The Slate Truck is an upcoming 2-door battery-electric compact pickup truck to be manufactured by Slate Auto. The model was revealed on April 24, 2025.[2]
Overview
The Slate Truck is an electric pickup truck made to be bare-bones and is designed to be customizable. The starting price is under $28,000, and was advertised as being under $20,000 after electric vehicle purchase incentives, which would have made it one of the cheapest EVs in the United States when sales commence in 2026.[3] After the One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminated federal subsidies for EVs, Slate Auto stopped advertising that its truck would have a net price of under $20,000.[4]
Powertrain
The Slate Truck uses a single rear-mounted motor producing 201 hp and 195 lbft of torque. Two battery sizes are available: a 52.7kWh battery, providing an estimated 150 mi of range, and an 84.3kWh battery, with an estimated 240 mi of range.[5] Both batteries are built by SK On and use a NMC chemistry.[6]
MacPherson struts are used for the front suspension while a de Dion axle with coil springs is used in the rear axle.
Features
The Slate Truck's base configuration, called the "Blank Slate", does not include an infotainment system, speakers, or power windows. All units are produced with the same unpainted gray polypropylene exterior, with vinyl wraps as the only offered way to change the exterior color.[7] A smartphone mount is standard, and a tablet mount is optional. The Blank Slate configuration has fabric armrests and physical climate control knobs. The company plans to offer a large number of accessories for professional or DIY installation.[8]
Unlike most vehicles sold in the United States, the Slate Truck is not expected to have any in-car entertainment system; instead, customers are expected to use their own mobile device for audio streaming, navigation, and over-the-air updates for their trucks.[9] The vehicle will have a small driver information screen.[7]
Bodystyles
All Slate Truck models will be produced as pickup trucks. The company will offer accessories to convert the vehicle into a 5-seat SUV with a traditional squared-off roof or a fastback roof.[10]
Partnerships
In October of 2025, Slate Auto announced a partnership with RepairPal, a network of certified auto repair shops across the U.S., to give owners access to 4,000 service points from day one.[11]
Reactions
In May 2025, Slate said that it had accepted 100,000 refundable reservations for its truck in the three weeks since it was unveiled, compared with 250,000 reservations for the Tesla Cybertruck in its first week, and 68,000 reservations for the Rivian R2 within 24 hours of its announcement.[12] A reservation required a $50 deposit.[7]
Tim Stevens of The Verge noted that other EV startups, including Fisker Automotive, Vinfast, and Faraday Future, had struggled financially or failed; Jeremy Snyder, Slate's chief commercial officer, said that the company expects to reach cash flow positivity "very shortly after the start of production."[8] A Yahoo! Autos article stated that, for buyers who want an EV truck without the luxury price tag, the Bezos-backed Slate could be a game-changer vs. the Cybertruck.[13]
In February of 2026, Jay Leno drove the Slate Truck on Jay Leno's Garage, stating that the Slate Truck "is able to do what a lot of electric vehicles can do, just for half the price.”[14]
External links
References
- Tim Stevens. Slate Auto confirms where it’ll build its $20,000 Truck The Verge, Apr 29, 2025, retrieved Apr 29, 2025^
- Daniel Golson. Slate Auto Unveils Refreshingly Simple And Small Two-Seat Electric Truck Designed To Be Customized, Starting Under $27,500 jalopnik.com, Apr 25, 2025^
- Greg Fink. 2027 Slate Truck EV Will Be Very Customizable, Priced Under $28,000 caranddriver.com, Apr 24, 2025^
- Sean O'Kane. Slate Auto drops 'under $20,000' pricing after Trump administration ends federal EV tax credit TechCrunch, 2025-07-03, retrieved 2025-07-19^
- Alex Leanse. 2027 Slate Truck First Look: The $27,000 Pickup Ready for DIY Dreams motortrend.com, April 24, 2025^
- Tim Levin. Why The Slate Truck Doesn’t Use LFP Batteries InsideEVs, Apr 27, 2025, retrieved Apr 30, 2025^
- Michael Wayland. Slate Auto: Inside the EV startup, stealth production facility backed by Jeff Bezos CNBC, 2025-06-07, retrieved 2025-06-09^
- Tim Stevens. The $20,000 American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, and no touchscreen theverge.com, April 24, 2025^
- Tim Levin. Slate's Affordable EV Truck Has No Screen, Uses Your Phone For Updates InsideEVs, Apr 24, 2025, retrieved April 25, 2025^
- Steve Dent. Slate Auto unveils its US-made barebones electric pickup costing just $20,000 engadget.com, April 25, 2025^
- Eileen Falkenberg-Hull. Slate Lays Out Plans for 4,000 Service Providers from Day One Newsweek, October 28, 2025, retrieved 2025-10-30^
- Dominick Reuter. The 'anti-Cybertruck' Slate EV appears off to a strong start Business Insider, May 14, 2025, retrieved May 18, 2025^
- Gabrielle Olya. Jeff Bezos’ $25K EV Truck vs. Tesla Cybertruck: Which Is the Better Buy? Yahoo! Autos, Oct 22, 2025, retrieved October 18, 2025^
- Mark Vaughn. Jay Leno Is First To Drive The Slate Truck. So What Did He Think? Autoweek, February 5, 2026, retrieved February 26, 2026^