The EV panorama has been buzzing with information of Slate Auto, a Michigan-based startup that not too long ago emerged from the shadows with a daring proposition: an reasonably priced, no-frills electrical pickup truck priced round $20,000. Backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos by way of his funding agency, Bezos Expeditions, Slate has stuffed its warfare chest by securing $700 million in Collection A and B funding rounds, positioning itself as a severe contender within the EV market.
Slate Auto’s Imaginative and prescient: Reasonably priced and Customizable EVs
Slate Auto goals to problem the prevailing development of costly, feature-heavy electrical vehicles by introducing a minimalist, cost-effective different. A stark providing that guarantees little greater than a truck. The Slate Auto’s inaugural automobile, merely named the “Slate Truck,” is a compact, two-door, two-seat pickup designed for practicality and customization in the event you really feel prefer it. By stripping away non-essential options — comparable to energy home windows, built-in infotainment methods, and elaborate trim choices — Slate focuses on delivering a purposeful automobile that meets fundamental transportation and work wants with out the dumb price ticket.
CEO Chris Barman, a former Chrysler govt, emphasizes the corporate’s mission to “put the ability again within the fingers of consumers.” Slate encourages patrons to personalize their automobiles by way of an intensive suite of over 100 equipment, together with a DIY SUV conversion equipment that transforms the truck right into a five-passenger automobile in about an hour. This modular strategy permits prospects to adapt their automobiles to their evolving wants and budgets over time.
Slate Truck Overview and Specs
The Slate Truck is engineered to be a sensible and reasonably priced EV choice for the common shopper. Not solely is that this factor reasonably priced, it is also compact. A correct small truck has been lacking from our vendor tons for fairly a while. Certain, there’s the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz, however the Slate Truck is minimalist and appears to harken again to basic pickups of the Eighties.
Slate Truck Specs
Function
Specification
Beginning Value
$20,000 (after federal tax credit)
Seating Capability
2 (convertible to five with SUV equipment)
Battery Choices
52.7 kWh (150-mile vary), 84.3 kWh (240-mile vary)
Horsepower
201 hp, 195 lb-ft torque
Driveline
Rear-wheel drive
Charging Functionality
DC quick charging as much as 120 kW
Dimensions (L x W x H)
174.6″ x 70.6″ x 69.3″
Payload Capability
1,430 lbs
Towing Capability
1,000 lbs
Prime Pace
90 MPH
0-60 mph Acceleration
Roughly 8 Seconds
Manufacturing Location
An Indiana, USA
Estimated Manufacturing Begin
Late 2026
The truck’s design contains guide controls, comparable to crank home windows and conventional A/C knobs, and omits built-in screens, encouraging drivers to make use of their smartphones for navigation and leisure. This strategy not solely reduces manufacturing prices but additionally simplifies the consumer expertise. (And all God’s Individuals stated “Amen!”)
With substantial backing from Jeff Bezos and a complete fundraising of $700 million, Slate Auto’s entry into the EV market presents a compelling different to the high-priced electrical vehicles presently dominating the trade that may truly occur. By prioritizing important options and providing a modular design, the Slate Truck might enchantment to a broad phase of shoppers in search of sensible and budget-friendly electrical transportation.
Reservations for the Slate Truck at the moment are open with a totally refundable $50 deposit, and manufacturing is slated to start in late 2026 on the firm’s facility in Warsaw, Indiana.
