Ask just about anybody, and they’ll tell you that new cars are too expensive. In the wake of tariffs shaking the auto industry and with the Trump administration pledging to kill the federal EV incentive, that situation isn’t looking to get better soon, especially for anyone wanting something battery-powered. Changing that overly spendy status quo is going to take something radical, and it’s hard to get more radical than what Slate Auto has planned.
Meet the Slate Truck, a sub-$20,000 (after federal incentives) electric vehicle that enters production next year. It only seats two yet has a bed big enough to hold a sheet of plywood. It only does 150 miles on a charge, only comes in gray, and the only way to listen to music while driving is if you bring along your phone and a Bluetooth speaker. It is the bare minimum of what a modern car can be, and yet it’s taken three years of development to get to this point.
But this is more than bargain-basement motoring. Slate is presenting its truck as minimalist design with DIY purpose, an attempt to not just go cheap but to create a new category of vehicle with a huge focus on personalization. That design also enables a low-cost approach to manufacturing that has caught the eye of major investors, reportedly including Jeff Bezos. It’s been engineered and will be manufactured in America, but is this extreme simplification too much for American consumers?
The specs on the website don’t have the number one statistic I care about: Can I, a 6’3" (190cm) man, fit comfortably inside without being forced to drive with my knees? It says it is 69" (175cm) tall which is not a promising sign. The website does not have warranty information yet either, the next most important thing for me. The fact it is mostly made in America, implies that it will probably break within a year which makes the price irrelevant. The lack of infotainment is a huge plus, I don’t understand how those things are even legal. A laptop dock would be much more beneficial in my opinion. One which can easily slide out of sight, like when I’m actually driving and not just watching porn while stuck in a traffic jam. The option for hand crank windows pretty cool, so I can re-enact that one scene from the movie The Game if I want.
After really taking a deep look at the customization options I can’t help but wonder, Am I dressing a Barbie or looking for a vehicle? Can I get the icon in cornflower blue? Is there an option to make the entire vehicle look like a 90’s geocities page, including gifs? I spent who knows how long looking at the options and went to see what the price would be. Well guess what? I can’t! Not without reserving one for $50. Even then I have no indication I’ll be told the price. Sorry but I don’t care what options there are, I’m not gonna pay one dollar, let alone fifty, if I can’t see what the final price will be, even just an estimate would be nice. Am I supposed to trust the word of random news articles that it’s actually under $20k with an asterisk? I don’t care if the $50 is refundable. Any company that requires I speak to someone for the price of their product, is a company that is lying about the price of their product.
Great idea and almost a step in the right direction for cars (in my opinion). However, I can all but guarantee this would be a bad car for me to buy, because car salepeople and car engineers simply can’t help but take any good idea and load it up with as much enshittification as they possibly can stuff in and then try to get the customer to pay more for heaps of shit on top, which they call icing but is really just shit, all while lying about every possible thing they can.
I wouldn’t question interior space based on the height of the car. I’m also 6’3" and have comfortably driven Geo Metros and Mini Coopers while being cramped in 4Runners and Tacomas
No paint because you’re injection molding body panels? Sounds good.
No stamping? How are you getting away with that? Are they just outsourcing the stamping for frame parts? There’s no way this thing doesn’t require stamped frame components.
Tbh, this feels like vaporware. I’ll believe it when I see them actually being delivered.
I think the non-stamping is the body panels. They would still have to have a stamped metal frame to meet the S rating wouldn’t they?
They make it sound like not having stamping is helping them by not requiring expensive machines and a factory with a high ceiling. I’m betting they’re outsourcing the stamping. I’m also betting that they won’t ever deliver a truck.
Are truck chassis usually stamped? I had assumed they were made from cast components.
Frame rails are usually stamped. Although low volume sometimes will brake press them.
Hmm. Well, plastic can have a pretty good strength to weight ratio, if taking up more volume in the process. If sheet metal can do it maybe they went all-plastic.
If they’re including fibres too, that famously exceeds metal’s rigidity depending on to what precision it’s done.
At the cost of the mold to do something like that (and the machine to even run it), I’m reasonably sure that stamped or brake pressed frame rails make more sense cost wise. I’m not sure that volume will ever drive the cost of that low enough to be worth it within the life of a mold like that. Like, I can picture the design to make it a basic two plate mold (I think, I’m more used to parts that top out a bit over a foot in the largest dimension), but then the gate size and shot volume I’m picturing to fill the thing is just bonkers, although apparently there are a few machines in the world that could theoretically do it if I’m reading their specs right from a quick search.
Unless your thinking a carbon fiber layup, which is feasible, but I believe metal becomes more cost effective again at that point.
It sounds like you’d know better than me, haha. Since they’re talking about being capital-lean I’m guessing they must outsource the frame pressing. Having a rare, super-specialty injection molding machine would not be lean.
IIRC they mentioned fibre reinforcement, but it couldn’t possibly be the aerospace-style precision product, exactly because that would cost a lot.
Edit: And I’m guessing cold-setting resin would be too expensive?
They might be doing some sort of glass chop in areas (actually, i wouldnt be surprised if this is what they mean by “composit body panels”, open molds would be cheap as hell, and parts are cheap too), but I used to use that more for body panels or exterior details than anything super structural. I guess they could do fiberglass frame rails, but that still feels like it would be a strange choice at what just doing basic ladder frame in steel would cost.
Definitely not cast. Some suspension parts are cast but most car frames are made from stamped sheet metal welded/bonded together.
My first thought as well. Feeding on the anti-Tesla hype to gain some clout and probably funding.
And backed by Bezos
Love it. No connection to the internet except when you choose to, through your phone. Analog controls. Frickin roll up windows!
My only beef with the current concept is the bolt on body panels and other parts. Too easy to steal. Could replace those bolts with security bolts, if they aren’t already, but that just discourages the casuals.
My only beef with the current concept is the bolt on body panels and other parts. Too easy to steal.
I mean the same could be said about Jeep Bronco. Although these just being plastic means they’re probably not worth stealing…
Jeep Bronco
Missing a comma there…
I laughed haha
Hell yeah. I actually emailed them and they confirmed that there’s no data collection at all. That’s extremely rare for any new car these days.
A basic usable truck sounds good to me, but the price seems high for bare bones and the range seems equally bare bones.
I don’t know how the purchasing power differs across the pond but converting dollarydoos to pounds that sounds like a bargain for a new functional EV
I guess but I saw a used Volt on sale for under $4,000 and this is from a brand I’ve never heard of.
Time will tell if it’s a good price or not I suppose, if it’s a really solid truck then I guess it’s close enough to a fair price.
Volt or Bolt? Volt is a hybrid.
If Bolt, I’m guessing that was a very old one that will get like 50km of range.
Probably the Bolt? I think it was closer to 60 or 70 but yeah, it was definitely an older one.
Personally I think the telco is more compelling. If it wasn’t american i would strongly consider it.
Looks cool but it’s also twice as expensive.
TIL 27.5k x 2 = 41.5k
This thing also has way more range as standard and basic accessories like speakers.
when I looked it was 41k, maybe there’s a chapter trim option?
It’s also 20ish" shorter, seats 5 with a 5 foot bed, can carry 4x8 sheets flat between the wheel wells (and tailgate closed if the midgate is open), tows a bit over 3 tons, has an AWD option, and the base range beats the maxed out range on the Slate. They aren’t really competitors beyond “small truck.” Telo is absolutely maxed out for it’s size, Slate is as cheap as cheap can go.
I really like this concept. Definitely catches my attention. But I think minimalists are in the minority these days.
What would you prefer, this for $20k, or a 6 year old truck with 50k miles and all the features for $20k? Most cheap people prefer the latter
I don’t disagree about what most people want. Personally, I don’t really care for the features, so I’m an outlier. The one thing I do miss on my 25-year-old Saturn is cruise control.
Plastic panels are awesome, BTW. 25 years and zero door dings.
The problem is you probably could not find a 6 year old truck with 50k miles. Most 2 year old trucks now have close to 100k miles on them.
What used electric truck costs $20k?
None yet. Electric trucks haven’t been available long enough to reach that price point. It will come.
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this strikes me as a fascinating idea–with a couple of eyebrow-raising backers–that is probably going to flop spectacularly because it’s too minimalistic to the point of just being cheapskate
I’d imagine the $20K price is for a model so basic many people won’t want it. it will be interesting to see what the price is for a model most people would consider an acceptable basic car or truck.
There may be a market.
The big 3 have been chasing larger trucks, effectively abandoning this market. I can see this being a farm truck that gets beat to shit.
Why this over a used vehicle?
Is there a used electric truck old enough to be $20,000?
Because it’s new? Among other reasons…
electric vehicles are not a used market yet
They look like excellent fleet trucks.
exactly
That design also enables a low-cost approach to manufacturing that has caught the eye of major investors, reportedly including Jeff Bezos. It’s been engineered and will be manufactured in America, but is this extreme simplification too much for American consumers?
I’m more worried about the cheapness and corner cutting.
Would definitely buy one of these. I miss having a truck, but I only need one occasionally for the occasional need to haul something that won’t fit in my car (e.g. Lowe’s trips). I also really dislike the “smartphone on wheels” aspect of pretty much all current EVs.
Plus, I hate the infotainment systems so I would be happy to roll my own.
Though I do wonder if it has a backup camera/screen. Aren’t those required nowadays?
Touchscreens are the worst interface in a vehicle. But yes, Amercian law says all automobiles must have a backup camera installed as of 2018. I need and use a truck but I do just fine with a smaller Tacoma, which these days are basically a full size truck of yester-yore. These look nice, like the UTE style; but the 150 mile range would be an issue for me.
That’s what I thought (re: backup cameras), and someone else mentioned the gauge cluster is a digital screen which switches to the backup camera view). In my case, 150 miles (round trip ) would be just around the upper edge of my use cases, though 15-20 would be more average.
which these days are basically a full size truck of yester-yore
Makes me miss my old 2003 Ranger. It was right where I needed a truck to be, size-wise.
I think there is an option to upgrade the battery to have a 240mi range
According to the articles I read about it, the gauges are a digital screen which changes to the backup camara when in reverse.
Good to know. Will have to read up, though from the little I’ve read, it sounds like this is just a concept for now.
Seems like they have physical concept cars they’ve built based off the Arstechnica article.
the website for it is pretty comprehensive as far as i can tell
This looks like something right up my alley! I was a bit deflated when I read that Jeff Bezos is involved though…
No paint? Sure. No touchscreen? Good.
…No radio? That’s going to absolutely murder their sales.
Yeah I mean they should include a standard double-DIN radio with Android Auto. Or at least make it optional. Using a Bluetooth speaker is ridiculous and will sound awful. And the battery will probably explode being it’s kept in a hot vehicle…
Quite possibly. They’re gambling on a market for a no-frills car existing, but it might just be too small. That’s what killed economy cars the first time.
You know what, people can just add their own bluetooth speaker.
I think it’s fine.
I think it will depend on if they have lots of USB power conveniently available. Like you could literally make your own stereo with two bluetooth speakers and a phone as long as there’s plenty of USB power and mounting points.
Many will consider this a cost-cutting step too far, but the interior was designed for ease of upgrading, with easy mounting space for anything from a simple soundbar to a full sound system.
This isn’t for everyone, but if it’s easily accessible, I’d have no problem installing a basic CarPlay head unit and speakers in an afternoon.
a 12v outlet can power a radio just fine
If they are targeting work trucks - which is where most bare bones trucks go - the buyers already have a bluetooth radio they use all day.
USA offering this trash b/c they still can’t compete with BYD.
Saying they are cutting the EV incentive is just another form of market manipulation.
They want people to panic buy, just like they did with cell phones, just like the stock market. It’s all manipulation.
My two immediate concerns would be whether it comes with AC and is there an AWD option. Both of those could be deal breakers towards the borders. I guess they’re not absolute deal breakers (we bounced around AZ in a '71 Datsun pickup that had about the same specs as this a kid) but they certainly would be huge QOL improvements as options.
Growing up in Phoenix, the national ads in the '80s that breathlessly noted “comes with air conditioning” was like … how could you sell a car that doesn’t have that?
Yeah, I’m still in AZ, thus my question, haha.
It has AC and only RWD.
Ah, cool! Well AC pretty much solves my hesitations here in AZ, lol. But I know a lot of northern states still might want AWD as an option.
I live in a country that gets very icy for almost half the year and honestly while AWD is a QoL improvement, it’s nowhere near necessary. Good winter tires do so much more for you and RWD gives you more control than FWD at least.
AWD doesn’t help you brake better unfortunately.
EVs (at least well build ones) are far less depending on AWD (and 99% of the people telling me they require one should buy fucking proper winter tires instead)
I’m very meh on the AWD as someone in the north. Not needed, but a/c is definitely helpful!
