Jeff Bezos-Backed Slate Reveals $25K Truck to Take on Tesla and Rivian

The EV startup Slate Auto, which counts the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as a key investor, simply unveiled its first automobile.

The brand new pickup, revealed with Hollywood glitz at an occasion Thursday evening in Lengthy Seashore, California, is ready to begin at simply $25,000 when it goes on sale in 2026, Slate mentioned — a worth that may very well be even decrease with tax credit.

The no-frills mannequin is devoid of frequent niceties like energy home windows or a radio and permits clients to make as many or as few upgrades as they need.

“We wished to get that value out of the bottom automobile,” Slate CEO Chris Barman informed Enterprise Insider in an interview.

“It actually offers freedom of option to the proprietor of what equipment they might need to placed on the automobile, both on the time of buy or over time, relying on what their price range could also be,” the previous Fiat Chrysler government and engineer added.

The Michigan-based startup’s Slate Truck is predicted to be produced at an undetermined location within the Midwestern US and be the most affordable new electrical automobile and pickup truck within the US.

The present most cost-effective EV is the standard-range Nissan Leaf, which begins at $28,140. Probably the most reasonably priced pickup truck on sale within the US is the Ford Maverick, which begins at $26,995.

A $25,000 worth level would imply attaining one thing the present EV gross sales king, Tesla, has been unable to do. Elon Musk has lengthy teased shoppers with the prospect of a $25,000 Tesla mannequin, however there is not any agency timeline for its launch.

Rivian’s truck and SUV, like Tesla’s competing fashions, are removed from naked bones and begin at almost $70,000 for the bottom dual-motor R1T pickup.

The Slate EV’s energy practice is ready to characteristic a 52.7 kWh battery pack and a 201-horsepower electrical motor driving the rear wheels. It has a goal vary of 150 miles and will be capable to recharge in a single day utilizing a family socket.

Prospects needing extra vary can improve to a bigger 84.3 kWh pack, which ought to be capable to journey as much as 240 miles.

It’s going to additionally characteristic superior security tech like automotive emergency braking and ahead collision warning, Slate says.

The Slate Truck is a clean slate for homeowners to personalize

In response to Slate, all vehicles will depart the manufacturing unit in a single base configuration with solely primary facilities, resembling metal wheels and crank home windows.

Then the patron can select from over 100 equipment, from {hardware} like energy home windows to wraps that give the truck a personalised look.

“We actually suppose lovers are going to be enthusiastic about this,” Barman informed BI.

As well as, an SUV package will likely be out there that converts the truck right into a five-passenger SUV, full with a roll cage, rear seats, and airbags.

At Thursday’s launch occasion, a whole bunch of attendees — lots of them staff or traders in Slate — oohed and aahed as Barman confirmed how the automobile may very well be reworked from a truck to an SUV in round an hour utilizing an elective accent package deal. As soon as a curtain got here up and revealed a shiny blue SUV, it virtually appeared like magic.

“What number of of you have got positioned an order?” Barman shouted to applause.

Because the social gathering continued, many within the viewers marveled at how Slate was capable of keep complete secrecy for upward of two years. Others could not assist noticing Slate is an anagram of Tesla.

All of the equipment, together with the SUV package, might be upgraded retroactively and are designed to be put in by the proprietor as DIY tasks. (You may also select to have the work executed professionally, in fact.)

“That is going to, we hope, encourage an entire new inhabitants of a youthful technology who possibly by no means even thought of engaged on their vehicles, that is going to be enthusiastic about it as a result of satisfaction of possession, and it is an extension of their persona,” the Slate CEO added.

The Slate automobile is accessible for preorder with a $50 refundable deposit.