The Slate has officially landed. This innovative electric vehicle, produced by a startup that aims to go back to the basics of vehicle ownership with its no-frills business model, is available in a range of body styles. One of them is particularly interesting due to the small number of vehicles that combine it with an electric powertrain: a pickup truck.
Even though Slate has only just made its debut as a company and is going up against large, established automakers, its pint-sized pickup is definitely one to watch out for. Not only does the Slate truck distinguish itself in the automotive world due to its small number of direct competitors, it also stands out for its affordability. Let’s take a closer look at this interesting pickup, and how much it costs compared to its closest rivals.
The Slate Truck: New Kid On The Block
Slate TruckIan Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
2027 Slate Truck
Powertrain
One electric motor
Horsepower
181 hp
Torque
195 lb-ft
0-60
8 seconds
Top Speed
90 mph
The main driving principle behind the Slate is “keep it simple”: Slate Auto’s goal was to make a back-to-basics pickup that owners could customize according to their needs, without being forced to pay for unnecessary features they don’t use. The owner is actively involved in every aspect of the journey, having the ability to repair their own truck, upgrade it, or modify and customize it to their heart’s content. Affordability is another key part of the Slate’s character. Despite its futuristic look and electric powertrain, the model is accessible to the ordinary consumer thanks to its accessible starting price of $24,950.
While we are focusing on the pickup truck version of the Slate, it is only one of three body styles available for the model. Slate buyers can also opt for an SUV or fastback version, both of which have five seats while the truck only has two. All three have a distinctly minimalistic design, with retro vibes and simple, angular lines. In terms of powertrain, there is only one option available for the time being: a single-motor, RWD setup, which produces 181 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. Performance-oriented and AWD variants are, however, likely to be added to the lineup over the next few years, so watch this space.
Slate TruckIan Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
As personalization is a key component of the Slate’s character, there are very few standard features on board. These include climate control, a dashboard smartphone mount (as there is no infotainment screen, another anomaly for a modern vehicle), and cruise control. The seats are manually adjustable and upholstered in fabric; the windows are also manual. While creature comforts aren’t a huge priority, the potential for aesthetic customization is huge, with an incredibly wide range of options (including animated headlights and colorful wraps) available to choose from. Many features that we take for granted on most vehicles, such as a center console, also appear on the options list for the Slate.
Pricing: The Slate And Its Competitors
2026 Telo MT1 front quarterTelo Trucks
Even as electrification efforts ramp up across the automotive industry, electric pickup trucks are still quite rare, especially at more affordable price points. As a result, the Slate doesn’t have a whole lot of direct competitors, but there are a few models that can realistically be considered as alternative options if you’re considering buying one.
Telo MT1 (starting price $41,000): The closest competitor to the Slate is also fully electric and small in dimensions. The pocket-sized Telo MT1 is going into production very soon, with the first trucks set to hit the road in late 2026. The model is available with two powertrain configurations: a single-motor RWD setup, producing around 300 hp, or a dual-motor AWD setup producing around 500 hp. Despite its compact size, the MT1 boasts hauling and towing capabilities on par with the Ford Ranger, and has the same truck bed length and amount of interior space as a Toyota Tacoma.
2026 Ford Maverick XL driving front 3/4 angle in grayFord
Ford Maverick (starting price $28,145): The second model isn’t actually an EV, but is still an affordable, entry-level pickup truck: the Ford Maverick. This truck is a fairly new addition to the Ford lineup, having been introduced for the 2022 model year. It is the smallest pickup built by the Blue Oval, slotting in below the Ranger. In terms of powertrain, the Maverick offers two options: a hybrid setup with a 2.5-liter inline-four engine and one electric motor (producing a combined 191 hp) or a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four with no hybrid assistance, which produces 250 hp.
REO as-yet-unnamed model (starting price $21,500): The only model on this list that’s slightly cheaper than the Slate is one that hasn’t reached the production stage yet. REO, a defunct brand originally created by Ransom E. Olds of Oldsmobile fame, is being revived by entrepreneur Zach De Bernardi. His plan is to produce a back-to-basics, affordable pickup truck.
We only have a few key pieces of information about this vehicle for the time being: we know it will be a body-on-frame truck with a combustion engine, it will have an AWD drivetrain, and it will cost $21,500. We also know that physical controls and repairability will be two main areas of focus, and that there will be no subscription-based features.
Related
A Historic Name In American Trucks Wants To Build A New $21,500 Pickup
REO Industries wants to be like Slate, but with a gas engine, better towing, and an even cheaper price tag.
What Is Slate Auto? The Startup Behind The Pickup
Slate Truck Close GrilleSlate
The company that gave us the Slate truck has only been around for four years. It was brought to life by three founders, Miles Arnone, William Barker and Jeff Wilke, who started the company in Michigan in 2022. Slate quickly attracted several high-profile investors, including Jeff Bezos and Mark Walter (an investor known for his involvement in sports, who owns several teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers).
The original name of the project was “Re:Car”, as the three founders had previously created another firm called Re:Build Manufacturing, a domestic manufacturing platform. However, the name was later changed to Slate, and the company took on a life of its own. Soon, the three founders had assembled a workforce of several hundred employees, most of which had previous experience at large automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford.
2027 Slate Truck EV interior Slate
Today, the company has expanded geographically across different states. Its headquarters are located in Troy, Indiana; its primary manufacturing facility is in the same state, but around five hours away in Warsaw. Slate’s design studio, on the other hand, is located in Long Beach, California. The company has big ambitions when it comes to production numbers, hoping to build around 150,000 vehicles per year. Now that the brand’s first model has been launched, the next couple of years will be crucial in determining Slate Auto’s future trajectory.
Why Electric Trucks Are Having A Moment Right Now
2027 Slate Truck EV rear bed Slate
Electric pickup trucks seem to be finally coming into their own. A handful of initial short-lived experiments were carried out by Chevrolet and Ford at the tail end of the 20th century, with the S-10 Electric and the Ranger EV respectively. However, both these pickups had very small production runs: the Chevrolet had 460 units, while the Ford had 1,500. The first mass-produced electric pickup sold in the US would not arrive until two decades later, when the Rivian R1T was launched. A few other models followed, including the now-defunct Ford F-150 Lightning and the GMC Hummer EV Pickup. As pickup trucks gradually expanded from the world of work vehicles to that of everyday commuters and family haulers, electric models became viable options, especially for urban and suburban drivers.
Slate TruckSlate
However, when compared to other types of vehicles such as SUVs or hatchbacks, electric powertrains are taking much longer to catch on in the world of trucks. There are a few key reasons for this: one is that, although pickup trucks are increasingly popular as daily drivers, they are still the vehicle of choice for heavy-duty work purposes as well. Although the instant torque provided by electric motors might seem like an attractive feature for drivers looking to haul and tow, pickup buyers have been hesitant to embrace change and have cautiously stuck to the proven capabilities of combustion for their day-to-day workhorses.
Another reason is related to the culture around pickup trucks. Although electric vehicles have now gone fairly mainstream across most sectors of society and most parts of the automotive world, for a very long time they had a very specific image: urban, green, focused on sustainability rather than power. This image was directly at odds with the priorities of many pickup truck owners, for whom green credentials were not the main focus and combustion was king. Trucks like the Slate are helping to bridge the gap between these worlds, showing that electric powertrains do have a place in the pickup truck world and can perform just as well as combustion engines.
Sources: Slate Auto, Telo, Ford, REO
