The small and relatively economical Slate has been making waves in the automotive world since its debut last week. Starting at $27,500 and dropping to $20k with federal EV incentives, this small and decidedly analog pickup may be spartan, but it also holds a few surprises. For starters, the Slate offers an incredible level of customization right out of the gate. The standard configuration is a single-cab pickup that features a 60-inch bed, manual crank windows, no center screen display, and a 150-mile range on a single charge. An optional additional battery will expand that range to 240 miles.
However, the Slate was designed to be personalized, and the options are far beyond the usual chrome bits and badges that we typically see as factory options. While all Slate trucks ship in the basic configurations, that’s merely a starting point. The customization process begins with choosing your body style. You can stick with the pickup, go for a five-seater SUV, or a sportier fastback SUV. Oh, and you can decide if you want doors and tops with either SUV option. From there, you can pick from one of over a dozen wrap options, including some partial wraps for a stylish touch. From there, exterior options include custom grills, upgraded lighting, highlight colors, tires, and wheels in multiple sizes, and even a rear tire swing-out bumper. Inside, you can customize colors, materials, a tablet mount, and more. And if you can’t deal with crank windows, there’s a powered option if you aren’t willing to go full vintage.
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Admittedly, the styling is square, but at the same time, it still looks unique. Coming in a bit shorter than the Ford Maverick and close to the size of 1980s Toyota single-cab trucks, the Slate definitely bucks the trend of SUVs and trucks getting bigger and bigger. However, for a daily commuter or even a weekend DIY project rig, it has plenty of cargo space. Some of the comments seemed overly critical, and many seemed opposed to the lack of tech in spite of intentionality and price. However, one comment on a prominent automotive news social media post said, “It’s a 1990 Chevy S10 Blazer.” Is that supposed to be a burn? Because I think those were pretty cool, especially with two-tone paint. Please see my own personalized Slate render below for reference.
The Slate doesn’t require any additional charging station at home. It’s compatible with 120-volt household outlets, or if you have a 240-volt outlet, you can charge it even faster. The 120-volt Level 1 charging adds 20-50 miles of range overnight. Level 2 can charge the battery in 4-8 hours. If you want to take it a step further, Slate will offer a Level 3 charging station that provides 480 volts, plus Wifi connectivity and cable storage. This level can charge the Slate’s battery from 20% to 80% in 30 minutes.
The Slate is a simple, small EV without flashy styling. Obviously, it won’t be for everyone. But we applaud the team for taking some risks and bucking trends. We’re excited to see these rolling out of their Detroit plant, and without a doubt, some wild combinations will be amongst them. You can reserve your Slate with a $50 refundable deposit, and even if you don’t plan to buy one, the online builder is lots of fun.
