It's a bit of a shame that they stopped selling the $199 Slash that didn't have the battery/charger because for those looking to race, that charger that's included won't cut it and the battery isn't legal for racing.
You can get by with a single battery though. I ran a single 5000mah lipo and just charged it between heats. If the battery that comes with the new Slash is allowed at your track, you can probably get by with it, but you'll need a better charger.
its cause they upgraded some of the things on it