- The Slate Truck is a bare-bones EV that’s expected to cost a little under $27,500, which can drop to less than $20,000 with the federal EV tax credit included.
- An available accessory package allows buyers to turn the Slate into an SUV.
- Deliveries are due to start at the end of 2026 from a repurposed plant in the U.S. Midwest, with the entry model packing a manufacturer-estimated driving range of around 150 miles.
Nascent automaker Slate is putting a lot of faith in the federal EV tax credit sticking around, because with the $7500 subsidy, the company’s battery-electric 2027 Truck will cost consumers a little less than $20,000. Even without that, the Slate Truck will retail for just under $27,500. Slate’s history goes back to 2022, when it started as a project within Re:Build, a manufacturing conglomerate founded by Jeff Wilke, the former CEO of Amazon’s worldwide consumer business, and Miles Arnone, co-founder of Cannon Capital and current Re:Build CEO. In 2023, Slate secured more than $111 million in funding from 16 investors, one of which was reportedly Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.This is a bare-bones pickup optimized for manufacturing and cost efficiency. To achieve that aim, Slate ditched most convenience features from the Truck. Apart from its digital gauge cluster that also serves as the rearview camera display, power locks, cruise control, and a forward-collision-warning system with automated emergency braking, the Truck offers little in the way of luxuries.Roll-down windows come standard, as do manually adjustable rearview mirrors. An audio or infotainment system is noticeably missing, too. Instead, your cellphone or tablet serves these functions, with a dock for the former included and one for the latter available as an optional accessory. Better like the sound coming out from your phone or tablet’s speakers, too, because the Slate lacks speakers, though the brand’s accessory division will gladly hook you up with a set.Access to AccessoriesAccessories are the crux of Slate, with the high-margin parts giving buyers the chance to modify the Truck to their personal and budgetary needs. The brand claims more than 100 accessory items will be available when deliveries of the Truck begin at the end of 2026, ranging from power windows to a 2.0-inch lift and 1.0-inch lowering kit, to even an SUV kit, which adds a roof panel over the Truck’s stubby bed, and a three-across rear bench seat, roll bar, and airbags aft of the cab. Sorry, Subaru BRAT fans; the kit’s designed so that the rear bench can only be installed if the roll bar is already in place. Adding accessories is a largely DIY affair. That said, Slate intends to have a network of approved service centers that can do the work for customers who are more of the YDIFM (you do it for me) variety.Blank SlateEvery Slate Truck that leaves the automaker’s yet-to-be disclosed Midwest plant (which the company describes as a “reindustrialized factory”) will be almost identical to every other. The lone exception? The battery pack. The company allows customers to shun the standard 47-kWh (net) pack for an accessory unit with a capacity of approximately 75 kWh (net). Expect Slate to charge a decent chunk of change for the larger-capacity pack, which the company estimates will net the Truck a driving range of 240 miles on a full charge. Regardless of capacity, Slate claims the optional battery choices have maximum charging speeds of 120 kW. Additionally, the Truck wears unpainted gray composite body panels to keep manufacturing costs down by forgoing a factory paint shop. Those looking for a Truck with a bit more color can opt for a vinyl wrap from the accessories team. Stick with the standard 17-inch steel wheels, and the wrap options can extend to the steelies’ flat faces. Of course, the accessory team has 17- and 20-inch alloy wheels on hand for those less enthused by the standard wheels’ plebeian looks.Small SlateMeasuring 174.6 inches long, the Slate Truck casts a shadow 1.8 inches shorter than that of a Subaru Crosstrek. Along with standard seating for two, the Truck offers a sizable 7.0-cubic-foot front trunk and a five-foot bed aft of the single cab. In comparison, the $28,590 Ford Maverick’s box measures almost half a foot shorter. While the 1000-pound towing capacity of the Slate is half that of the compact Ford pickup’s weakest rating, its 1433-pound payload comes in just 67 pounds short of the Maverick’s best. Power comes courtesy of a lone rear-mounted motor. With 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque, the 3600-pound Truck ought to hit 60 mph in a manufacturer-estimated 8.0 seconds. Opting for the large-capacity battery adds 302 pounds to the bottom line, a sum that ought to add a tick or two to the Truck’s trot to 60 mph and will almost certainly cut into the base model’s payload rating. Install the SUV kit, and the Truck’s weight goes up by 120 pounds.For now, Slate has no plans to offer the Truck with an additional motor at the front end to support all-wheel drive. A shame if you ask us, because the little pickup looks ready to take to the trails when fitted with the accessory lift kit and all-terrain tires.Better Slate Than Never?Taken at face value, the Slate Truck strikes us as just a little too expensive for what it offers. Even though its sub-$27,500 price tag undercuts that of today’s most affordable EV, the $29,280 Nissan Leaf S, the Slate’s barren standard equipment list will likely make it a hard sell for someone more interested in an EV than a pickup. Those in search of a compact pickup, meanwhile, may find more to like in the slightly pricier five-passenger Ford Maverick.Yet, factor in the savings from the federal EV tax credit, and these criticisms hold less weight. Though it may be short on frills, the Truck promises to offer a compelling combination of versatility and personalization in a compact battery-powered package. Short of the $18,330 Nissan Versa S, nothing else on the market today comes anywhere near the Slate’s tax-credit-applied price. Add in state EV incentives, such as the $3500 Colorado offers, and some buyers may manage to nab a Slate Truck for less than $16,500. Saving MoneyDespite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg’s career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend.
Source: caranddriver.com
