THE TINY NEW SLATE ELECTRIC TRUCK IS SUPER SIMPLE AND AFFORDABLE. HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Say hello to another upstart EV company: Slate. It’s a U.S.-based, Jeff Bezos-backed electric vehicle maker with the goal of bringing a cheap U.S.-built truck (or, in some cases, an SUV) to the market. And by cheap, that means a starting price of “under $20,000 after federal incentives,” according to Slate.
Slate is talking a big game, and has revealed lots of details about its Slate Truck (yes, that's the name) today, but while there are lots of answers, there are lots of questions still yet to be clarified. We’ll start with the basics of what we know.
The basics of the Slate Truck
The Slate Truck is a two-door, two-seat pickup that comes standard with rear-wheel-drive via a single electric motor. It has a “range target” of 150 miles on a charge, thanks to a 52.7 kilowatt-hour battery pack. That electric single motor produces 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, good enough for a claimed 0-60 mph sprint in 8.0 seconds and a top speed of 90 mph. Charging happens by way of an NACS port, with a maximum charge speed of 120 kW on a compatible DC charging station. Slate claims a 20-80% charge takes under 30 minutes.
The Truck's rear suspension uses a coil spring design. Towing capacity maxes out at 1000 pounds, while payload capacity sits at 1433 lbs. Curb weight is even reasonable for an EV, at only 3602 lbs. The truck is mighty small in total footprint, too, with a 174.6-inch length and 108.9-inch wheelbase. For comparison’s sake, that’s over two feet shorter in length than the Ford Maverick pickup — and it’s even shorter than the smallest Ford Rangers from the mid-1990s. That said, the standard cab design gives it a usable five-foot bed length. Plus, Slate tells us the RWD layout allows the Truck to offer a frunk with seven cubic feet of storage.
But the Truck is a transformer
A small and cheap EV is one thing, but what Slate believes will set the company apart from other outmakers is the ability to change body styles on a whim. Every Slate Truck will be produced in a single configuration, but you’ll be able to buy a “flat-pack accessory SUV kit” to transform the Truck into a five-seat SUV. It’s designed such that an owner could install it themselves, but Slate says it’ll offer a service to have it done for you, too.
The kit includes a roll cage, rear seat bench and airbags, as well as the obvious body shell around it all. When it comes to said body, Slate showed off both a boxy, Defender-like top and a fastback-style slanted roofline that reminds us of the Rivian R3. It even looks like you may be able to remove panels to turn the Slate into a quasi-convertible like the Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco.
There's also the choice to select an optional, larger 84.3-kWh pack that targets 240 miles of range on the EPA testing cycle. This can be specified from the factory, but you can also upgrade to the larger pack at a later date.
The Slate name comes from the philosophy of selling a “blank slate” sort of vehicle. An example of that is the lack of exterior paint: Instead, Slate says its vehicle is designed to be wrapped and will be selling wrap kits as an accessory. The Truck’s body itself is designed in a way that makes wrapping it easier, according to a spokesperson, which should reduce the time and money necessary to have the procedure done. There will be “over 100 accessories” buyers will be able to choose from, which can either be selected when you buy and installed before delivery, or purchased after the fact with the intent of installing them yourself.
It’s cheap because it’s basic
Slate explains that this new car company was founded on the “business model of simplifying the manufacturing process and removing unnecessary content to reduce cost and increase reliability.” The claimed price of under $20,000 after tax incentives suggests an MSRP around the $27,000 mark, but that’s only a guess for the time being. How is this little pickup so cheap?
Well, here's another clue: the first thing you’ll notice in the cabin is the lack of a central infotainment screen. Instead, Slate is telling people its truck is a “bring your own tech” kind of vehicle. The Truck will come with a phone mount and convenient USB power to mount your phone or a tablet to the dash. Your navigation and media playback in the car will then all be run off your device. Slate didn’t detail the interface, but the app running on the phone suggests even audio volume will be controlled via your device.
Hope you didn’t want power windows either, because the Slate Truck comes with crank ones. Thankfully, it does have air conditioning, but all the HVAC is manually controlled via three knobs in the center of the dash. Cruise control is onboard and activated via steering wheel buttons, and we spy some power locks on the door, too. The only thing resembling a screen sits in front of the driver as the instrument cluster, where it will presumably display all your car’s vitals and speed.
One area Slate says it did not compromise: safety. Every Slate Truck will be equipped with active emergency braking, forward collision warning and up to eight airbags. Safety scores won’t be out anytime soon, but Slate claims it’s “designed to achieve the highest safety ratings” in crashes.
How do you buy a Slate?
Well, Slate won’t have any dealerships, so expect a direct-to-consumer sales experience. The Truck can be ordered online, and you’ll be able to take delivery near your home. All service needs will be taken care of via an unnamed partner, a spokesperson tells us. A reservation costs $50, and is indeed refundable. Slate says the first trucks will be shipping to buyers in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Looking to purchase a car? Find your match on the MSN Autos Marketplace 2025-04-25T02:26:23Z