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Slate Auto's Radically Simple Electric Truck Starts At $24,950 (techcrunch.com) 204

Posted by BeauHD from the just-the-basics dept.
Slate Auto says its stripped-down electric pickup will start at $24,950 before fees, with the base model's estimated range increased from 150 to about 205 miles. The company has started taking preorders on Wednesday. "The aggressive pricing -- half the average cost of a new car in the United States -- puts Slate in position to capture a share of the lowest end of the new car market, which has few gas and fewer electric options these days," reports TechCrunch. From the report: The price reveal comes more than a year after Slate Auto emerged from stealth. Since then, the company has been steadily detailing the extremely basic, transforming EV, which starts as a two-seater pickup truck, but can be modified into a five-seater SUV. The SUV version will start at $29,950, Slate said Wednesday. Slate has said the conversion can be done by professionals or by owners themselves. On Wednesday, it finally showed off some of the first of its "Slate University" how-to videos, which guide people through the steps for doing everything from the SUV conversion to adding headlight covers.

Everything else about the truck is bare, though it's customizable. It has hand-crank windows, lacks an infotainment system, and all orders start with the same gray composite material, with no paint options, as Slate plans to let buyers order customizable wraps for the vehicle. That likely helps cut out a major cost center, as factory paint shops can run in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The company did not offer more details about the buying process. Slate has said it "won't have traditional dealerships," and plans to sell directly to customers, similar to other EV companies like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid Motors.

Slate Auto's Radically Simple Electric Truck Starts At $24,950 More | Reply

Slate Auto's Radically Simple Electric Truck Starts At $24,950

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  • Pony up (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @07:10PM (#66208826)

    Everyone bitching and moaning over too much spyware and nanny electronics here is what you asked for.

    • Re:Pony up (Score:4, Informative)

      by gurps_npc ( 621217 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @07:23PM (#66208850) Homepage

      Yes, this is exactly what we wanted. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

      Note, this vehicle has all the luxury options too, they just do not come as part of packages, you can put whatever you want in it.

      Decorations (wraps instead of paint)
      Fancy lights
      roof racks
      Fancy audio gear
      fancy seats
      Tablet mounts to give you back that entertainment system

      • Re:Pony up (Score:5, Informative)

        by Sauce Tin ( 1884020 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @07:46PM (#66208904)
        Just to reiterate: There are no luxury options, you'd have to buy and install those components yourself. This is the base model.

        • 3D print and hot glue whatever you want into the Slate. We can bring back ashtrays as an option in cars again.

      • Re:Pony up (Score:5, Informative)

        by Himmy32 ( 650060 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @07:49PM (#66208916)

        this vehicle has all the luxury options too

        All would be overstating it, the "luxury items" are mostly just decorative. Electric windows, electric adjustable rearview mirrors, heated seats, heated steering wheel, smart cruise control, lane change notification/assistance, automated parking, sun roof or a whole bevy of what people might consider luxury features are not available.

        But it's not lacking in some "luxury" lighting and visual doodads that seem inspired by MTV's Pimp My Ride though.

        After having a GMC S15 in the 90's that I loved, I was hoping for decent small electric pickup. Some amount of barebones I could handle like the tablet over an infotainment unit, but it's a couple steps past barebones.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by batkiwi ( 137781 )

          Wait, no electric windows? That's not a luxury feature since the late 90s.

          I like the idea of this (here in Australia there's no inexpensive EV utes), but that's a step too far.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by ceoyoyo ( 59147 )

          You must have had an awfully fancy truck in the 90s if the lack of anything on that list of "luxury items" is holding you back.

          My grandmother bought a car with power windows in the 90s. My father thought it was silly. I had one friend who would probably have paid $20 for a working gas gauge in her truck though.

          • You must have had an awfully fancy truck in the 90s if the lack of anything on that list of "luxury items" is holding you back.

            My grandmother bought a car with power windows in the 90s. My father thought it was silly. I had one friend who would probably have paid $20 for a working gas gauge in her truck though.

            I was happy when I replaced my used '69 VW Beetle and my newer used car had separate turn indicators instead of the single "<=>". :-)

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Himmy32 ( 650060 )

            Two separate points in there:

            1. That the previous poster claim that it has "all the luxury options", which clearly it doesn't.

            2. I developed a liking for small trucks in the 90's with driving a rust bucket when I was young and poor. Because of that fondness that I'd like a modern electric small truck, but the options are slim. I was hoping that the Slate Truck would meet my needs but it's too barebones. Northern winters are a little too chilly to be sticking my hand out the window to adjust the rearview mir

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by haruchai ( 17472 )

              "Northern winters are a little too chilly to be sticking my hand out the window to adjust the rearview mirror"
              one of the worst Xmas trips of my life was my father & i traveling 300 miles in his VW Beetle when the heat stopped working less than 100 miles from our starting point.
              We spent a lot of the trip there AND BACK with the windows open to try to keep the windshield and mirrors clear. I really hated that car but his next 2 were probably worse.

            • Northern winters are a little too chilly to be sticking my hand out the window to adjust the rearview mirror

              How thin are your gloves??

            • Northern winters are a little too chilly to be sticking my hand out the window to adjust the rearview mirror.

              How often do you adjust your side mirrors? For me, it's once and then leave it there the rest of the life.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          How much did your GMC cost, adjusted for inflation?

      • Tablet mounts to give you back that entertainment system

        Which is always going to look jankier than if they'd actually provided something like an actual Double DIN mounting location in the first place. You can get generic Chinese Android head units for around $100 all day long and here's the surprising part - they're actually not that bad. I installed one in my old ICE work van (after becoming accustomed to having CarPlay in my Chevy Bolt) and honestly my only complaint is that it could stand to go a little louder.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Some people have commented on the 120kW charging, but it's actually plenty for most people. By the time you have had a coffee it will be ready for the next leg of the journey.

    • Everyone bitching and moaning over too much spyware and nanny electronics here is what you asked for.

      You call it "bitching and moaning". Does that mean that you're happy about "spyware and nanny electronics" being rammed up your backdoor, or that you're merely passive and acquiescent?

      • Re:Pony up (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Barsteward ( 969998 ) on Thursday June 25, 2026 @04:52AM (#66209426)
        So funny to see people bitching about spyware when they carry a smartphone everywhere, do online shopping, use credit cards etc.

        • So funny to see people bitching about spyware when they carry a smartphone everywhere, do online shopping, use credit cards etc.

          1. You sure these are the same people? There are LOTS of people in the world, some people complain about spyware AND either don't carry a phone, or carry a dumbphone or run Graphene or something similar.

          2. Online shopping and credit card usage can be limited; one can buy their laundry detergent on Amazon with an Amex and still pay for their kink toys in person with cash. One need not opt out of the surveillance tradeoff EVERYWHERE to still desire a means of making private purchases in certain cases.

          3. Most

    • Says the AC hiding his/her identity.

    • "Everyone bitching and moaning "
      who is this everyone? all i see is a preorder link, zero reviews, basically a "kick starter"

    • Yep (Score:2)

      by abulafia ( 7826 )
      Waiting to see that they can actually ship and I will be a customer. This looks great to me.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by evanh ( 627108 )

      Got my attention. I hate how electric windows stop working when ignition is off.

    • EXACTLY! This might actually get me into an electric, but it's actually about the simplicity. I would still prefer gas as it would fit my use a bit more, but I might be able to make the 200 mile range work. I have been telling my wife my next new car will probably be 60 years old, but there's a very real possibility I will buy one of these instead.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by CEC-P ( 10248912 )
      My dude. Jeff Bezos made it and you think it's not full of tracking and remote backdoors?

  • I love this (Score:3, Insightful)

    by karmawarrior ( 311177 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @07:26PM (#66208864) Journal

    About the only negative I see is the 2000lb towing capacity. Whether that matters or not is whether you'd actually buy a pick-up/SUV for towing boats and trailers. Otherwise it's a very inexpensive vehicle with a huge amount of utility that'll work as a commuter vehicle for 99% of the population.

    Insert that jackass here who always insists that nobody should be allowed to build or buy such a vehicle because it can't drive across the entire country without recharging and needs to be able to carry 15 sheets of dry wall, a fridge, and a large family at the same time. (Most US families are two car - this'll work perfectly for the person who needs to commute to work, with the other being a minivan.)

    • Re:I love this (Score:4, Interesting)

      by jenningsthecat ( 1525947 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @07:59PM (#66208934)

      I also love it. The ability to reconfigure the vehicle as needs and desires change is awesome. If this takes off - and I really hope it does - then it may also be really good for the environment.

      A lot of people buy new vehicles not because the old ones are in rough shape, but because requirements change. It sounds as though these cars have something in common with houses: they can be 'renovated' as needed, and even enlarged within limits. And the whole design approach is just begging for modder communities releasing NC or FDM designs to customize your vehicle.

      I might have been a bit starry-eyed regarding the aftermarket mods; but it would be really cool...

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by rta ( 559125 )

        I like their approach to customization and upgradability, but like with Framework laptops, you're gonna pay a premium up front for what you get because it's a small company. Like the base 2027 Chevy Bolt has more range and features for practically the same price. Though also it's literally cancelled after 1 model year since, w/o the Biden era CAFE requirements and rebates, it appears to be a money loser for Chevy so it got axed.

        Re the Slate, some very important things are fixed:
        2wd only
        2 door.
        mid batt

      • A lot of people buy new vehicles not because the old ones are in rough shape, but because requirements change

        I think it is more common for people to buy a vehicle that will fulfill everything they may need to do for the life of the vehicle. That's why overlarge vehicles are so popular here, because no one wants to pay $50 if they happen to need a couple sheets of drywall delivered.

    • Re:I love this (Score:4, Insightful)

      by PPH ( 736903 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @08:17PM (#66208956)

      nobody should be allowed to build or buy such a vehicle because it can't drive across the entire country without recharging

      This looks like it will fit the same market as JDM Kei trucks. Local delivers, etc. Which is OK, because there's a pretty decent sized market for those. They also serve quite well as daily driver second cars. You don't have to feel guilty about driving one putting around town with an empty bed.

      Now if only we could get businesses to buy these for their project foremen. Instead of F350 Super Duty crew cabs that will never see more than a roll of blueprints and a hard hat.

      • You will need to fix the tax code and CAFE for that. They will continue buying F350s as long as they can write them off on their taxes.

        Isn't interesting to ponder what the market would look like if tax policy encouraged them buying efficient vehicles instead of encouraging them to buy the least efficient and most dangerous ones?

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by PPH ( 736903 )

          You will need to fix the tax code and CAFE for that.

          The tax code, yes. I don't know how you'd 'fix' CAFE without an outright ban on tractor-trailer combinations. Which would starve the big cities. Your food has to get there somehow.

          The tax code can easily be fixed. Just stop differentiating between truck sizes. You can't keep chasing after bigger trucks with higher taxes. Because eventually you have to exempt the vehicles needed to feed the people. And the taxes are so repulsive to any business that they will always buy over the tax cap. Just remove size cl

    • I'm in to it. I don't have the spare cash to risk buying a version 1.0 Maybe in a couple years.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by necro81 ( 917438 )

      Otherwise it's a very inexpensive vehicle with a huge amount of utility that'll work as a commuter vehicle for 99% of the population.

      I love this as a new option in the market, and hope it does well. That said, I've never understood the notion of using a pickup truck as a commuter car. Pickups are about as inefficient a body shape as there can be and, until recently anyway, not renowned for comfort or easy cruising - why would anyone choose that for the vast majority of their mileage?

  • I really like the idea of the Slate truck, especially with the extended battery they once mentioned.

    My biggest concern of course is after you add the options to make the truck sort of comfortable, you'll end up back at a price point that isn't impressive anymore. For instance, I'm really not interested in hand-cranking my windows. I hated it in the 90s and nothing has changed since then. No infortainment is fine by me though. I already use my phone with mp3s connected via bluetooth for my music. Of course,

    • Re:I love the idea of the Slate but price concerns (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Sauce Tin ( 1884020 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @07:54PM (#66208924)
      There is a market segment of people who only want to buy what they need. There's also individuals who just can't afford anything more, but still want a truck. So, many people would take $10-15k off the sticker price of a new vehicle for the mild inconvenience of hand-crank windows or non-leather seats.

      • That's a good point. Also, from the sounds of this, you can do a lot of the upgrades yourself. This means you could progressively upgrade the vehicle instead of having to buy it all at once. So yeah, a base model out the door for less then 30k is pretty awesome. Then you just add stuff as you save up your money for upgrades.

        I'm excited it exist and hope it really works out because I could very easily see myself getting this vehicle in a few years once my current car starts reaching replacement age. I still

    • Customization more important than price (Score:4, Insightful)

      by Somervillain ( 4719341 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @08:16PM (#66208952)

      p>My biggest concern of course is after you add the options to make the truck sort of comfortable, you'll end up back at a price point that isn't impressive anymore. For instance, I'm really not interested in hand-cranking my windows. I hated it in the 90s and nothing has changed since then. No infortainment is fine by me though. I already use my phone with mp3s connected via bluetooth for my music. Of course, having more then one single speaker will be nice.

      No idea about the seats either. Basically, after upgrading a half dozen things, expect the price to be closer to 35 or 40 before fees.

      But I do love the concept. Once the early adopters get in their and really show us all about it, I might consider buying one in a few years. Of course, if someone else wants to come out with a small truck EV or ICE, I'm listening.

      Half the point of this vehicle is you can make it your own. These are supposed to be as customizable as a desktop computer and that's very exciting. If you could get Toyota-level reliability (and yes, I know they're new to EVs) and this level of customization, I would be willing to pay a little more for a Slate than a Toyota. Imagine cheap repairs! Imagine buying a Slate truck and converting it to an SUV or back for a few k? Imagine being able to easily upgrade and replace parts on your own? Yeah...some skilled individuals can do that themselves with a Toyota, but it's an adventure, to say the least. Imagine some jackass hits your car in a parking and damages the tail light....and you can buy the part for cheap and replace it yourself...with beginner-friendly instructions?

      Or, if you aren't into customization, quite simply, imagine a second car that cheap that's not your daily use vehicle, but the one for your kids or if you live within good public transportation, the one you take when you or your wife both need the car at the same time? I don't care if my kids have to roll down windows by hand!

      • Re:Customization more important than price (Score:4, Interesting)

        by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @09:58PM (#66209088) Homepage Journal

        These are not actually going to be much more customizable than other vehicles. The sole exception is in the infotainment department, where virtually all modern vehicles have some big overwrought thing that you probably don't want because it sucks, or it will in the future — which will affect you if you're the kind of person who keeps a vehicle. But if you are, the auto industry hates you.

        A vehicle being "designed" to be customized is really entirely irrelevant because all of the same work has to be done in order to do that customization. There are "upfitter guides" for all of the vehicles you'd commonly expect to customize, especially vans and pickups, which help with that. I've used these to aid in doing solar installs in RV conversions. That is, any pickup you'd buy is already designed to be customized.

        In order for there to be a significant aftermarket for parts for a vehicle, those vehicles have to be numerous. Then companies find it worthwhile to make seat install kits and such. Such things aren't generally complicated, so the modularity is really very overblown overall.

        I do think the Slate concept has legs, but it's in the low price and ease of repair areas, and not at all in the customization department, which simply doesn't matter.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        We shall see how repairable it is, but some EVs are easier to maintain that fossils. The Nissan Leaf is like that. For all its flaws, it's a simple design that isn't hard to work on. Even swapping the battery is something you can do on your driveway with a bit of effort. Maintenance and repairs are easy to do yourself, and there isn't all that much to do.

        It would be great if this truck was like that too.

  • Ford Maverick (Score:3, Interesting)

    by ThurstonMoore ( 605470 ) on Wednesday June 24, 2026 @09:04PM (#66209032)

    The Ford Maverick for $3000/4000 more depending on engine configuration, turbo vs hybrid, makes this a pretty tough sell to me. I know its not electric but Mavericks are fuel efficient vehicles.

    • I know its not electric but Mavericks are fuel efficient vehicles.

      Even with gas prices being what they currently are, the truck buying demographic tends to heavily lean towards having an ICE as a feature. Plus, it really only makes sense to have an EV if you can charge at home. DCFC is incredibly expensive, and with data centers sucking up all the electricity on the grid, it's probably going to get worse.

      I say this as someone who has two EVs in his household. You really, really don't want an EV unless you're able to do the bulk of your charging while plugged in at home

      • Indeed without the ability to slow charge an EV is not a good option (and the USA as far as I'm aware has painfully few public slow charging options, unlike Europe) . That said I agree with the demographic desires but not the reasoning for truck ICE vehicles. The weight and torque of an EV is a major plus for the kinds of activities a properly used truck is used for. It's why diesel trucks are so popular in the first place. It's just a shame that Tesla felt the need to shit the bed with their stupid cybertr

      • You really, really don't want an EV unless you're able to do the bulk of your charging while plugged in at home.

        You - and many others - phrase that particular argument as if home charging is a "least bad" option. But it seems to me the ability to "refuel" at home is a major POSITIVE selling point for EVs! You almost never have to make a special trip just to fuel your car again!

        At least once a week I'm making a late-night trip to the gas station for either my car or my wife's car. If I don't want to do that, then I end up having to cool my heels waiting in line for the gas pump in the morning.

        The possibility of home c

        • I think you're reading too much into the parent's comment. He didn't frame anything other than price, and he's right. If all you have is DC fast charging EVs are the same if not more expensive than their ICE counterparts.

        • Why are you having so much trouble getting gas? You make it sound like you're having to dig a ditch or something. You just stop on the way to or from work once a week for 5 minutes, what's the big deal.

  • ..the bed is too small
    Trucks carry cargo

    • Trucks carry cargo

      From what I've seen, this is rarely true... unless you count grocery bags as "cargo".

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by mudimba ( 254750 )

      Too many Chevy commercials have convinced people that the only legitimate use for a truck is hauling around bales of hay and towing horse trailers. Trucks carry whatever you put in them. Some people have big cargo needs, and they shouldn't buy this truck. However, there is no shortage of people who need to carry stuff that will fit in this bed.

    • 99% of the trucks I see aren't carrying shit. Actual trade people have vans or landscapers are hauling trailers with a small dump truck.

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by necro81 ( 917438 )

      ..the bed is too small
      Trucks carry cargo

      The enduring and increasing popularity of Kei trucks [wikipedia.org] (even in the US) indicates otherwise.

  • I want one of these.
    And I have absolutely no reason to own a pickup.

    It will sit nicely with that Framework laptop I don't need and that Fairphone that won't fit in my pocket.

    Modular hardware just gives me a ... feeling.

    • It will sit nicely with that Framework laptop I don't need and that Fairphone that won't fit in my pocket.

      Fairphones are pretty normal sized in the phone market. I don't ware cargo shorts (or trousers) and yet it fits in all of my pockets, smart and casual. So I'd ask just how skinny are the jeans you're wearing.

      • It has to fit in my *back* jeans pocket and be sturdy enough to be safe there.

        No modern phablets can do that, I think about 5.5" diagonal is the safe maximum.
    • I second that emotion, but have some serious practical concerns.

      All the options are "Bolt-On", as in you can just add them during construction, or as an afterthought. In fact, each of the body panels has a bolt hole where it is secured to the frame.

      If it's so easy to add the options with a wrench, it's also easy to remove them. Park your truck in a bad neighborhood and see how fast it gets stripped.

      Also, those bolt holes are just asking for water intrusion, inviting rust and corrosion. I wonder if this
      • I hope the bolt-holes are made from non-corrosive materials.
        Maintenance is for old-timer combustion cars.
  • I knew it existed before, but I did not not they were taking real deposits until I saw the news today. I happily made the deposit. By the time I get one, sometime in 2027 or 2028, my kids will have finished killing our Subaru Forester. Mods? Maybe a small lift, if my Tesla wheels and tires won't fit the stock height. Wheel adapters for the bolt pattern. Music? Headphones. It has AC. Has RWD. A mod someday to let it peel out in corners. Could swap to better seats like cheap race seats. Useful, fu

  • It has to have a rear view camera, required by law. You might as well have a basic infotainment screen and android auto / carplay if you are going to have a screen anyway.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Junta ( 36770 )

      It uses a screen as a gauge cluster, and puts the backup camera feed there.

      They don't presume any speaker setup either, which would be a pretty key expectation of android auto in general.

      They evidently will support a double-din mount of whatever you want, so you could add that without much issue.

      Presuming reasonable access to channels to cable and mount speakers, I'm a huge fan of this facet of things.

      I would like to see a couple of integration points, steering wheel controls and EV battery state/range esti

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ack154 ( 591432 )

      There's a small screen for the driver display that shows the speed, estimated range, odometer, etc. That is the backup camera screen. But it's tiny. Maybe 5" diagonal? And the rest of the display area in front of the driver is just indicator lights (drive selection and other stuff).

  • To charge in your garage, you generally need a 2nd circuit run to your house. And that usually costs about $10,000. If people want to trickle charge off of a 1800 watt max circuit, they can, but on this vehicle you'd pick up about 27 miles give or take. Most people's commutes are longer than that. So you'd need to spend an extra 15 minutes sitting in the grocery store parking lot (in the average mid-sized city) every 3 days or so. Most people aren't willing to do that. And keep in mind how many people live

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