Slate Auto just revealed an all-electric pickup starting around $25,000 — under $20,000 factoring in current federal tax incentives. It will offer extensive customization and is expected to take advantage of the marketing muscle of Bezos’ Amazon.

After growing eight-fold between 2019 and 2023, EV sales growth has markedly slowed over the past 18 months. Industry-watchers putting much of the blame on sky-high EV prices.

On average, EV buyers are paying about $55,000 after factoring in MSRP, options, and incentives, according to McKinsey & Co. And even what are seen as the more “affordable” products today are typically into the $30,000 and even $40,000 range.

“The definition of what’s affordable is broken,” said Chris Barman, a former Fiat Chrysler executive now CEO of EV start-up Slate. Claiming existing manufacturers have “ignored” what customers really need, Barman has led an effort to come up with a new line of battery-electric vehicles that are not only affordable but highly customizable.

“Slate is a radical truck platform so customizable that it can transform from a 2-seat pickup to a 5-seat SUV,” Barman said ahead of the new brand’s formal coming-out party.

Bringing EVs to the Masses

What will it take to trigger the next big surge in EV demand? “You have to be able to sell cheap EVs,” says Phillip Kampshoff, co-founder of McKinsey’s Center for Future Mobility.

Familiar brands like Hyundai, Volkswagen, and General Motors have put a priority on bringing down EV prices. Ford scrapped several high-end programs, launching a “skunkworks” specifically focused on “affordable” battery-electric designs. But such efforts have been challenging. 

Tesla plans to launch its first “affordable” model in June, after a multi-year delay. But what has widely been referred to as the “Model Q” is expected to come in closer to $30,000.

Slate will come in around $25,000, dropping below $20,000, it said, for those buyers who qualify for federal EV tax credits. That’s assuming the credits remain in place, something Pres. Donald Trump has suggested he plans to do away with.

What’s a Slate Auto?

In its LinkedIn page, Slate states a goal of “exploring opportunities in the electric vehicle space.” After months of speculation, it’s finally revealed what it has in mind.

The start-up’s debut vehicle is what it described in a media handout as “a beautifully simplified EV 2-seat pickup, produced in a single configuration from the factory.” With just one row, it measures a mere 174.6 inches in total length and a 108.9-inch wheelbase. That’s even smaller than a Ford Maverick or Hyundai Santa Cruz — both of which have two rows and four doors.

In many ways, the Slate pickup is decidedly retro, picking up on the gas-powered compact pickups that were wildly popular among young, first-time Baby Boom buyers back in the 1960s, ‘70s, and early ‘80s. We’re talking steel wheels, classic climate control knobs and crank windows.

It’s not entirely retro, with its electric drive and digital instrument panel. Want a digital infotainment screen, however? Pull out your smartphone or tablet and slide it into a holder on the instrument panel.

A Real-World Transformer

While it won’t turn into a giant robot, the automaker says the pickup is, pardon the pun, a “blank slate.” Buyers will be able to turn their EV into a variety of alternative packages with more than 100 accessories available at launch.

One accessory kit transforms the pickup into a sporty, five-seat SUV, complete with rear seat, airbags and a roll cage. 

There also will be three “levels” of vehicle wrapping which can be applied, removed, and then swapped out for a new look keeping buyers fashion-forward.

Even in its base pickup configuration, the Slate pickup will feature eight airbags and several advanced driver assistance systems, including Active Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning.

Slate Auto Powertrain

The Slate EV’s options cover the powertrain, as well. There’s only a rear-drive configuration, the single-motor generating 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque — enough to handle a 1,400-pound payload.

But Slate will offer a choice of a 52.7-kWh battery pack delivering up to 150 miles per charge, or an optional 84.3 kWh battery boosting range to an estimated 240 miles. 

The system will comes with a Tesla-style NACS charger port, expanding by thousands the number of public chargers it can plug into. Using a home 240-volt system will take a full night to recharge, but Slate claims owners will go from a 10% to 80% state-of-charge using a public DC quick charger in “under 30 minutes.”

Who’ll Buy a Slate Pickup?

That’s the billion-dollar question. McKinsey’s Kampshoff told me he is convinced the market for EVs will boom once solid products in the mid-$20,000 price range start becoming widely available.

Sam Fiorani, the lead analyst with AutoForecast Solutions, remains a bit more skeptical about the growth of the overall EV market. He also questions whether Slate has found the right formula. One reason those little pickups of a half-century back began to fade out, he said, because they were too limited in use. “Buyers started to want the practicality of having back seats and back doors,” he said.

Slate also faces a conundrum by targeting young buyers, Fiorani cautioned. They may want EVs, but they also may not have a private home where they can set up a charger. The higher cost of using public charging, he explained, negates a key advantage of owning an EV.

Slate Auto: Ordering & Availability

Look for the first Slate pickups to start production for 2026 at a new U.S. assembly plant. 

Buyers can now begin placing advance reservations with a $50 refundable deposit on Slate.auto.

The automaker is setting up new experience centers where potential buyers will be able to kick the tires. But while details weren’t yet released, the company is expected to turn for help to Amazon, the online retail giant owned by Jeff Bezos, one of Slate’s primary backers. Look for more details on that relationship in the months to come.