Meet Slate's $20,000 electrical truck that may morph into an SUV

Abstract

Slate Auto, an American EV startup, has unveiled its two seater Slate Truck, a surprisingly reasonably priced EV.
The Slate Truck options a regular 150-mile vary, a rugged composite development, and in depth customization choices, together with a package that converts it to a five-seat SUV.
Slate’s compact electrical pickup truck was designed in Michigan and California, and engineered in Michigan, with meeting within the Midwest. Reservations can be found now for $50.

Many individuals like the concept of switching to an

electric vehicle
(EV), however they’re much less enthusiastic

about its price
. That is the place the EV startup Slate Auto comes into play. The American automaker not too long ago unveiled its new Slate Truck, a customizable, bare-bones EV with a price ticket of underneath $20,000 after federal tax incentives are factored in.

You could be instantly pondering, how on earth is that this truck going to price that little? Properly, the bottom mannequin is, as its identify suggests, a Clean Slate. To realize its reasonably priced worth, Slate has basically eliminated something from the EV that it does not have to drive reliably.

What does that imply precisely? We’re speaking a few two-seat pickup truck that is available in one grey colour, has a single electrical motor, consists of no stereo or infotainment system, and options crank home windows. That is proper, bodily rolling down your automobile home windows is again. All these components mixed allow Slate to supply one of many

most affordable EVs
within the American market, and its specs aren’t that shabby both.

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The Slate Truck’s customary vary is 150 miles

The compact electrical pickup truck has a NACS connector with DC quick charging

Slate

Slate is concentrating on a price ticket of round $25,000 for its Slate Truck ($20,000 after the federal tax incentive), and for that, you obtain a surprisingly stylish-looking compact electrical pickup truck.

The truck incorporates a single rear-mounted 150 kW motor, and its customary battery offers a projected vary of 150 miles.

Wanting on the numbers, the truck’s mattress is 5 ft lengthy, with a quantity of 35.1 cubic ft. From bumper to bumper, the truck measures 174.6 inches in size, boasting a wheelbase of 108.9 inches. It has a most payload of roughly 1400 lbs and a towing capability of round 1000 lbs.

Slate

The truck incorporates a single rear-mounted 150 kW motor, and its customary battery offers a projected vary of 150 miles. Slate may even supply an prolonged battery at a further price, which has a projected vary of 240 miles. What’s even higher is that the Slate Truck is supplied with an NACS connector for DC quick charging. Because of this at a Tesla Supercharger, the truck can cost from 20 to 80 p.c in “underneath half-hour.”

In contrast to many different EVs, the Slate Truck’s physique is not produced from metal or aluminum; it is constructed from a rugged plastic materials that Slate refers to as an “injection molded polypropylene composite materials,” which is sturdy and scratch-resistant.

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Personalization is on the heart of the Slate Truck

The truck can adapt to your wants extra time, together with reworking into an SUV

Slate

What units the Slate Truck aside from its opponents is its in depth customization choices. At launch, Slate goals to supply over 100 totally different equipment for the truck, permitting homeowners to customise their Slate EV to their liking. This implies you should purchase the Slate Truck in its primary kind at first, with solely the necessities, and improve it over time.

“Most vehicles are constructed for what you want as we speak. A Slate is made for what you want now, and sooner or later. So, when life will get greater or busier, all of it nonetheless suits. It is the primary automobile of its sort designed to rework simply from a two-seat truck to a five-seat SUV, and again. And that is simply one of many numerous methods you possibly can adapt your Slate to no matter you want, even when you do not know you want it but,” Slate says on their website.

Slate’s web site lists quite a few customizations if you wish to improve the truck, together with totally different physique kinds and wrap (colour) choices, in addition to add-ons for the inside, like dashboard and audio/tech upgrades.

For instance, the truck solely comes with a common cellphone mount with USB energy to start out, since most individuals use their telephones for navigation anyway. Nonetheless, in the event you need a bigger, extra refined infotainment system, you possibly can decide to have a devoted pill put in within the truck.

Slate

As a PC gamer at coronary heart, it jogs my memory of slowly upgrading your PC over time to satisfy your wants. Slate’s web site lists quite a few customizations if you wish to improve the truck, together with totally different physique kinds and wrap (colour) choices, in addition to add-ons for the inside, like dashboard and audio/tech upgrades. You may discover all of the choices on Slate’s website.

Remarkably, if you wish to flip your two-seat Slate pickup truck right into a five-seat SUV, you possibly can. The SUV package that can ultimately be out there for buy consists of extra seats, a roll cage, airbags, and extra to rework the truck into an SUV. You may select to put in them your self, or have a “Slate licensed companion” come and do it for you.

For those who’re concerned about Slate’s electrical pickup truck, reservations are open now on Slate’s web site for $50 with deliveries anticipated in late 2026.

Whereas Slate is an EV startup, it has important backing behind it, together with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. For those who’re concerned about Slate’s electrical pickup truck, reservations are open now on Slate’s web site for $50 with deliveries anticipated in late 2026.

The Slate Truck is among the most intriguing EVs I’ve ever seen, and will probably be attention-grabbing to see how shoppers react to such a bare-bones EV, and the way the Slate Truck handles. It is vital to notice that Slate can also be an American automaker, with the truck designed in California and Michigan, and engineered solely in Michigan. Its actual meeting location hasn’t been shared but, however Slate says will probably be assembled within the Midwest.