It’s a neat idea, one that appeals to me even, but there’s a reason this sales model died. I never lived through it, but heading down to a local dealership and ordering a custom vehicle used to be the norm. Imports couldn’t adopt that model due to the long lead times and less established dealer networks, so they started packaging up common specs into trim levels, cut the number of available colors and options, and targeting the 80% of buyers who don’t want to think too much about what they’re getting and (probably) want to drive home in a car that day. That means picking something off the lot.
Add on the fact that in the case of the Slate, building out features might involve setting up appointments with 3rd parties (stereo installer, wrapper, etc) and it starts to feel like a hurdle.
Plus, the new car brands that have survived have all started with high end models and then worked their way down. A price minded buyer is going to cross shop with a used vehicle from an established brand. And that used vehicle will have lots of standard equipment.
I wish them the best; although I think America needs to start reducing its dependence on cars altogether, if we’re going to have cars, better to have cheap ones that don’t use a lot of resources. I just don’t think enough people are willing to personally sacrifice much.
I don’t know about taking off, I have a below-zero ability to predict what will happen in the world. I would give it serious consideration for myself, maybe as an SUV without a rear seat. The size is great for me, providing there’s enough legroom for the driver. But I think I would miss some of the electrical/electronic amenities like a backup camera/screen, electric windows, and a radio. And I don’t see the point of advertising a starting price, without also giving some idea of what all those upgrades would cost. Perhaps that will be provided later.
Anyway, I’ll try to keep an eye on this just in case I might still be interested when it actually comes out.
I think all US vehicles are required to have backup cameras now, and the Slate will have that on the dash. It probably won’t be as fancy and clear as the ones on the big screens in most vehicles nowadays, but it’ll be there.
Not real long, just 60". As you noticed truck beds are shorter in general these days. But it is 50" wide between the wheel wells, so 4x8 sheets of plywood will fit in over the wells. Unfortunately it’s only 42.9" between the wells so thinner material will need more support. That would be good enough for me, I’d like to have something that size. Few SUVs will take 4’ wide material these days.
The biggest problem I have with it is the wait. Late 2026 is the earliest expected time for them to be available.
Maybe they’re hoping this will be the VW Beetle of the 21st century, when EVs in general and pickups in particular are popular. The Beetle, especially the earlier models, were definitely very minimalist vehicles yet extremely popular. But there are big differences. The Beetle was remarkably inexpensive in its day even when adjusted for inflation, but it had a reputation for great build quality and reliability. That’s a pretty high bar with conflicting objectives.
In terms of cost, $20K (as a starting price) is still serious money, especially for something so appallingly basic. A couple of years ago I could have bought a new-ish Ford Escape with lots of amenities for half that price. Therein lies one of the big problems – they will have lots of competition from the used market, though most of that won’t be electric. And at that price point and the inevitable use of cheap materials build quality may suffer. Also, the two-seater configuration is pretty limiting – virtually all pickups sold these days are the extended cab version.
I wish them luck but I’m not especially optimistic.
I think there’s a good chance the added options cost are gonna kill it.
There’s a good chance they’ll try to gouge customers on the prices of those add-ons.
I f I could buy a Ford Maverick for around the same price as a Slate built out the way I want it, what’s the advantage to going with Slate?
Except the ability to turn a Slate pickup into a SUV, I mean.
That does appeal to me.
I dunno. We’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll be keeping my eye on them.
Of course, at my age, I may already have my last pickup.
Here’s an article about it with better pictures and more info. The SUV version isn’t bad looking (but probably a lot more expensive), and still looks rather utilitarian. Not ugly, but they could have put a little more effort into the design. The article quotes the base price as US $27,500 without the federal incentive, which is about CAD $38,000 plus whatever crazy tariffs might apply by then. So, not exactly dirt cheap and even less competitive with a used vehicle with a lot more amenities.
If I can go back to hauling my own rocks, soil, and mulch rather than buying bags or having them dumped, I’ll be a happy cat. I miss my tiny Tacoma (whose only amenity was the radio), but it got low mileage compared to the 2008 Versa hatchback with which I replaced it (still low mileage, but better). Still driving the Versa, dinged up but functioning well.
I think that there is a market for small, reasonably affordable, utility-first pickup trucks, like the old Nissan and Toyota ones that were popular in the U.S. in the '90s.
However, I also think that “frills” like power windows and stereo systems are now table-stakes for most U.S. drivers, and once you start pricing in those upgrades, other options like the Maverick may become more appealing.
But, that’s a good point: at the price point that they’re shooting for on the Slate, I think that it’d be the lowest-priced EV in the U.S. market, by a fair amount.
It’s 240 miles with the optional larger battery. That’s the problem with this thing – Slate plans to offer more than 100 optional extras, so it’s not hard to drive the price a lot higher than base. Also, the $20K is after the $7500 US federal rebate, and who know how long that will last until the price becomes $27,500 plus all your optional features.
