Karmactive Team
In an EV market obsessed with feature creep and six-figure pricing, Slate Auto has thrown down a gauntlet with its no-frills electric pickup that strips away automotive excess. At a target price below $20,000 after federal incentives, the Slate Truck marks a dramatic departure from the auto industry’s steady march toward complexity.
“The definition of what’s affordable is broken,” says Slate CEO Chris Barman. “Slate exists to put the power back in the hands of customers who have been ignored by the auto industry. Slate is a radical truck platform so customizable that it can transform from a 2-seat pickup to a 5-seat SUV.”
This modular philosophy centers on a blank-canvas approach that Barman summarizes bluntly: “We took out everything that was in a car…. but you can add accessories.”
Stripped to the Essentials: The Base Architecture
The factory-direct Slate Truck arrives deliberately spartan. The EV pickup comes in a single standard configuration featuring manual crank windows, basic HVAC knobs, steel 17-inch wheels, and a single digital gauge cluster. No paint shop necessary—the unpainted polypropylene composite body panels come exclusively in Slate Gray.
These design choices aren’t merely aesthetic—they’re central to Slate’s manufacturing simplification strategy. By eliminating paint facilities and stamping operations, Slate aims to build trucks in a reindustrialized American factory at significantly lower cost.
Core Electric Architecture: The Numbers
Underneath its minimalist shell, the Slate Truck packs proper EV credentials:
- Propulsion: Permanent-magnet synchronous motor with hairpin winding and combined water/oil cooling
- Output: 150 kW (201 hp), 264 Nm (195 lb-ft) torque
- Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive via single-speed gearbox (12.44:1 ratio) with open differential
- Battery: 52.7 kWh standard pack, 84.3 kWh optional pack
- Range: 150 miles standard, 240 miles with larger battery (based on EPA-approximated testing)
- Efficiency: 96 MPGe combined estimate
- Charging: NACS port, 11 kW onboard charger
- Charging times: 11 hours (Level 1, 20-100%), under 5 hours (Level 2, 20-100%), under 30 minutes (DC fast-charging, 20-80% at 120 kW)
- Performance: 0-60 mph in approximately 8.0 seconds, 90 mph top speed
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Practical Utility: True Truck Metrics
The Slate Truck’s compact footprint (174.6 inches long, 70.6 inches wide, 69.3 inches tall, 108.9-inch wheelbase) houses serious utility:
- Cargo capacity: 7.0 cubic-foot frunk plus 37.0 cubic-foot bed (5-foot length, expandable to 81.6 inches with tailgate down)
- Bed width: 42.9 inches between wheel wells, 50.0-54.9 inches overall
- Payload: 1,433 pounds
- Towing: 1,000 pounds
- Curb weight: 3,602 pounds
- Interior volume: 55.0 cubic feet (pickup configuration)
The Modular EV Vision: “We Built It, You Configure It”
Slate’s innovation lies in its 100+ accessories for customization. The most transformative: a flat-pack SUV Kit that converts the 2-seater into a 5-passenger vehicle with roll cage, additional airbags, and rear seating—expanding interior volume to 80.5 cubic feet with 34.0 cubic feet behind the seats.
Other accessories include:
- Power window conversions
- Audio system packages
- Suspension lift/lowering kits
- Alloy wheel options (17- and 20-inch)
- Vinyl wrap systems for personalization
- Tablet docks for infotainment
Rather than embedding complex interfaces, Slate embraces a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) philosophy with a universal phone mount and USB power as standard. The design specifically accommodates DIY wrapping, allowing owners to change the truck’s appearance repeatedly without paint.
Safety Architecture Despite Simplicity
While Slate removes comfort features, safety remains non-negotiable. The truck incorporates Active Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and up to eight airbags (some integrated into accessory packages). The press release states it’s “designed to achieve the highest safety ratings.”
American Manufacturing and Distribution Model
Slate plans to manufacture its trucks at “a reindustrialized factory in the U.S.,” paired with a Customer Experience Center. The distribution follows a direct-to-consumer model—online ordering, neighborhood delivery, and a nationwide service network.
Reservations are open with a $50 refundable deposit. The company targets a price under $20,000 after federal incentives, positioning it among the most affordable new vehicles in America, electric or otherwise.
The Slate Truck represents a direct challenge to automotive convention—betting that a significant segment of buyers will embrace a return to basic transportation with the flexibility to evolve through modular accessories rather than built-in complexity.
