Meet Slate's $20,000 electric truck that can morph into an SUV

Summary

Slate Auto, an American EV startup, has unveiled its two seater Slate Truck, a shockingly affordable EV.
The Slate Truck features a standard 150-mile range, a rugged composite construction, and extensive customization options, including a kit that converts it to a five-seat SUV.
Slate’s compact electric pickup truck was designed in Michigan and California, and engineered in Michigan, with assembly in the Midwest. Reservations are available now for $50.

Many people like the idea of switching to an

electric vehicle
(EV), but they are less enthusiastic

about its price
. That’s where the EV startup Slate Auto comes into play. The American automaker recently unveiled its new Slate Truck, a customizable, bare-bones EV with a price tag of under $20,000 after federal tax incentives are factored in.

You may be immediately thinking, how on earth is this truck going to cost that little? Well, the base model is, as its name suggests, a Blank Slate. To achieve its affordable price, Slate has essentially removed anything from the EV that it doesn’t need to drive reliably.

What does that mean exactly? We’re talking about a two-seat pickup truck that comes in one gray color, has a single electric motor, includes no stereo or infotainment system, and features crank windows. That’s right, physically rolling down your car windows is back. All these elements combined enable Slate to produce one of the

most affordable EVs
in the American market, and its specs aren’t that shabby either.

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The Slate Truck’s standard range is 150 miles

The compact electric pickup truck has a NACS connector with DC fast charging

Slate

Slate is targeting a price tag of around $25,000 for its Slate Truck ($20,000 after the federal tax incentive), and for that, you receive a surprisingly stylish-looking compact electric pickup truck.

The truck features a single rear-mounted 150 kW motor, and its standard battery provides a projected range of 150 miles.

Looking at the numbers, the truck’s bed is 5 feet long, with a volume of 35.1 cubic feet. From bumper to bumper, the truck measures 174.6 inches in length, boasting a wheelbase of 108.9 inches. It has a maximum payload of approximately 1400 lbs and a towing capacity of around 1000 lbs.

Slate

The truck features a single rear-mounted 150 kW motor, and its standard battery provides a projected range of 150 miles. Slate will also offer an extended battery at an additional cost, which has a projected range of 240 miles. What’s even better is that the Slate Truck is equipped with an NACS connector for DC fast charging. This means that at a Tesla Supercharger, the truck can charge from 20 to 80 percent in “under 30 minutes.”

Unlike many other EVs, the Slate Truck’s body isn’t made from steel or aluminum; it’s constructed from a rugged plastic material that Slate refers to as an “injection molded polypropylene composite material,” which is durable and scratch-resistant.

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Personalization is at the center of the Slate Truck

The truck can adapt to your needs overtime, including transforming into an SUV

Slate

What sets the Slate Truck apart from its competitors is its extensive customization options. At launch, Slate aims to offer over 100 different accessories for the truck, allowing owners to customize their Slate EV to their liking. This means you can purchase the Slate Truck in its basic form at first, with only the essentials, and upgrade it over time.

“Most cars are built for what you need today. A Slate is made for what you need now, and in the future. So, when life gets bigger or busier, it all still fits. It’s the first vehicle of its kind designed to transform easily from a two-seat truck to a five-seat SUV, and back. And that’s just one of the countless ways you can adapt your Slate to whatever you need, even if you don’t know you need it yet,” Slate says on their website.

Slate’s website lists numerous customizations if you want to enhance the truck, including different body styles and wrap (color) options, as well as add-ons for the interior, like dashboard and audio/tech upgrades.

For example, the truck only comes with a universal phone mount with USB power to start, since most people use their phones for navigation anyway. However, if you desire a larger, more sophisticated infotainment system, you can opt to have a dedicated tablet installed in the truck.

Slate

As a PC gamer at heart, it reminds me of slowly upgrading your PC over time to meet your needs. Slate’s website lists numerous customizations if you want to enhance the truck, including different body styles and wrap (color) options, as well as add-ons for the interior, like dashboard and audio/tech upgrades. You can explore all the options on Slate’s website.

Remarkably, if you want to turn your two-seat Slate pickup truck into a five-seat SUV, you can. The SUV kit that will eventually be available for purchase includes additional seats, a roll cage, airbags, and more to transform the truck into an SUV. You can choose to install them yourself, or have a “Slate authorized partner” come and do it for you.

If you’re interested in Slate’s electric pickup truck, reservations are open now on Slate’s website for $50 with deliveries expected in late 2026.

While Slate is an EV startup, it has significant backing behind it, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. If you’re interested in Slate’s electric pickup truck, reservations are open now on Slate’s website for $50 with deliveries expected in late 2026.

The Slate Truck is one of the most intriguing EVs I’ve ever seen, and it will be interesting to see how consumers react to such a bare-bones EV, and how the Slate Truck handles. It’s important to note that Slate is also an American automaker, with the truck designed in California and Michigan, and engineered solely in Michigan. Its exact assembly location hasn’t been shared yet, but Slate says it will be assembled in the Midwest.