's side, LOL.

Not a Toyota fan boy, just coincidence.

you're starting too far down the line

most vehicles nowadays are gimmicks

the real question is why can't we get a simple economical vehicle and not unrepairable subcription-based spyware on wheels with dangerous features, regardless of engine type

• lacks physical controls

• blinding LED headlights

• spyware

yeah, that's totally what we're looking for

yeah but I'd rather China spy on me than an actively hostile nation that's a greater threat to me

either way, not buying a car like that

my third gen Outback isn't worth anything, so it's becoming my truck

• can haul 8ft lengths of material inside the vehicle

• can haul 16ft lengths of material with only 5ft of stick out

• can tow a utility trailer

• has ground clearance and AWD for rough terrain

only drawback is it's got a low ceiling, affecting cargo height. but that's also an inherent feature of a wagon, and why I don't like newer Outbacks that aren't wagons

I've looked at small trucks like an old Ford/Mazda Ranger in the past, but it doesn't make sense for me - I'd rather have the rear seats for the dogs and enclosed space connected to the cabin than a bed topper

Unfortunately the components and labor time make it very cost prohibitive to have somebody do it for you, the only way it makes any financial sense to me is if your capable of doing the conversion yourself. The company we built some evs for only does them for fairly expensive classics so they are not chasing affordability, and for the money u can get a much better ev. With these people ur paying to have a bespoke electrified classic, not necessarily a prectical ev. As the other comment response to you stated a small unibody is very had to convert, and honestly would probably makes more sense to put a more efficient ice engine in. Fwd cars usually have low floor pans so nowhere to put batteries besides in place of the fuel tank or in the engine bay. Then you need to consider how the wheels will get powered, and you start getting into custom machined parts and the cost starts to jump. This is one of those things where it's a lot easier if somebody has already done it, if your the first on a specific platform your going to have to design ur own systems and parts to make it possible. For example your fwd hatchback doesn't have a transfer case we can make an adapter plate for and bolt an electric motor to, and most small case fwd transaxles can't handle the torque of an electric motor so just bolting it to the transmission may not work or last long. It can get pretty complicated pretty quick, not that internal combustion engines necessarily simpler, but the ecosystem they need is already in the car and the cars already been designed around it. Ev drivetrains are also pretty heavy so starting with a small light car is difficult, roll center and center of gravity will be affected, weight added. It may snowball into needing stiffer suspension, larger brakes etc and the car certainly won't drive the way it did before. Hate to say it but the cost of a custom converversion is likely going to be more than the cost of a slate truck or something lol.

okay, so you can put your device into driving mode

seems like a non-issue

All new ones, yeah. Old cars are probably less spyware-y, but unfortunately none of those are EV (as far as I'm aware).

Yes, I should have been more specific. So many trucks and mini-vans in the answers.

Yeah I want an EV version the Bronco boom of the 70s. We got the Blazer and Scout too.

Or the Matra Rancho if you’re from France.

Hopefully a hot hatch revival can follow once the public gets a taste for simple cheaper EVs.

Probably the auto market has to fully collapse first though. And China is going to pick up tie pieces.

Throw a second battery in the bed and you got the range.

iOS has driving mode to stop distractions whether it’s on car play or not. But you have to turn it on.

You're starting too far down the line.

Most products and services nowadays are gimmicks.

The real question is why can't we get a simple good product and not inequitable take-it-or-leave it bullshit with delusional prices, regardless of where.

genuinely so hyped for this

Im sold the moment my current ev kicks the bucket I'm getting a slate.

I'm usually just driving myself and my son. It's pretty uncommon that I need to move 3 or more people, and if I do, I can almost certainly borrow a car, so no loss there.

The ceiling height and no ability to "hang stuff over the side" - for lack of a better term - are both issues for me as well. It's solved easily enough with a small trailer that I can pull with a hitch I had put on, but it is annoying to deal with.

I'm trying to avoid the danger of "oh! But sometimes" that the YouTuber "Tech Connections" talks about in some videos, but I think I've discovered a small 2 seater truck would fit me better than anything else. A kei truck could be a good fit for me as well, but I don't know a whole lot about any specific model.

So you acknowledge it doesnt offer value equivalent to what you paid?

Haven't souls been discontinued?

And the price is right.

Starting at $25k, it's really not a great price :/. Seems like it'll be hard to compete with options like the Ford Fathom. EVs aren't as expensive as they used to be.

I love the Slate, and I hope to own one someday, but I'd probably shop for one that's a few years old.

I mean when it comes to price it's because the US banned chinese car companies. If BYD was allowed to sell here it would destroy these overpriced domestic manufacturers. They're still annoyingly "smart" but they're atleast not expensive as all hell.

I was super interested in the Slate until I realized it can't tow shit. I don't need anything crazy. An old S10 tows plenty for me. But not being able to tow a thing and being a truck is just a no go for me.

You lost me at "App" I would rather ride a pedal bike than drive a car that has a fucking app.

He was obviously referring to telemetry bullshit that spies on you when he said "sensors;" not, like, the O~2~ sensor an ICE car uses to calculate fuel injection volume.

Seems hard to justify $25k for Slate (if you add absolutely nothing to it) vs. something from an established automaker for a similar price. For example, I think the Ford Fathom will also ship in 2027 (same year as Slate) for <$30k.

I love Slate, but there's something (perhaps irrational) in my psychology that blocks me from paying $25k for a vehicle with manual-crank windows. I remember what it's like to reach across the cab to awkwardly roll up a window that a passenger left open. I paid <$1k for those old beater vehicles.

I have bought appliances in the last three years. It's pretty easy to get "dumb" appliances, but it's hard to find dumb, high quality appliances, and you pay a premium for them. I heard Speed Queen is the best when it comes to washers and dryers. I have a dumb LG fridge that doesn't try to connect to the interweb or anything. My washer-dryer is LG and has an option to connect to the internet I will never allow.

Yeah, recently some fridges stopped working after a forced update (a sentence that shouln't exist), so definitely don't connect anything.

I really doubt needing to find an American buyer is a barrier. Plenty of Chinese companies have become very good at finding American consumers. TikTok and Temu, for examples. (Or Alibaba, as a huge B2B example.)

Sure, there's absolutely no way that data from China can end up in the US. Even if offered money, you can trust that no data collector in China would ever accept money in exchange for user data. Also, they're all excellent at keeping it secure, so rest assured it will never get leaked!

If the Fathom is 20k but has all the spyware we've come to expect from major manufacturers, I'd still buy the Slate. It annoys me that Bezos is involved, but I'd swallow that for some privacy in a new vehicle.

There are plenty of places you can do a conversion of older cars to electric. Universal drop in conversions are close to impossible, though, since every manufacturer has its own proprietary footprint that they change every few years.

Sadly, yes.

Yeah that's understandable. I pay more for auto insurance because I don't give them my data, so I get that. Hopefully this niche market will be big enough for Slate to survive.

All excellent choices.
Have you driven an Elantra N? Such a good car.

I love my small steel trailer. it's light enough that I can move it by hand, so I don't need to mess around with trying to back up my long wagon with a short trailer behind me into my driveway or into awkward spaces. just unhitch and push it where I need it to go. super easy to park next to my driveway as well, without needing to drive on my lawn. I think it's actually easier to hook up my trailer than it is to put my bike rack on the hitch lol, because I have my bike rack hanging awkwardly at the back of the garage in a tough to reach spot

although to be honest I do wish it were aluminum so I didn't have to worry about rust

Yeah. I was merely noting that there’s a precedent for “normal-car-but-with-EV-stuff-instead.” It’s a shame that the Soul EV was given such a limited distribution. It’s easily my favorite car I’ve ever owned.

No, but I love the Veloster. Despite it's performance, it's quite practical, being a hatchback.

I actually agree. I think power mirrors and power windows are very worthwhile.

On the other hand, I don't know why anyone wants a trunk or hatch that closes itself. I find them annoying and unnecessary.

Yeah, absolutely. Would love to have one!

Speed Queen is the shit. I pulled mine out from under the collapsed roof of an abandoned laundromat in a ghost town in the early 2000s and they're still running fine. Genuinely have no idea how old they are, definitely older than me. 100% electromechanical, schematics printed on access panels, no proprietary components. One of the things that really proves to me just how intentional planned obsolescence is, someone put a lot of effort into building and simplifying the best machine they could to wash clothes before someone else figured out that wasn't the best way to make money

Slate is sponsored by daddy Bezos.

Ok but how is that different than the American companies doing that exact same thing?? At least if China gets my data I'll get a reasonably priced EV out of it instead of paying 4-5 times the price for a similar product.

Oh yeah if I buy American there's no way my data would get sold. American companies are known for their solid moral compass and they put customer satisfaction over profits. And there's never been a data breach from an American company ever!! :D

And i want to be a good American consumer and pay an American car company 4x to 5x the price of the cheap and affordable Chinese EV. Since I got all this money from tariff rebate and doge checks I can afford to buy an American EV.

I fucking love how people scream about how vile and evil a thing is, until china does it, then its either "plz leib poor china alone" or its "yes its evil, but i dont care because its cheaper.. but don't worry, as soon as it bites me in the ass i'll come back to cry about it, and will expect sympathy and coddling and not i told you so's"

I fucking love how people misinterpret comments to fit their own made-up narratives in their head.

My data is going to be sold no matter if I buy American or Chinese. It is a bad thing either way. In one scenario im paying $15k for the EV. In the other scenario im paying $30k.

Stop shadow boxing comments to feel good about yourself.

The BYD small EVs all have good safety ratings and they have been around for a while, so I don't know why you think they are disposable