The $20,000 American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, and no touchscreen

The Verge ^ | 26th April 2025 | Tim Stevens

[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?

[cuban leaf]

i.e. this truck, especially at the price point, fills a nice niche for me, personally.

But after all my glowing posts about it, I should add this: I doubt it will ever hit the market, but if it does, it will almost certainly be at least $10,000 more.

So, I’m more of a fan of the concept of bringing back the small truck, even as an EV than this particular offering.

[Grampa Dave]

We might consider buying a second year model.

My wife is still recovering from hip surgery during the Covid mess, and she doesn’t want to drive/or her Lexus or any car within 60 miles within or Terrible drivers within 60 miles of SFO! or our home. So now, I do all of our driving.

[sit-rep]

Easy solution... just bungee this little guy in the back! 1 gal of gas lasts eight hours, and would be plenty to drive a 1000watt stereo and some charge for the battery...

[carcraft]

Depend on the size of the sheet of plywood

[FlingWingFlyer]

I wouldn’t want something with 150 mile range living out here in the west. We have areas where gas stations are more than 150 miles apart. I don’t think there would be a place to recharge this thing.

[The Louiswu]

Put a gas engine in it, dump all the computer chips and id seriously look at one.

[blitz128]

Soooo it’s not 20k, thank you American taxpayers

[2111USMC]

GM just came out with a new ICE pickup for $10K.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAA6VxdkT_M

[HartleyMBaldwin]

That would be four feet by eight feet, or it would be a partial sheet of plywood.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Jalopnik says the truck will have "100 accessories ranging from vinyl wraps and new body parts to interior features and upholstery options, plus the ability to transform the two-seat truck into a five-seat SUV using a flat-pack kit. I asked Grok's to "List the options that will be available on the Slate EV truck" It made a nice, factual run-down...

Base Model Features (Standard)

• Price: ~$27,500 MSRP, potentially under $20,000 with federal EV tax credits (if available).
• Battery and Range: 52.7 kWh battery, ~150 miles range. Optional 84.3 kWh battery, ~240 miles.
• Powertrain: Single rear-wheel-drive motor, 201 hp, 195 lb-ft torque, 0-60 mph in ~8 seconds, 90 mph top speed.
• Charging: NACS port, 11 kW onboard, 20-80% in ~30 min at 120 kW (Level 3), ~5 hr at Level 2, ~11 hr at Level 1.
• Body: Gray composite panels (unpainted), no paint shop.
• Seating: Two-seat pickup configuration.
• Bed: 5-foot bed, 1,400-pound payload, 1,000-pound towing capacity.
• Storage: 7-cubic-foot frunk with drain.
• Wheels: 17-inch steel wheels with standard tires.
• Interior: Manual crank windows, HVAC knobs, no infotainment screen (phone mounts), no speakers (Bluetooth speaker mount), manual cloth seats, two dashboard cubbies, plastic console.
• Safety Features: Automatic emergency braking, airbags, backup camera (small dash screen).
• Dimensions: 174.6 in long, 70.6 in wide, 69.3 in high; ~3,500 pounds.
• Other: Identical door handles, reversible taillights for cost reduction.

Customization Options and Accessories

Slate offers a "plug-and-play" and DIY-friendly ecosystem with accessories available a la carte, in bundles, or as user-installed kits.

Exterior Options

• Wraps and Decals: Vinyl wraps (e.g., Blue Steel, hot pink, sunburst yellow, green), patterns (e.g., Snow Dog two-tone, retro stripes), precut decals, custom grille/tailgate embossing.
• Body Configurations:
  • Five-Seat SUV Conversion Kit: Flat-pack kit for five-seat SUV with square or fastback roof, user-installable.
  • Open-Air Kit: Removes roof for open-top configuration.
• Wheels and Suspension:
  • 17-inch silver aluminum rims with all-terrain tires (higher ride height).
  • 20-inch wheels with aero covers, low-profile tires.
  • Lift kit for off-road capability.
  • Lowering kit for sporty stance.
• Exterior Styling: Upgraded bumpers, wider fenders, fender flares, roof rack, spare tire carrier, running boards, tower rack lighting, fog lights, custom grilles (e.g., sunset grille with bear).
• Other: Slate access points for future/homemade accessories.

Interior Options

• Comfort and Convenience: Power window modules, heated seat covers, upgraded center console, sunglasses holder.
• Infotainment and Audio: Tablet/large screen mounting bracket, Slate-built dashboard speakers, colored trim (seats, dashboard, vents, controls) in green, brown, bronze, pink, blue.
• Upholstery: Upgraded upholstery in various colors/finishes.

Functional Add-Ons

• Hardware for Equipment/Gear: Accessories to secure equipment/goods for work.
• Battery Upgrade: 84.3 kWh battery for 240-mile range.
• Warranty-Friendly DIY Repairs: Tutorials via Slate University, open-source accessory design/fabrication.

Additional Notes

• Customization Philosophy: "We Built It. You Make It" approach, no permanent modifications needed for most changes.
• Starter Packs: Bundled kits (e.g., Surf Break) via online configurator.
• Production and Availability: Built in Warsaw, Indiana; deliveries start Q4 2026; $50 refundable deposit.
• Pricing Uncertainty: Accessory prices TBD; base price may increase if EV tax credits are eliminated (~$7,500).
• Sales Model: Direct-to-consumer, no dealerships, nationwide service network.

For the latest details, visit Slate Auto's website and online configurator. Some details are based on early reports; verify with Slate Auto for current information.

[carcraft]

Well it might measure at 6 feet x 3 feet but identifies as 4x8… :)

[HartleyMBaldwin]

I’ve tried that sort of thing when I was young and single. The girls don’t fall for it.

[knarf]

What would a similar 4,6 or 8 cylinder gas cost?

Hank was right as long as it was in black.

Automotives come full circle.

[9YearLurker]

It’s an Amazon basic.

And can’t compare it to a gas truck that could last for a couple hundred thousand miles.

The battery will probably equal its replacement cost when it is done.

[subterfuge]

Dumpster with a cab.

[drwoof]

Agreed. While not exactly my cup of tea, four-cylinder turbocharged engines are really quite something these days. Thinking something like the very basic/stark mini Datsun pickups from the ‘70’s (!!!) with some limited modern features (disc brakes, good tires, some safety stuff, A/C, and a decent stereo) that gets 35+ mpg just might be very popular. I own a ‘24 Chevy, and the tech on it at times overwhelms me.

[carcraft]

Yes,we have all been there

[Omnivore-Dan]

We have a geothermal heating and cooling system. It works beautifully and economically. We also have a large Vermont Casting wood stove and burn a couple cords of firewood each fall, winter and early spring. So our heating and cooling costs are pretty low. What I would like to do is a bank of solar panels which would charge batteries capable of powering the house for a few days since we have a lot of power failures here in north western N.J. All of our ash trees are dead (ash borers) and falling across power lines when a typical thunderstorm hits, and power is out, could be for a few hours or days. Gas powered generators are ok for a while, but get old soon. A whole house generator (Generac) is costly for the time you need it. We have a couple acres so we don’t have to have roof mounted solar. I haven’t researched all of the costs yet, but I’ll get there eventually.

[OKSooner]

Yeah, a sort of “Soviet” aesthetician, kinda like the Wal-Mart market...

[Vaduz]

It is the bare minimum of what a modern car can be but great anti theft device hand crank windows few know how to operate them.