A New Electrical Pickup Will get Again to the Fundamentals
Automotive journalists, business insiders and buyers had been invited to Lengthy Seaside, California, for the world reveal of the all-new, all-electric Slate pickup. There was no driving the prototypes at this flashy occasion, however that didn’t squash curiosity in what could possibly be a differentiator within the EV market.
Slate Auto says the corporate has been “the most effective saved secret within the auto business.” With headquarters in Detroit, it has been slowly constructing a group of automotive veterans whereas creating a marketing strategy, securing funding, designing its pickup, constructing a producing plant and, generally, making an attempt to turn out to be the most recent all-new vehicle firm.
What’s Slate Auto?
Slate Auto started stealthily, in 2022, placing collectively all the things from scratch, which is what any start-up would do. In its case the founders had been making an attempt to do one thing no different auto producer has performed—launch with a single automobile costing lower than half the common value of a brand new automobile in 2025, which sits at about $50,000. To make the purpose, Slate mentioned the corporate and automobile are a “clear slate.”
As will be anticipated, this isn’t a reasonable enterprise. When an early investor, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, got here in for $111 million, issues bought going severely. With out his monetary position, and different large time buyers, Slate’s growth may need faltered and it’s uncertain the corporate would have rolled out its pickup this week. JP Morgan is dealing with the following funding spherical.
Ideas Revealed
Slate has not named its pickup. As a substitute, house owners get to decide on their truck’s title. Specs are on the finish of the story.
Chris Barman, CEO of Slate Auto, threw-down on the auto business, calling it—“The definition of what’s reasonably priced is damaged.” The Slate plan is to construct and supply as a lot of its parts and components as doable from American corporations. It desires customers to see the Slate pickup as American-built, customizable, reasonably priced, simplified and—the biggie—eradicate all the things that isn’t a automobile.
With a launch date about two years from now, the ideas proven may change. Due to this fact, take what we all know up to now and assume the ultimate variations shall be someplace shut in specs and capabilities. Clear Fleet Report will do information updates when extra is thought in addition to share our ideas as soon as we get some seat time.
The outside design is boxy with a squat stance because of the wide-set wheels and low roof line. It reminds a few of a Land Rover and pickup vans from the Nineteen Eighties. The composite physique panels are held in place with screws, simplifying crash repairs to take away and exchange. The outside has rounded edges to just accept simple software of a wrap, which Slate says even an proprietor may do. Clear Fleet Report recommends having a professional do it.
There are greater than 100 equipment, together with a conversion package to take it from a pickup to a SUV. The package features a roll bar, rear bench seat with mounting {hardware} and seat belts, and one in every of two tops, both an upright sq. again or a slanted fastback design. Slate says the proprietor can do the conversion themselves, identical because the wrap.
Slate Pickup Specs
- Single electrical motor driving the rear wheels (AWD shouldn’t be an choice)
- 201 horsepower
- 195 pound-feet of torque
- 0-60 mph: 8.0 seconds
- High pace: 90 mph
- Towing: 1,000 kilos
- Payload: 1,433 kilos
- Curb weight: 3,602 kilos
- 174.6-inches lengthy; 63.3-inches excessive; 70.6-inches huge (w/o mirrors)
- Composite physique panels hooked up to a body building
- 245/65 tires mounted on retro metal 17-inch wheels
- 5-foot pickup mattress
Charging
- 52.7 kWh battery (commonplace) delivers 150 all-electric mile vary
- 84.3 kWh battery (improve) is nice for 240 all-electric miles
- Onboard Charger: 11 kW
- Charging: 150 kW functionality
- 400-volt system
- North American Charging Customary (NACS)
- Stage 1 (120-volt) – 20-100% 11 hours
- Stage 2 (240-volt) – 20-100% 5 hours
- Stage 3 Quick Charging (120 kW) – 20-80% half-hour
Options: Inside
- Seating for 2 on a bench seat
- No infotainment middle display
- No native navigation, leisure or apps
- Knobs and wheels to regulate all automobile operations
- Sturdy, sustainable supplies
- Hand crank home windows
- Entrance trunk/frunk
Options: Exterior
- Polypropylene-blend, injection-molded physique panels
- Unpainted
- Non-obligatory physique wrap kits
- Accent conversion package to turn out to be a five-passenger SUV
- Mattress width between wheel wells: 42.9 inches
- Mattress size tailgate up: 60.0 inches/tailgate down: 81.6 inches
Pricing
Pricing estimate is below $20,000, plus supply payment and taxes. This pricing assumes the $7,500 federal tax incentive shall be prolonged by the Trump administration. Particular person states might have buy incentive applications that will not be affected by any federal actions.
Pre-orders are being taken right here with a $50 refundable deposit.
Direct-to-Client Gross sales and Service Mannequin
The Slate direct-to-consumer gross sales mannequin, backed with a nationwide service community, is designed to create a “quick, simple and predictable” buy and possession expertise.
Slate says there shall be “clear pricing” via its direct gross sales course of.
Observations: 2026 Slate Auto EV Pickup
Slate is relying on customers being fed-up with the worth of automobiles and the expertise and options that come as commonplace gear. In order for you these added creature comforts, Slate has a slogan. “We make it. You construct it.” The corporate claims there are greater than 100 equipment accessible for customers to personalize their vans.
Do you really want energy home windows? The Slate pickup doesn’t have them. Do you actually must be entertained with graphics, movies, sounds, ambient lighting and a number of screens? The Slate pickup doesn’t have them.
What it does supply is a base mannequin that may go as much as 150 emissions-free miles and, with tax credit, value below $20,000. You need the home windows open or closed, crank the deal with. You need leisure and maps, put your cellphone in a splash mount and use it as you do every single day. You need to go additional on a cost, improve to the bigger battery.
Slate didn’t go into its goal buyer besides to say the fantastic thing about a simplified EV 2-seat pickup is it’s “approachable and timeless.” The corporate additionally famous that 70 p.c of the U.S. inhabitants makes lower than $100,000 yearly, and one in every of Slate’s objectives is to have a month-to-month cost below $400. That opens this truck to an entire lot of individuals.
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Story by John Faulkner. Images by John Faulkner and Slate.
