Interesting approach by Bezos et al…a low-cost EV truck (<= ~$20K for a bare-bones configuration after gubmint incentives) because no infotainment system, minimal other electric/electronic stuff (e.g. it comes w/hand-crank windows), and as far as I can tell no GPS, or additional connectivity, or other surveillance-oriented tech:
Certainly some drawbacks, but still…will be interesting to see the general market interest and uptake on this.
Ars Technica also ran a story on the Slate. On paper it’s a compelling prospect and I would be favorably inclined to buy one were it available today.
But there are some real headwinds this has to overcome before coming into contact with reality:
To be honest, I would actually kind of dig that.
But I’ve always kind of gotten into customizing my vehicles. Not as much lately since I don’t have as much extra time as I did when I was younger, but I do still enjoy it when I have the time.
So something like this that’s basically a fully functional clean slate (I see what they did there) would be kind of cool.
Add in the extended battery, it would be pretty optimal as a around the town grocery/supply getter.
My only concern, and I may have missed it in the article, would be payload capabilities. But even if it could match or even slightly under a smaller quarter ton truck like the old rangers, it would still be quite handy.
Now the only question is if they can deliver on the time frame and price points they have promised, much less if the EV incentives are going to still be available in a few months, much less 18.
I test-drove the F150 Lightning ~1.5 years ago and thought it was a hoot - but it was far too large and far too expensive and I thought to myself if Ford made something like an E-Maverick I’d be all over it.
Given the stock battery pack range, I suspect it will very much be weekend project capable - loads of mulch, a comfortable haul from Home Despot, as much IKEA as you can spatially haul in a single trip, etc. Oilfield hotshot delivery capable … not so much so.
Of course it’s not going to be for oil field hot shots, lol
However that with the extended battery, a 240 mile range, it would definitely be good, as I said earlier, as a grocery getter / weekend project vehicle.
And honestly, as long as it had an air conditioning system in it, or added one from a company like Vintage Air, with the 240 mile extended battery, you could conceivably do Door Dash, Uber/Lyft with the suv, and even some Amazon deliveries that I’ve seen people do with their personal vehicles.
I mention that because any truck’s shortcoming’s in similar romanticized roles are raised as hard objections when the overwhelming majority of ≤ 1500-class trucks are daily drivers in population centers whose infrequent hauling demands wouldn’t stress a typical sedan and effectively never tow.
I think I’d love it as a daily - even with the lesser battery pack.
Suspect it will.
This article puts it at 1433 lbs
https://www.motor1.com/news/757782/slate-ev-truck-haul-loads/
Damn…thats more than my Silverado…
My Ram can do a little more, but I did some upgrades to it so it can handle about 1500, but…damn.
I suspect their mileage/range estimates assume curb weight rather than full payload.
I like how the article mentions the 48x96 sheet vs the actual cargo bed dimensions.
Using their description, with the rear seats stowed on their supports I am almost certain a sheet of 48x96 material will fit in my 1974 VW Thing. Not quite to their clamed 1400# capacity though.
49x96 in an original ford ranger required a couple of boards that set in pockets in the sides of the bed to keep it above the wheel wells, or let it ride crooked on one wheel well. I hated keeping track of that pair of boards I had cut to fit.
https://www.caranddriver.com/photos/g64576482/2027-slate-truck-revealed-gallery/
With gate up, bed is 5 feet long.
The original Ford Ranger dates back to the 1960s and well into the 1970s where a 48 x 96 sheet of whatever would easily slide in between the wheel wells inside the cargo box.
This can be done on my 78 Bronco Ranger XLT as well but the Bronco didn’t have the option of an eight foot long box.
Consequence of compactness. I’ve hauled more plywood in the Ranger that way than the 96 F150 I owned, but for me it’s always been an occasional-use vehicle so wrangling those 2x6’s was part of the planning for a trip to the Home Despot.
Wonder if variants of the likes of Ford Maverick tricks will work:
So if Ford eventually introduces some vehicle in the future and call it a “Lariat” do we then claim that the F150 was the original lariat? As I recall, the 1960’s trucks the model was F100 and the trim package was the ranger.
Not to try and split hairs or anything. 
Going through the OEM FAQ + brief specifications as well as a Consumer Reports preview.
I expect that the push for accessories will be relentless and they intend to build a DIY-friendly accessories business second to no other. Read somewhere that they’re trying to be the Framework of automakers.
I put down a reservation fee for funsies so we’ll see if they can make it work in ~15 months’ time.
Been thinking about Slate lately; my fault for following them on various social media sites I suppose. Played around with the configurator early on - I’d probably configure it as such were it available today.
However, I’ve been struck by a few things.
Commercial operations have a desire for cheap utilitarian transportation that can haul bulky - yet relatively lightweight loads - within population centers. My own employer has purchased hundreds of E-Transit vans with similar range for installation & maintenance techs and I gather they’ve been popular with techs. Installing level 2 charging is a consideration, but businesses are accustomed to making these commitments when the costs pencil out. Fleet sales are likely critical to the company’s strategy. Suspect that a beefy inverter powered by the main battery that can switch-hit for a generator would go over well.
The value proposition being made is closest to new vehicle absolute minimum viable transportation within living memory of a huge swath of the market. This vehicle can deliver on the raison d’être for owning an automobile but few others: it can get you to work and perform adequate hauling for the home gamer, but it will not haul half the kids’ little league team to practice, tow a horse trailer across time zones, nor any of the other various corner cases that drive so many automobile sales.
There’s a vocal enthusiastic market for this sort of vehicle that’s been buying used for decades: kei trucks, the guys that keep making offers on my Ranger. But the billion dollar question for Slate is how addressable is their appeal beyond this small demo?
At last check there are three sub-$20k new vehicles on the market in 2025 (of those I’d only consider the Nissan given Mitsubishi’s reputation). The used market - where most of the retail customers Slate is appealing to - has considerable variety at that price range, in varying states of depreciation but also offering considerably more than Slate’s minimum viable vehicle. If the EV credit disappears, Slate may well just pack it in; if the true cost drifts much north of $27k, the appeal weakens.
Of course, much like how Worst Buy strives not to be beaten on big ticket prices (laptops, TVs, phones) they will eagerly invite you to accessorize - buy a laptop bag, a HDMI cable, a fast cell phone charger - where they make the real money. And there’s surely some pricing psychology at play where the consumer fixates the price of the big purchase but, relatively, DGAF about the price of the additional items. Suspect Slate has a similar strategy where a decent slice of the customer base goes for add-ons with appreciable margins.
We have one. It has only moved a few times. Nobody want it. We do not even have a charger yet at our office.
We did happen to get a bunch of Lightning’s. Still too early to tell on those.
That’s a show-stopper. Doubt there’s time in the schedule to go fast charge it at greater per-mile cost than gasoline so small surprise it’s sitting idle.
My employer has L2 chargers at all yards with E-Transits, similar to how Amazon handles Rivian EDVs.
This outcome is now within the realm of possibilities:
The credit was originally set to expire December 21, 2032. A provision in the bill “accelerates the expiration to December 31, 2025.” Americans would lose the ability to claim the EV tax credit in 2026.
Electric vehicle owners could be charged $250 annually and hybrid owners could be charged $100 annually if the bill is passed.
The silver lining for the likes of Slate looks to be a provision allowing manufacturers with <200,000 EVs sold to claim the credit through 2026.
