Slate Reveals Modular Electric Pickup Truck, SUV Priced Under $20,000 After Tax Credits
- Competes with: Ford Maverick, Hyundai Santa Cruz, the nigh-impassable gauntlet of fundraising and regulatory hurdles facing all startup automakers
- Looks like: A first-gen Ford Ranger
- Powertrain: 201-horsepower electric motor; 52.7- or 84.3-kilowatt-hour battery; rear-wheel drive
- Release date: 2026
Lordstown, Bollinger, Canoo — recent history is littered with failed electric-truck startups that nobody will bother to record when the longer timelines are written. And now here comes Slate, another one “founded on a disruptive business model” and beating the made-in-America drum, with production to take place at an unspecified “reindustrialized factory” somewhere in the Midwest.
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If the upstart automaker is to realize anywhere near the staying power of its namesake rock, it will be because of two qualities sorely lacking in today’s car market: simplicity and affordability. Over 2 feet shorter than a Ford Maverick, the Slate is a compact electric pickup truck that will be available solely with a single motor and rear-wheel drive. That motor puts out 201 horsepower and 195 pounds-feet of torque, for a relaxed 0-to-60-mph acceleration of a claimed eight seconds. But those humble specs enable one hugely appealing figure: a base price less than $20,000 (after federal EV tax credit incentives, that is).
Oops, I Wanted the SUV
Slate’s other unique selling point is a degree of customization beyond that enjoyed by nearly any other product outside of a Bentley or Rolls-Royce showroom. It starts with flat-pack kits to convert the basic two-seat pickup into a five-seat SUV, with either a traditional roofline or a vogue coupelike slantback. (The doors and rear roof panel can be removed from both.) In addition to bodywork and the seats, the kits include a roll cage and airbags and are designed so that they may be installed by the owner at any time after the vehicle is purchased.
The company promises personalization options well beyond merely the fundamental configuration of the vehicle. Slate is short for Blank Slate, with the startup set to offer an assortment of more than 100 accessories, including wheels and tires, exterior lighting arrangements and interior trim pieces. The company name is also the only color available — every truck will leave the factory painted Slate Gray, but the brand will also sell a lineup of wraps to be applied by professionals including an “upcoming national partnership” of more than 2,500 service centers or at home by do-it-yourself buyers. Slate also plans to support owners with a library of instructional videos for maintenance and installation of accessories to be called Slate University.
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Redefining ‘Base’
That sub-$20,000 base price is after federal tax incentives, which would still be quite an accomplishment considering the Maverick starts north of $27,000 and the only EV currently on sale for less than $30,000 is the Nissan Leaf. To keep costs down, the Slate resets the current understanding of an entry-level vehicle, with crank windows and no infotainment system, just a pair of universal mounts for a smartphone and a Bluetooth speaker. (A pair of integrated speakers will be available.) Still, Slate says the truck will include standard forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking.
With the standard 52.7-kilowatt-hour battery, the Slate is targeting an EPA-rated range of 150 miles; an optional 84.3-kWh pack is expected to boost range to 240 miles. (For comparison, the Leaf gets an EPA-rated 149-212 miles on a charge.) A Tesla-style North American Charging Standard port is included, and a Combined Charging Standard adapter is available to widen charging options. Slate says the truck’s standard-range battery will fully charge in less than eight hours on a Level 2 charger like most EV owners install at home; capable of accepting up to 120 kilowatts, it can charge from 20%-80% in around 30 minutes on a DC fast charger.
What Are the Slate Truck’s Dimensions and Towing Capacity?
Despite the truck’s tidy footprint, the Slate’s cab offers about the same interior volume as the front seat of a base Maverick. At just 80.5 cubic feet, however, the SUV body is about 10% less roomy than a Nissan Versa. Maybe just stick to the pickup.
Beyond simply its size, the Slate makes the most sense in its base form. The company says it’s able to handle payloads of up to 1,433 pounds — competitive with the Maverick’s 1,500 — though its towing capacity is a piddling 1,000 pounds, half of the Maverick’s base rating and 3,000 pounds less than the Ford can manage with the optional towing package.
But every vehicle makes compromises. Particularly given the paucity of affordable new cars today, as well as a volatile used market, there is a definite need for vehicles in the Slate’s anticipated price range. If crank windows, steel wheels and a slightly lower payload capacity than a Maverick are what it takes to make not just a truck, but any vehicle accessible, maybe there’s a place for Slate. The company plans to have vehicles available for test drives sometime in 2026, with sales to start after that.
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