What Is It?

On April 24th 2025, Slate Auto, a new American EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos and Guggenheim Partners revealed its sub-$20,000 electric truck designed to disrupt the auto industry’s affordability crisis by introducing the “Slate”.

Designed for Value :

Stripping away traditional cost drivers, the Slate Truck ships unpainted with manual windows, steel wheels, and no infotainment screen. “We’re rebuilding affordability from the ground up,” said CEO Chris Barman. The standard 52.7-kWh battery delivers 150 miles of range (240 miles with an accessory pack), while a 150kW RWD powertrain provides 1,433 lbs payload capacity.  

Personalization as Standard:

“Customers can spend $50K on a loaded EV or start here at $19,500 and build what they need,” said CCO Jeremy Snyder.  

This is seen as an approach to combat excessive, unnecessary options now being packed in EVs in a supposedly “futuristic interior”.  Although minimalism is an aesthetic win for the automotive sector, some companies tend to cram features into a screen and the trend of deleting buttons for simple controls has evolved into a headache for the user.

Slate aims to solve this by giving customers full authority on how they would like their car, and have made customisation possible on every level of the car.

The truck’s “flat-pack” design enables over 100 DIY accessories:  

– SUV Conversion Kit: Adds roll cage, rear seats, and airbags  

– Peel-and-stick wraps: Three-tier color system replaces paint shops  

– DIY Tech: Universal phone/tablet mounts with USB power  

– Functional Upgrades: Roof racks, light bars, and storage solutions  

Safety & Manufacturing:

Despite its low cost, the Slate Truck includes automatic emergency braking, 8 airbags, and a reinforced steel frame. Production begins Q4 2026 at a retooled Midwest factory, leveraging direct sales and a nationwide service network.  

Reservations are open for $50 at http://slate.auto   

News and Image Courtesy: Slate Auto