From InsideEVs.
Following several teases, Slate’s EV Truck has finally been unveiled. With backing from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Slate hopes to poise itself as a disruptor in the EV space. The "Blank Slate" base truck is set to retail for somewhere in the mid-$20,000 range, and the company says it will cost less than $20k after federal incentives. It will be highly modular with over 100 accessories set to be available from the automaker. Production is expected to begin in late 2026. Will Slate succeed in making a cheap, fun EV for the masses? Stay tuned to InsideEVs to find out.
Slate plans to build the truck in the US, but it hasn’t announced a factory location yet. It’s aiming to keep costs down by offering one simple spec—a two-door, two-seat single cab that only comes in one color, slate gray, naturally. The company is also planning a huge line of accessories, which range from tiny customizations, to wraps, to a sort of flat-pack kit including airbags that changes the pickup into a five seat SUV. There’s also a sort of fastback bed cap that makes the Truck look a bit like an old Range Rover. These accessories are meant to be either DIY or professionally installed.
Inside, Slate’s keeping things radically simple, too. There’s no dedicated infotainment system; Instead, the Truck has a universal smartphone mount for phones or tablets, and optional speakers so you can listen to your music, podcasts, or whatever else. Or you can just put a Bluetooth speaker on the dash. The interior also features simple HVAC controls, and amazingly for a new car, crank windows.
Mechanically, it’s all very simple. There’s a single electric motor at the rear wheels that makes 201 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, and a choice of batteries. The base 52.7-kWh pack promises 150 miles of range, while an “accessory” 84.3-kWh pack ups this to 240 miles. Slate quotes a 0-60 mph time of 8 seconds, and a 90-mph top speed. Does anyone really need more performance?
There’s a cheap, effective MacPherson strut front suspension, and a De Dion rear, just like you get in a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. Naturally, steelies are the standard wheel, with tires measuring 245/65R17. But the company isn’t overlooking safety, with standard autonomous emergency braking and forward-collision warning. Even the aftermarket SUV package includes additional airbags for the rear-seat passengers.
The Slate Truck is relatively tiny, too. With a length of 174.6 inches overall, it’s shorter than a Honda Civic Hatchback, let alone America’s other small pickup, the Ford Maverick, which comes in at nearly 200 inches long. It’s got a five-foot bed, too, the same as many full-size pickups these days, and there’s a front trunk with an additional 7.0 cubic feet of cargo space. Total weight is a relatively light 3,602 pounds, though the 1,433-pound payload and 1,000-pound tow capacity won’t impress many.
Slate plans to sell direct to consumers without dealers to keep costs down, and, well, because who likes going to a car dealer? The company is also planning local service centers.
Slate’s EV Was Caught Hiding In Plain Sight
https://insideevs.com/news/757237/slate-ev-spotted-los-angeles/
Slate’s $25,000 Electric Truck Will Be A ‘Disruptor’
https://insideevs.com/news/756678/slate-preview-newsweek-ev-truck/
A New $25,000 American EV Truck Company Is Backed By Jeff Bezos: Report
https://insideevs.com/news/756004/bezos-slate-investment-25000/
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00:00 – Intro
00:26 – Slate Base Truck Overview
01:12 – Slate SUV Overview
02:00 – Slate Exterior Customization Options
02:46 – Slate Customization Program
03:05 – Slate Batteries, Range, and Charging
03:37 – Slate NACS Port
04:07 – Slate Production
04:22 – Slate Design
05:04 – Slate Interior
05:38 – Slate Base Truck Manual Windows
05:59 – Slate Stereo Accessory
06:19 – Slate Base Truck Standard Technology
06:38 – Slate Base Truck Infotainment
07:34 – Slate Technology Accessories
08:25 – Slate SUV Back Seats
08:36 – Slate Final Thoughts
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