LOS ANGELES—Slate Auto has pulled a Disneyland. Let me explain.
At Disneyland, if a sign for a ride says the wait is 45 minutes, it’s actually less than that. The idea is to set expectations low and then exceed them. Slate originally said its electric truck’s entry-level battery would have 180 miles (290 km) of range, but that has expanded to 205 miles (330 km). The tow rating was originally 1,000 lbs (454 kg); now it’s 2,000 lbs (907 kg), a nice jump. Finally, the load rating was 1,400 lbs (635 kg), and it’s now 1,550 lbs (703 kg).
The automotive startup has exceeded expectations. Was it part of the plan all along? Was leaking the price of the base model of $24,950 last week guerrilla marketing? Since the truck’s unveiling a year ago, Slate’s marketing has been extremely tongue-in-cheek.
