Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto wants to take on Tesla and Rivian with this $25,000 electric truckNEWS | 26 April 2025Slate unveiled its first vehicle at an event in Long Beach, California, on Thursday night.
Slate unveiled its first vehicle at an event in Long Beach, California, on Thursday night. Ben Bergman/BI
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The EV startup Slate Auto, which counts the Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as a key investor, just unveiled its first vehicle.
The new pickup, revealed with Hollywood glitz at an event Thursday night in Long Beach, California, is set to start at just $25,000 when it goes on sale in 2026, Slate said — a price that could be even lower with tax credits.
The no-frills model is devoid of common niceties like power windows or a radio and allows customers to make as many or as few upgrades as they desire.
Slate CEO Chris Barman. Ben Bergman/BI
"We wanted to get that cost out of the base vehicle," Slate CEO Chris Barman told Business Insider in an interview.
"It really gives freedom of choice to the owner of what accessories they would want to put on the vehicle, either at the time of purchase or over time, depending on what their budget may be," the former Fiat Chrysler executive and engineer added.
The interior of the Slate Truck. Slate
The Michigan-based startup's Slate Truck is expected to be produced at an undetermined location in the Midwestern US and be the cheapest new electric vehicle and pickup truck in the US.
The current cheapest EV is the standard-range Nissan Leaf, which starts at $28,140. The most affordable pickup truck on sale in the US is the Ford Maverick, which starts at $26,995.
A $25,000 price point would mean achieving something the current EV sales king, Tesla, has been unable to do. Elon Musk has long teased consumers with the prospect of a $25,000 Tesla model, but there's no firm timeline for its release.
Rivian's truck and SUV, like Tesla's competing models, are far from bare bones and start at nearly $70,000 for the base dual-motor R1T pickup.
The Slate Truck. Slate
The Slate EV's power train is set to feature a 52.7 kWh battery pack and a 201-horsepower electric motor driving the rear wheels. It has a target range of 150 miles and should be able to recharge overnight using a household socket.
Customers needing more range can upgrade to a larger 84.3 kWh pack, which should be able to travel up to 240 miles.
It will also feature advanced safety tech like automotive emergency braking and forward collision warning, Slate says.
The Slate Truck is a blank slate for owners to personalize
A customized Slate EV pickup truck. Slate
According to Slate, all trucks will leave the factory in a single base configuration with only basic amenities, such as steel wheels and crank windows.
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Then the consumer can choose from over 100 accessories, from hardware like power windows to wraps that give the truck a personalized look.
"We really think enthusiasts are going to be excited about this," Barman told BI.
In addition, an SUV kit will be available that converts the truck into a five-passenger SUV, complete with a roll cage, rear seats, and airbags.
At Thursday's launch event, hundreds of attendees — many of them employees or investors in Slate — oohed and aahed as Barman showed how the vehicle could be transformed from a truck to an SUV in around an hour using an optional accessory package. Once a curtain came up and revealed a shiny blue SUV, it almost seemed like magic.
"How many of you have placed an order?" Barman shouted to applause.
As the party continued, many in the audience marveled at how Slate was able to maintain total secrecy for upward of two years. Others couldn't help noticing Slate is an anagram of Tesla.
The Slate Truck with the SUV kit. Slate
All the accessories, including the SUV kit, can be upgraded retroactively and are designed to be installed by the owner as DIY projects. (You can also choose to have the work done professionally, of course.)
"This is going to, we hope, inspire a whole new population of a younger generation who maybe never even thought about working on their cars, that's going to be excited about it because pride of ownership, and it's an extension of their personality," the Slate CEO added.
The Slate vehicle is available for preorder with a $50 refundable deposit.Author: Ben Bergman. Benjamin Zhang. Source
