- U.S. electric vehicle startup, Slate, which has already raised over $111 million so far, including from Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos, has revealed its electric pickup truck.
- With a fully modular design, customers will be able to specify endless configurations from the factory, including an SUV conversion to add more seats.
- With Slate claiming a U.S. starting price below $20,000 after federal incentives, the Slate would become the cheapest utilitarian EV available in the country.
The U.S. is set to receive its cheapest electric pickup truck yet
To achieve this remarkably low price, there are a number of no-frills aspects on this new EV. Electrically operated windows have been swapped in favour of the hand-cranked variety, while on-board infotainment systems are kept to a minimum — with a mount instead installed in the dashboard as an alternative, which can fit both phones and larger tablets. Built-in audio speakers will be an optional extra too, with Slate suggesting drivers could bring their ‘own favourite portable speaker’ to make up for this. Other aspects such as floor mats are also an optional extra. On the safety aspect it seems no expense has been spared, however, with Slate saying its EV is designed to achieve a full 5/5 stars in the USNCAP crash rating tests.
The Slate will come in one electric motor configuration, specifically a rear-mounted 201 horsepower motor. Standard range will stand at 150 miles, though buyers will have the option of upgrading to a larger battery pack, increasing the maximum range to a projected 240 miles.
With the wide variety of customisation options, the Slate is likely to be popular with not just consumers looking for a rugged and utilitarian EV, but also for company fleets and tradespeople who need a dependable workhorse. Slate is targeting a maximum bed payload of 1,400 lbs (635 kg) and a maximum towing capacity of 1,000 lbs (435 kg). All Slate EVs will be constructed in the Midwest.
There are no exact details on pricing yet, but Slate claims its EV will begin below $20,000, once federal EV incentives are taking into consideration. While the Slate’s price point clearly suggests that there could be huge consumer demand for this product, offering the same rugged EV image as models like the Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck for a fraction of the price, it historically hasn’t been easy for some American EV startups. While Lucid Motors, Rivian, and Tesla can all be counted as success stories for now, there are still several examples of American OEMs that have gone the other way: with Canoo and Fisker being clear examples. The Slate has the potential to be a strong seller in a country which has effectively banished low-price EVs from countries like China.
You can see the number of different Slate EV configurations for yourself, here.
