What if Tesla made a Slate-like EV instead of the Cybertruck?

At past month's rapturously received Slate debut, it took an executive's quip that "Slate" and "Tesla" usage the aforesaid 5 letters to displacement my encephalon into precocious gear. I've covered the EV satellite for 15-plus years, and I virtually ne'er walk clip connected counterfactuals. There's rather capable to screen successful the existent world.

But … I'm of the sentiment Tesla could, and should, person launched a small, simple, inexpensive compact pickup truck-in different words, what Slate debuted-rather than the pickup it did produce, the Cybertruck. That costly and polarizing conveyance has been, to enactment it bluntly, a sales disaster. Over 18 months, Tesla has sold lone astir 50,000, versus projections of galore times that volume. Worse, portion EV crossover utilities merchantability tens of thousands a month, the much costly EV pickup trucks to day person not.

The way not taken

The institution that led the satellite successful EV accumulation for much than a decennary could person launched an inexpensive tiny pickup that would person democratized EVs to a full caller people of buyers. Tesla apt could person offered much scope astatine the aforesaid terms owed to its in-house artillery compartment production. And it would person been a planetary product, apt to beryllium sold successful Europe and Ch …

Read the afloat communicative astatine The Verge.