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The Anti-Tesla Is Here
The near-perfect rebuttal to Musk.
Remember when “Tesla killers” were all the rage? You know, back when the world made a little bit of sense. These cars were designed to come along and blow Musk out of the water, offering higher-quality EVs for less money and reducing Tesla to a whimpering mess. Unfortunately, these killers have been here for a while, and they have failed to do their job. Hyundai’s incredible Ioniq series, Porsche’s Taycan, Rivian’s brilliant pickups, Volkswagen’s ID series, and even some remarkable cars from China like BYD’s Seal may have undercut Tesla in various ways, but they have only made a minor dent in Tesla’s sales figures. Why? Because they played Tesla at its own game. However, a new breed of rival has just been born, one that threatens to decimate not just Tesla but Tesla’s very ethos. Let me introduce you to the Slate — the first anti-Tesla.
Slate has squirrelled itself away in utter secrecy since the company’s founding in 2022. That is, until last week, when they launched an electric pickup that seems inspired by my two favourite vehicles: the legendary VW Caddy pickup and the Citroën Oli concept car.
And this inspiration is far from skin deep. According to Slate CEO Chris Barman, “The definition of what’s affordable is broken,” with this sentiment echoing throughout her entire company and the design…