Posted on 04/26/2025 9:31:59 AM PDT by Cronos
Meet the Slate Truck, a sub-$20,000 (after federal incentives) electric vehicle that enters production next year. It only seats two yet has a bed big enough to hold a sheet of plywood. It only does 150 miles on a charge, only comes in gray, and the only way to listen to music while driving is if you bring along your phone and a Bluetooth speaker. It is the bare minimum of what a modern car can be, and yet it’s taken three years of development to get to this point.
But this is more than bargain-basement motoring. Slate is presenting its truck as minimalist design with DIY purpose, an attempt to not just go cheap but to create a new category of vehicle with a huge focus on personalization. That design also enables a low-cost approach to manufacturing that has caught the eye of major investors, reportedly including Jeff Bezos. It’s been engineered and will be manufactured in America, but is this extreme simplification too much for American consumers?
(Excerpt) Read more at theverge.com ...
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Like the Yugo, but American made: the Amigo.
Total waste of money.
Luring more Americans into vehicles they ultimately have no control over.
Oh, and the real price is $27,500, with $7,500 of that kicked in by Uncle Sam.
IMHO it’s too bare minimum unless it has A/C-heat and also a radio. But I agree with the overall concept that some people are looking for a cheap set of wheels without having to pay a ton extra for all the bells and whistles.
This is great! Now when our side decides to throw a tantrum at the commie RATS, we’ve got stuff to torch, key and paint swastikas on.
Kinda reminds me of the mid-70’s Ford Courier pickup. Minus the paint job, of course...
Doesn't look like it in the photo.
Looks like a command and control gov't economy vehicle - UGLY.
Good. Now make an ICE version
I had an Isuzu Amigo...
great 4x4...
That would work for a lot of folks as a second or third car. Maybe chain a Honda generator in the bed if top ups are needed.
Chase Bank, a nearby gas station and the local Walmart supercenter have put in chargers in the last few months, so finding one is getting easier. (Walmart has put in a LOT of them at their closest location).
I can do without the radio, but A/C and heat are both necessary; I live in a temperate zone. Guess I'll have to read the whole article....
That doesn’t look like a 4’x 8’ bed to me.
Looks like it would be okay as a maintenance truck for a park, golf course or similar.
Not so much for every day driving.
I need to tow my boat.
Someone needs to make something like this with an ICE engine. Kind if like how it used to be.
I see lots of new cars with flat looking finishes that look DIY but are factory.
Maybe this “minimalist” trend is code for conditioning the public to accept less.
Does it have a cigarette lighter?
Still don’t want an electric car. If they can make an electric vehicle this cheap, they can do the same with an ICE vehicle.
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