How We'd Spec It: Slate's Customizable, Sub-$28,000 Electric Truck

Slate, a new automotive startup, burst onto the scene last week with a tiny electric truck that the company claims will start “just under” $27,500. That would make the Slate Truck the most affordable pickup on the market, but Slate is banking on the current $7500 federal EV tax credit to drop the price to just under $20,000. If that happens, this EV would become an unrivaled bargain, although Slate is assuming—or more likely praying—that the tax credit is still around when Slate deliveries get underway in late 2026. To keep the price that low, Slate eliminated many modern fripperies, with the truck lacking standard features such as a center touchscreen, sound system, and power windows. It also features unpainted composite body panels. Still, Slate will offer a vast list of accessories so that customers can personalize their truck and add any contemporary amenities they want. The Slate Truck’s online configurator has countless options, so we started playing around with it to see what different looks we could cook up. Unfortunately, there are no official prices yet, so we don’t actually know how much we’re inflating the Slate’s low base price with our ideal builds.Austin Irwin’s Jungle Gem Slate TruckSlateSlateI really want a Ford Bronco. ‘Problem is, I’m too honest to steal one and too broke to buy my own. So here’s this: Slate’s Jungle Gem vinyl wrap was as close to the Everglade’s Eruption Green—the best Bronco color—as I could get. Slate will even wrap just the front bumper cover gray, to make it look even closer to a Bronco, but you know what’s missing? Well, a lot is missing. It’s missing a snorkel, Warn winch, 35-inch tires, locking differentials, and G.O.A.T drive modes. And, real goats. But you can add a lift. Just select “lift.” There are no details about how tall or by what means it’s been lifted. Just “lift.” Another mystery: when you select “fender flares,” the front and rear track appear to widen. The 17-inch all-terrain tires give it that “I’ve shopped at REI this month” look. Hey man, a real two-door Bronco starts just shy of $40K, hopefully the Slate doesn’t get close to that with just a vinyl wrap, optional interior speakers, and a “lift.” —Austin IrwinJack Fitzgerald’s Light Blue Slate TruckSlateSlateSlate, much like the shoe brand Crocs, is all about offering options to fit your life and showcase your style. And since I’ve never owned a pair of Crocs in my life (yes, I feel that I’m better than you for it), I’ve never been able to express myself through Crocs’ Jibbitz slap-ons. Thanks to the “Slatelets” I stuck to the dash, I feel seen for the first time in my life. Now all of my passengers will know I drive a Slate and that it has crank windows!As for the meat and potatoes of my build, I went for something akin to a street truck. My truck is finished in a custom light blue with silver and Magma accents. I optioned the upgraded front and rear bumpers, the 17-inch silver wheels, and the lowering kit. I also added fog lights to the front and upgraded the taillights at the back. Inside, I kept the orange theme going with the “Throwback” decal on the door and a Magma accent across the dashboard. Rather than spending needlessly on a bunch of black accents, I stuck to the stock gray coloring throughout most of the interior. Rubber floor mats should protect the truck, and the optional tablet holder will give me ample screen real estate. Sure, Slate offers a B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Speaker) mount as an optional extra, but a few years of driving around in an ML320 without a radio turned me into a pro at rocking the Bluetooth speaker in the car life. I wonder if there’s a Slatelet for that. —Jack FitzgeraldCaleb Miller’s Jungle Gem Slate TruckSlateSlateThe promise of a $20,000 truck after the tax credit is appealing, but as much as I wanted to keep things simple, the lengthy list of customization options was too enticing. I started out with the Fastback SUV body kit, which gives the Slate a hint of Lancia Delta Integrale. Sticking with the retro look, I chose a partial wrap called “Snow Dog” that coats the lower half of the truck in white, before choosing a Jungle Gem wrap for the upper section.To round out the color palette, I selected a decal called “The Throwback,” consisting of a series of old-school red/orange/yellow stripes along the side of the body. I also added Magma accents on the rocker panel, exterior side mirrors, and front air ducts. Of course, I matched the Slate logo in Magma too. To make the teensy-weensy truck look tougher, I selected the beefier front bumper, black plastic fender flares, and the roof track. I also added a lift kit and 17-inch all-terrain tires, and while I retained the standard steel wheels, I injected some retro pizzazz with a matching decal on the wheels.I continued the theme inside with the same decal on the doors and a mix of brown and green for the door panels, dashboard, and center armrest. I also added Magma accents on the window crank handle and dashboard and chose bronze accents for the steering wheel controls and AC vents. A “Slatelet” (a small badge on the dashboard) with a depiction of a Michigan robin serves as a little ode to Car and Driver’s home.I passed on the interior niceties, sticking with rubber floor mats and crank windows. I also skipped the tablet mount—my phone will have to do—and the portable speaker mount—my JBL speaker can sit on the passenger seat while blaring Fetty Wap. —Caleb MillerEric Stafford’s Magma Mania Slate TruckSlateSlateSlate’s modular EV might as well be a rolling Lego kit. And the company’s online configurator enables so much customization that it makes building a Rolls-Royce feel restrictive. Unfortunately, while Slate says the base model will start at about $27,500 (before any federal tax incentives, which the Trump administration wants to nix), there’s currently no mention of how much the myriad add-ons will add onto the EV’s sticker price. With that said, when building my ideal Slate, I acted like my wife with a credit card and entirely disregarded any cost concerns.I chose the SUV body style because I’m definitely gonna Uber on the side with my Slate. I was smitten with the brand’s prescribed Magma exterior accents, especially on the rad aero-style 20-inch wheels, so I went for a Magma-mania look and made a custom body wrap to match. A set of all-terrain tires, a hiked-up ride height, and upgraded fog lights should better help my Slate survive light off-roading. I also dig the two-tone look, so to match the mandatory black lower body trim, I opted for the “Blacktop” kit. The roof-mounted cargo rack with a Nissan Xterra-style air dam is useful and looks cool; the same goes for the rear-mounted spare tire. I also transformed the ute’s interior from drab to fabulous, exercising little restraint by picking most options—specifically overdosing on green-and-brown surfaces. Notice I stuck with the quaint crank windows and easy-to-clean rubber flooring, and I joyfully avoided the tablet mount because I love new cars with as little screen acreage as possible. Basically, the standard smartphone mount means my Slate SUV has wireless Android Auto. I also opted for all the available speakers, though I’m not particularly optimistic about the Bluetooth-powered system’s sound quality. What’s the price penalty for all these options? Probably too much, but damn this thing looks awesome! —Eric StaffordMore on the Slate TruckCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan.
Source: caranddriver.com