Slate Truck

[dpep]

Some of you may already be aware of this thing but I just stumbled onto it. A well backed start-up will be selling a simple, no frills EV pickup for under $20,000 (after government incentives). No infotainment, no touch screens, hand crank windows, all the same single color (gray). But designed to let the owner customize to his liking DIY. There is even a kit that will let you change it back and forth from a pickup to an SUV.

The concept appeals to me a lot--a low, low maintenance vehicle to get from point A to point B with no gasoline required and designed so the owner would be able to work on it.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/24/bezos-backed-slate-auto-debuts-analog-ev-pickup-truck-that-is-decidedly-anti-tesla/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEaA9IHtQzpQZQavTxhOlQlIPZxyOt2BszIfY7HFSkH4thI2tvgsNflpXNp7bhMpwUjGrBO72FAWS4jOahcvUz6_-jUzXYBECfWe4Do-OBbtsVy4oPZytcOv3vV7XgL5Z5Gf1k6dCokH3IkVq-OcFREW805eVKYC6kMKvxMuq5Xa

[marvinsc]

I went to the website and looked around, interesting and might meet my needs well.

[Vmass]

I like it! It's purpose will be just an extra vehichle to run errands, recycle and brush dump trips.

[Grimly]

Some of you may already be aware of this thing but I just stumbled onto it. A well backed start-up will be selling a simple, no frills EV pickup for under $20,000 (after government incentives). No infotainment, no touch screens, hand crank windows, all the same single color (gray). But designed to let the owner customize to his liking DIY. There is even a kit that will let you change it back and forth from a pickup to an SUV.

The concept appeals to me a lot--a low, low maintenance vehicle to get from point A to point B with no gasoline required and designed so the owner would be able to work on it.

https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/24/be...YC6kMKvxMuq5Xa

I'd be really into one of them, but by the time it gets here will have trebled in price.

[storm 64]

I'd put a Hayabusa engine in it!!!

[rphillips]

Hyabusa eng.??? Doesn't it come with a BMW Motorrad motorcycle motor?

[Nessism]

Nifty truck, but it needs a longer bed.

While lamenting the lack of true mini trucks in the marketplace, I came to learn that CAFE (USA market) is the driving reason. There is a formula, based on "footprint" size. In a nutshell, a large footprint size trucks, like most full size trucks, are allowed to use far more fuel than small footprint vehicles. In fact, the old Toyota/Datsun sized trucks, if brought into modern times, would have to get some stupid/crazy high mpg, otherwise they would be noncompliant to current standards. It seems clear that the big OEM's, making full size trucks, has lobbied these standards into existance. But it also, for all practical reasons, made small IC trucks a non starter in the US market.

[dpep]

Nifty truck, but it needs a longer bed.

While lamenting the lack of true mini trucks in the marketplace, I came to learn that CAFE (USA market) is the driving reason. There is a formula, based on "footprint" size. In a nutshell, a large footprint size trucks, like most full size trucks, are allowed to use far more fuel than small footprint vehicles. In fact, the old Toyota/Datsun sized trucks, if brought into modern times, would have to get some stupid/crazy high mpg, otherwise they would be noncompliant to current standards. It seems clear that the big OEM's, making full size trucks, has lobbied these standards into existance. But it also, for all practical reasons, made small IC trucks a non starter in the US market.

Yes, I was unaware until recently that this glitch (loophole, whatever) in the fuel standards are what helped kill off the great little Japanese pickups we had back in the 70s & 80s--perfect for hauling motorcycles and parts but still able to park on the street without traffic cones. I haven't researched it but I suspect you are right about the manufacturers having a hand in it; full size pickups are their highest profit margin product. My 1988 Toyota pickup had a 7ft bed, was one month shy of its 30th birthday, and was destined to be part of my estate sale when Hurricane Irma took it away in 2017.Otherwise it would still be in my driveway.

If this Slate Truck succeeds as much as I think it might, maybe the other manufacturers will get the word. I hope that is the case.

[Rich82GS750TZ]

Definitely interesting. Will let the buyers of the first models figure out the issues and if the platform is viable/everything they claim.
the slate.auto site has some size comparisons.

[Nessism]

Yes, I was unaware until recently that this glitch (loophole, whatever) in the fuel standards are what helped kill off the great little Japanese pickups we had back in the 70s & 80s--perfect for hauling motorcycles and parts but still able to park on the street without traffic cones. I haven't researched it but I suspect you are right about the manufacturers having a hand in it; full size pickups are their highest profit margin product. My 1988 Toyota pickup had a 7ft bed, was one month shy of its 30th birthday, and was destined to be part of my estate sale when Hurricane Irma took it away in 2017.Otherwise it would still be in my driveway.

If this Slate Truck succeeds as much as I think it might, maybe the other manufacturers will get the word. I hope that is the case.

Too bad you couldn't retain your truck. Those vehicles were so simple, and reliable, that even if you needed a new engine, it would have been worth the project.

[rphillips]

Been driving small, reg. cab Japan 4X4's since 1980, those little trucks will rarely get 20 MPG. Shoot, I see some full sized trucks get that much, but never figured why the little ones don't do better...If the public accepts it, that little Slate may be the coming thing. Maybe one of their many optional parts will be a bed extender so we can haul our bikes.

[eil]

I was highly interested in this because I _love_ the goals they're shooting for. Until I saw that they're using plastic body panels. Meh.

Saturn did that once and within a few years every single one of those you saw on the road had some non-trivial percentage of their quarter panels missing from an incident that would have only caused a dent in metal panel. I mean, I get it, they need to make them cheap and light. But plastic is also basically non-repairable insofar as you care anything at all about the looks. And I'm betting replacement panels will either be expensive, or hard to find, or both.

[LAB3]

I've seen a number of different companies touting their latest project as the "New cult car" and this one doesn't appear to be any different. Yeah, I'd be in at that price and if we could hustle up a few hundred thousand more of us it just might be possible to see it actually happen.

Does anyone else remember the Elio?

[Vmass]

I've seen a number of different companies touting their latest project as the "New cult car" and this one doesn't appear to be any different. Yeah, I'd be in at that price and if we could hustle up a few hundred thousand more of us it just might be possible to see it actually happen.

Does anyone else remember the Elio?

Lol…..Elio must be coming up on their 20th anniversary of not selling cars.

[rphillips]

Don't remember a Elio... Remember well the Yugo.