Seemingly out of nowhere, the newest electric vehicle maker on the block, Slate Auto, revealed its first EV today — the Slate Truck.
The selling points harped by the company include a 150 mi (240 km) range for a truck allegedly designed, manufactured, and assembled in the United States with a starting price of $20,000. That’s a big deal considering how the average price of an EV is $59,205 according to Kelly Blue Book.
We did a round up of the cheapest electric vehicles you can buy right now and the Slate Truck’s price is still $8,000 less than the closest competitor, the Nissan Leaf, which starts at around $28,140. Even for a gas car that’s a great value, plus the tax credit eligibility (which may or may not be going away under Trump). Notably, the Leaf has a similar 149 mile range as the Slate Truck.
“The definition of what’s affordable is broken,” Slate CEO Christine Barman said in a press release. “Slate exists to put the power back in the hands of customers who have been ignored by the auto industry. Slate is a radical truck platform so customizable that it can transform from a 2-seat pickup to a 5-seat SUV.”
Slate is a surprising entry in the automotive world that is reportedly backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Earlier this month, News took a look at the company and where it came from, including apparently being apart of Re:Build Manufacturing, another secretive Bezos company.
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What features does the truck have?
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Slate describes its Truck as heavily customizable. From a starting point as a two-seat truck, a “flat-pack accessory SUV Kit [turns] the truck into a 5-seat SUV.” You can also choose from “three levels of vehicle wrapping,” and over 100 accessories, including interior accents.
For those of us who decry the prevalence of big screens everywhere in newer vehicles, the Slate Truck features crank windows and good old knobs and buttons on the dashboard.
Press photos show the truck in a nondescript gray (or slate if you will), but apparently there are a variety of exterior colors available like purple, lime green, orange, and more. However, those colors will be body wraps instead of paint, as the company is building the truck in a single configuration at its factory.
The size of the vehicle is more reminiscent of European work trucks and vans than the monstrous trucks you see in America. Still, it’s made in America with Slate claiming that the truck is “engineered in Michigan and assembled in the Midwest.”
The 150 mile range is thanks to a 57.2 kWh battery pack with rear-wheel drive, but a larger 84.3 kWh with a target range of 240 miles (386 km) will also be available.
The charging port is NACS based (what Tesla uses for its chargers and has become something of a standard since 2022), which gives it wider access to charging stations across the county.
For those who want a screen, you can use your phone plugged into a USB outlet or a dedicated tablet.
For safety, the company is aiming for a 5-star crash rating and will feature active emergency breaking, forward collision warning, and up to eight airbags.
A Slate Track will cost you around $27,500 before tax, title and fees, still less than the Leaf. Though the mythical $20,000 seems predicated on electric vehicle tax credits staying in place. For now, they exist but President Trump has indicated he wants to get rid of the incentives.
“Whether or not the incentive goes away, our truck will be a high-value, desirable vehicle,” a spokesperson for Slate Auto told Ars Technica.
Here are some potential specs for the Slate Truck.
- Motor: Single motor, RWD
- Top speed: 90 miles per hour
- Miles per gallon: 96 mpg
- Range: 150-240 miles
- Battery pack: 52.7-kWh battery pack, 150 kW
- Fast charging: Fast-charge to 80% at 120-kW in under 30 minutes
- Size: 174.6 inches length, 108.9 inches wheelbase, 70.6 inches width, 69.3 inches height
- Interior volume: 55 cubic feet
- Weight: Curb weight 3,602 pounds
- Max payload: 1,433 pounds
- Max towing: 1,000 pounds
Outlook
The dream of an affordable, sub-$25,000 has been floated for years. However, with Tesla reportedly delaying production on the long-rumored Model Y, Slate appears ready to step in. Especially as more drivers are ditching Teslas due to recent actions by CEO Elon Musk.
We might not be able to actually test it out until 2026, with first models possibly shipping in late 2026, according to Car and Driver.
In the meantime, the truck does need to overcome safety hurdles (it doesn’t have that 5-star rating yet), and potentially tariffs for materials. Also, it does seem that the $20,000 price is predicated on tax relief.
If you’re interested, you can pay $50 to reserve early access to the truck at the Slate website. The site does say the $50 is refundable if you decided to back out.
Competition is good, and a funky, moddable electric vehicle at a low price is a good thing, if Slate Auto can actually pull it off.
