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no4mk1t

no4mk1t

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Another contender in the return to simplicity small truck game. Competition for the Ford Maverick and Slate trucks.
And it also explains the connection to Oldsmobile and where REO Speedwagon the rock band adopted their name.

The Case for a Simple Truck — A Letter from REO

Why REO is building the Runabout: small, honest, repairable, and affordable. Built in Texas, sold direct, $25 fully-refundable reservations open now.
reotrucks.com reotrucks.com
 
The original REO Speed Wagon was a fire truck:

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Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from another you been messin' around
 
I don't know what the numbers are for Slate pre orders but that thing is moving the market. Last year, there was nothing except maybe a shoe box with a lawn mower engine in the $25k range. All of the sudden, there are more basic cars available for under $25k.

Slate has specifically said their truck will have no wifi-bluetooth-cell telemetric connections to the outside world. The truck will not have the means to collect user data and they won't sell it if it did. That is worth something.
 
bkbrno said:
I don't know what the numbers are for Slate pre orders but that thing is moving the market. Last year, there was nothing except maybe a shoe box with a lawn mower engine in the $25k range. All of the sudden, there are more basic cars available for under $25k.

Slate has specifically said their truck will have no wifi-bluetooth-cell telemetric connections to the outside world. The truck will not have the means to collect user data and they won't sell it if it did. That is worth something.
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There is an optional telematics module for $275 to allow the app based functions like remote start/unlock and battery pre-condition to work. But yeah, they have said the truck won't rat you out. First year free, then a subscription to keep the features you already paid for. :mad:

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I want my next car to be as connected as a '67 VW Bug.

I don't get why Slate would advertise being off grid and the very next sentence is a product to put you on the grid.

I put a deposit on a Slate and have followed them for awhile. I am allowed to criticize their moves.
 
Unlike Slate with Bezos checkbook behind them, REO is a bootstrap startup with a manifesto and a dream. Everything is on paper. No factory, no workforce, no prototypes. If they had all that, it would have been mentioned in the ad copy.

So, at the very earliest, you will be taking delivery in 2029. By then, the $21500 base price will be $27K-$28K. If Slate is any indication, even the Spartan minded buyer will add about $4K-$5K in options.
 
no4mk1t said:
Unlike Slate with Bezos checkbook behind them, REO is a bootstrap startup with a manifesto and a dream. Everything is on paper. No factory, no workforce, no prototypes. If they had all that, it would have been mentioned in the ad copy.

So, at the very earliest, you will be taking delivery in 2029. By then, the $21500 base price will be $27K-$28K. If Slate is any indication, even the Spartan minded buyer will add about $4K-$5K in options.
Click to expand...

Yeah... I saw that, too. It's vaporware. And they offer a refundable "reservation" for only $25. And yeah... no guarantee of price going forward.
 
Slate started at $21,000*. The asterisk was less federal incentives. Final price came in at $25k no incentives. Not bad.

I have a deposit on one but not sure I want to buy in early. My first new car was a Chevy S-10. Manual transmission, no AC, a $50 AM/FM radio was the only option. The price I paid, adjusted for inflation, is not that far off from a similar Slate. I have a bare bones model saved. I added a hitch as the only option.

I will say that that several options for basic vehicles under $25k are starting to show up. Maybe they were always there and I wasn't looking. They are being marketed more now. Still no little pickup trucks.

I am not pro EV but the little Slate covers 90% of my driving needs. I am bothered that Slate has a heavy presence on social media and their website is pathetically devoid of current information. Makes me wonder about their commitment to stay unconnected.
 
If I didnt have to do a lot of driving in areas that are not paved, I'd be all over the Slate like a duck on a junebug. No 4x4... that's a non starter for me.
 
no4mk1t said:
Unlike Slate with Bezos checkbook behind them, REO is a bootstrap startup with a manifesto and a dream. Everything is on paper. No factory, no workforce, no prototypes. If they had all that, it would have been mentioned in the ad copy.

So, at the very earliest, you will be taking delivery in 2029. By then, the $21500 base price will be $27K-$28K. If Slate is any indication, even the Spartan minded buyer will add about $4K-$5K in options.
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So you might say they are ridin' the storm out.
 
Racer88 said:
Interesting... they're specifically mentioning that it runs on GAS!
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I'm picturing a street-legal SxS with a glorified lawnmower engine, 60mph top speed and spartan everything. :unsure: I predict someone will pocket 10,000 "investors" money ($250k) and close the factory doors before they are even open... ;) Note the STARTING price on this more-equipped model SxS... :eek:

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Bobster said:
I'm picturing a street-legal SxS with a glorified lawnmower engine, 60mph top speed and spartan everything. :unsure: I predict someone will pocket 10,000 "investors" money ($250k) and close the factory doors before they are even open... ;) Note the STARTING price on this more-equipped model SxS... :eek:

View attachment 40721
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I have been looking at those. And the Kawasaki and Can-Am equivalents. For a few extra bucks, you can make them street legal.

Seats 4, heat, AC, GPS... and the Goddamned thing will go anywhere. Around $25k nicely equipped. Can Am and Kawa are a little cheaper. I have also looked at the 6 wheelers.

Or I can buy a used Hummer (government surplus) or a used Jeep for the same price, beat the piss out of it and not care.
 
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Bongo Lewi said:
If I didnt have to do a lot of driving in areas that are not paved, I'd be all over the Slate like a duck on a junebug. No 4x4... that's a non starter for me.
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2WD with traction control won't be horrible. Definitely not the same as 4WD. I had a Jeep with traction control. In 2WD mode, accelerated in a wet turn a little too aggressively. The traction control straightened it right out. I did the same thing in the before mentioned S-10. Went through the intersection sideways. Drifted it before drifting was a thing. The back end snapped around and fast. That was with an 80 HP engine.

I use 4WD mainly on the beach. No way in hell I'm taking an EV on a beach to get all the wires and electronics a nice coating of salt air.
 
bkbrno said:
2WD with traction control won't be horrible. Definitely not the same as 4WD. I had a Jeep with traction control. In 2WD mode, accelerated in a wet turn a little too aggressively. The traction control straightened it right out. I did the same thing in the before mentioned S-10. Went through the intersection sideways. Drifted it before drifting was a thing. The back end snapped around and fast. That was with an 80 HP engine.

I use 4WD mainly on the beach. No way in hell I'm taking an EV on a beach to get all the wires and electronics a nice coating of salt air.
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I have to do some beach driving to get to my hunting/fishing shack that's sitting in the middle of a salt marsh. At home, once I turn off the highway it's a steep vertical climb on dirt (sometimes mud) for about 150 yards. Modern AWD is sort of OK traction wise, but the ground clearance on those vehicles is really not good enough. My Jeeps are lifted and I have 35's and 37's on them.
 
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