Simply if you thought the EV pickup conflict couldn’t get weirder, in walks Jeff Bezos prefer it’s Prime Day for Elon Musk’s complications. His new startup, Slate Auto, is cooking up a $25,000 electrical truck which may really ship on the “inexpensive EV” promise each different model retains ghosting. And if Tesla’s new cloth-seat Cybertruck is Musk’s thought of mass-market magic, Bezos is likely to be right here to flip the entire desk.
Tesla’s Material Seats Vs Bezos’ Low cost Warmth
Let’s begin with Tesla. The brand new Cybertruck Lengthy Vary is principally the electrical pickup equal of a finances airline with fewer frills, barely extra vary, and far more compromises. It’s rear-wheel drive solely, with fabric seats, fewer audio system, fewer shops, lowered towing functionality, and no air suspension. But it surely nonetheless has a price ticket north of $72K. That’s down from the AWD mannequin’s $82K, however nonetheless practically triple what Elon as soon as promised in that now-mythical $40,000 launch tweet.
Enter Slate Auto. Backed by Bezos and based mostly in Michigan, Slate is gunning for one thing radical – a no-nonsense, two-seat EV truck with a $25,000 beginning worth. Sure, you learn that proper. That’s lower than a base Ford Maverick or a Nissan Leaf, which is virtually Monopoly cash in EV phrases.
Certain, it’s barebones. The battery and motors will probably be sourced, not in-house miracles. It’s a two-seater, which in all probability means no household highway journeys except your youngsters are using within the frunk. However Slate goes for utility, not Instagram likes. They’re aiming at tradespeople, city dwellers, and weekend warriors who want operate over a Netflix display screen within the again seat. Assume steel-toe boots over Yeezys.
Slate’s Plan To Outmaneuver Tesla
And whereas Tesla continues to pare down options to chase affordability, Bezos would possibly simply undercut your complete EV market. Even when Slate makes zero revenue per truck, they’ve received a plan with Slate College, the place patrons can pile on high-margin equipment and kit. The model’s tagline? “We Construct It. You Make It.” In different phrases, you get an inexpensive truck, then spend your financial savings decking it out like a real-life Forza storage.
In fact, it’s nonetheless early. No photographs, no agency specs, and we’re at the least a yr out from manufacturing. But when Bezos can pull it off – and historical past says don’t wager towards the man who turned books into world domination – then Tesla’s Cybertruck would possibly look extra like a TikTok pattern that peaked too quickly.
