Bezos-Backed Electric Pickup Under $20K

Rahul Somvanshi

Slate's bare-bones electric pickup truck aims to hit the market at under $20,000 after tax credits, stripping away everything but the essentials.

Photo Source: Slate Auto

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The truck comes in a single configuration: unpainted gray composite panels, manual crank windows, and no built-in entertainment system.

Photo Source: Niko Desmon (Pexels)

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Buyers can transform their two-seat pickup into a five-seat SUV using accessory kits, part of Slate's "we built it, you make it" philosophy.1

Photo Source: Slate Auto

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Despite being shorter than a Honda Civic, the Slate truck offers 1,433 pounds of payload capacity and a 5-foot bed for practical utility

Photo Source: Slate Auto

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The standard 52.7 kWh battery provides about 150 miles of range, while an optional larger pack extends this to 240 miles.4

Photo Source: Damian B Oh (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Manufacturing innovations like eliminating paint shops and metal stamping allow Slate to aim for profitability shortly after production begins.

Photo Source: Joe Ross (CC BY-SA 2.0)

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Former Amazon executive Jeff Wilke co-founded the company, with Jeff Bezos reportedly backing the startup through his family office.

Photo Source: National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution (CC BY-NC 2.0)

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The truck's $50 reservation system is now open, with first deliveries expected in late 2026 from a factory in the U.S. Midwest.5

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