I'm hopeful but pessimistic about Slate. There is still time for them to A.) raise prices because of "unforeseen" issues, B.) enshittify with tech or wacky pricing structures.
I'm just tired of hearing about Slate. A relatively small amount of people want a product and they use a company that hasn't shipped as validation of their imaginary market size (this company exists, so tons of people want it!)
Similar to how lots of people online (Reddit, HN, etc.) made a lot of noise about wanting a smaller smart phone. Apple released the iphone 12 mini, it didn't do well commercially, and was fairly quickly discontinued.
Most non-tech-bubble-normies cope with crappy in-car systems probably because conceptualising something different is far away from their area of interest and expertise; indeed, many folks actively want/prioritise superficially-impressive tech in their new car. (Lots of people --probably the vast majority-- don't focus on pure usability, privacy, or cybersecurity, when making such decisions.)
I'd expect Slate to appeal to people who need a pickup for work (because it's the most similar EV to an old low-spec Toyota/Ford/etc pickup) and for whom range is not an issue, some who want an EV but are price sensitive, and a handful of others who like the underlying concept.
