The truck, nonetheless, does convert. Patrons can order it as a pickup or as one in every of two SUV physique types beginning at $29,950: the Squareback or the Fastback. Should you’re unsure firstly, you should purchase the pickup then convert it later.
Slate will promote greater than 200 equipment for the truck, with many apparently priced beneath $500, akin to roof racks, stereos, together with seat and lightweight covers. A full car colour wrap additionally begins at beneath $500 and supposedly takes mere hours to use. At launch, you’ll select from over 100 hues to banish that grey.
The Slate’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and powertrain include a 10-year or 110,000-mile guarantee. In the meantime, the components rely is seemingly lower than half that of a typical pickup, which supposedly means there’s much less to go incorrect. If one thing does, homeowners can name upon Slate U, a DIY restore information. The corporate has additionally partnered with greater than 3,000 RepairPal retailers nationwide.
Whereas that bump in vary from 150 to 205 miles for the pickup makes it extra usable, that is primarily based on Slate’s personal approximation of the EPA check cycle, not an official ranking. The car is at present in preproduction, so these specs may nonetheless change.
Visually, the Slate stays true to the upright, square-edged profile of basic two-seat American pickup vehicles, however at 175 inches lengthy, 71 inches vast, and 69 inches tall, it’s smaller than a Ford Maverick. Nevertheless it does have a full 60-inch mattress versus the Maverick’s 54 inches. Inside house is tight for a pickup, although: 41.5 inches of entrance legroom and 40.4 inches of headroom. The SUV variants add a second row however give rear passengers simply 30.8 inches of legroom.
The corporate, clearly assured within the attractiveness of its new cut price basement EV, will construct the Slate at a reindustrialized manufacturing unit in Warsaw, Indiana, the place it plans to speculate almost $400 million in services.
Nonetheless, new analysis from Edmunds says that much less than simply 5 p.c of recent autos offered for $25,000 or much less in 2025, and that determine is trending down, too, because it was almost 21 p.c in 2019, although this may very well be as a result of value will increase lowering the variety of autos obtainable on this bracket.
In an announcement commenting on the Slate’s pricing, Ivan Drury, Edmunds’ director of insights, stated: “Slate is making a $25,000 guess that drivers nonetheless need one thing easy. Our knowledge reveals the market walked away from that value years in the past, so this can be a actual check of how a lot affordability nonetheless issues.”
“The bottom pricing is the headline, however the entry-level value level is paired with an unconventional construct and a powertrain that’s confirmed tougher to promote at this time. The true query is whether or not the attractive value alone can overcome that.”
