From Meth to Motors: Heisenberg's Take on Bezos' Budget EV Startup

A New Player in the Game

So some tech billionaire – Bezos yeah? – thinks he can break into the car game. Like cooking crystal meth the auto industry requires precision and a certain… ruthlessness. This Slate Auto outfit in Michigan they're building these… electric contraptions. Stripped down two seater pickup trucks. The kind of thing you'd expect to see tooling around Los Pollos Hermanos not exactly prime Heisenberg territory. They are saying it is going to be the car people will love and be proud to own... Yeah right...

Back to Basics... Or Just Basic?

They're bragging about 'back to basics' and 'only the essentials.' Crank windows? No infotainment? Sounds like something I'd slap together in my RV not exactly cutting edge. But hey maybe simplicity is the key. Less to go wrong less to trace back to you. Remember Jesse no half measures. These guys are either going to cook up something potent or end up with a batch of blue tinged garbage.

The 'Radically Affordable' Lie

Under $20,000? Sure without the fancy wraps the optional speakers and the little bits and bobs that'll actually make it you know *driveable*. It's like promising a fix for spare change. It hooks them in but the real price… that's where they get you. I know something about that. Just ask Saul Goodman he's the expert in the gray area.

Building an Empire Brick by Modular Brick

150,000 vehicles a year they say? That's ambitious. It's one thing to hand build prototypes; it's another to scale up like Gus Fring's operation. Supply chains workforce quality control… it's a delicate house of cards. One wrong move and it all comes crashing down. Remember Tuco? Impatience never pays.

Customization: A Recipe for Chaos?

160 customization options? Decals lights tires… Sounds like a logistical nightmare. It's like asking Jesse to manage the books. Sure it's a nice idea – letting the customers personalize their rides. But too many cooks spoil the broth. Besides you add too much and it ends up being more expensive than a mid size truck. How ironic is that a product that is supposed to be affordable costing more than a regular truck.

The Heisenberg Verdict

So can Slate Auto pull it off? Maybe. The ingredients are there. But the auto industry is a ruthless game. One mistake and you're dead. You need to be the one who knocks. Right now they're just knocking on the door. Time will tell if they have what it takes to build an empire or if they'll end up like so many others a cautionary tale in the desert. Just like I said to Skyler I am in the empire business.