# Slate: a new no-frills electric pickup truck for $20,000 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 27, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slate-a-new-no-frills-electric-pickup-truck-for-20-000/1017563 "2025-04-27T14:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slate-a-new-no-frills-electric-pickup-truck-for-20-000/1017563/281 "2026-08-18T15:47:13Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > This cracks me up - for decades all of their SUVs began with the letter E; now they’re bringing out an EV that begins with the letter F. (At least the Lightning name was related to electricity) Bear in mind that the Fathom isn’t an SUV; it’s a pickup truck (albeit one with an extended cab and a short bed). Ford has used F names for cars, but in addition, the F-series (F-150, F-250, etc.) is their main pickup truck line. And, the Lightning was technically the F-150 Lightning. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slate-a-new-no-frills-electric-pickup-truck-for-20-000/1017563/282 "2026-08-18T15:56:05Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Bear in mind that the Fathom isn’t an SUV; it’s a pickup truck The original Bronco was an SUV with it’s top on but more of a pickup if you removed the top & the trucks are a F-###, not a F-word (gotta be careful how you say that!). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2026, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slate-a-new-no-frills-electric-pickup-truck-for-20-000/1017563/283 "2026-08-18T16:01:49Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > The original Bronco was an SUV with it’s top on but more of a pickup if you removed the top True, but the Bronco, I think, predated Ford’s clearly-not-always-consistent use of F names for cars and pickups, and E names for SUVs and utility vans. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slate-a-new-no-frills-electric-pickup-truck-for-20-000/1017563/284 "2026-09-12T01:53:57Z")
Breaking: Slate has released. . . its Facebook page. Not exactly the cutting-edge marketing campaign I thought they might try, but I guess it’s something. By the way, the link on their page takes us to a domain registered to Estonia. Another way to keep costs low? > **[Slate Auto](https://www.facebook.com/slateauto)** > > Slate Auto. 77,094 likes · 15,983 talking about this · 4 were here. Simple, affordable, personalized. Put down a deposit today and lock in your delivery timing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slate-a-new-no-frills-electric-pickup-truck-for-20-000/1017563/285 "2026-09-12T12:44:08Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > By the way, the link on their page takes us to a domain registered to Estonia. Another way to keep costs low? Nowadays, registering a domain in a particular country mostly just means that you want a URL ending in that pair of letters. Youtu.be has nothing in particular to do with Belgium, [friends.tv](http://friends.tv) has no particular connection to Tuvalu, etc. Domain registration, anywhere, costs on the order of $20 per year, total, so there’s no way it’d be a cost-saving measure. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2026, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slate-a-new-no-frills-electric-pickup-truck-for-20-000/1017563/286 "2026-09-12T13:22:08Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > By the way, the link on their page takes us to a domain registered to Estonia. Another way to keep costs low? That link ([https://linktr.ee/slateauto](https://linktr.ee/slateauto)) is to a “Linktree” page, not the company’s main website. I’ve never heard of Linktree prior to this. (And of course they’re using the .ee top-level domain just to complete the word.) > **[Slate](https://www.slate.auto/en)** > > Slate Auto | The Customizable EV That Works for You [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slate-a-new-no-frills-electric-pickup-truck-for-20-000/1017563.md?page=14)