Slate Auto’s truck is logical to its very core

Sure, the 1,000-horsepower GMCHummer EV might be the stuff of dreams, and maybe you have a poster on your bedroom wall of the 258-mph capable Rimac Nevera, but unless you’re also willing to drop a fantastical amount of coin, these vehicles are not realistically attainable for most people. Dream cars have always existed, and the world is surely a better place because of them, but it seems that more brands these days are focusing their efforts on striking, mind-blowing, and utterly unaffordable EVs that draw in more attention for brands than they do sales. Examples such as Cadillac’s gorgeous, $300,000+ Celestiq and Rolls-Royce‘s Spectre–which costs nearly half a million dollars when optioned well and after taxes–come to mind here.

All these lush and lavish luxury EVs bring about plenty of hype for electric cars in general, but whatever happened to the idea of switching to an EV to make one’s life easier and more affordable? Sure, there are reasonably affordable EV options out there, like the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Bolt, but both of those vehicles’ current generations spawned around 2017, and aside from aesthetic facelifts and minor enhancements, nothing has really changed since then. So then, if you’re in the market for a truly inexpensive electric vehicle, you’d be hard-pressed to find an option that isn’t bland and dated.

Then, out of the blue, comes the Slate EV: a completely modular pickup truck that can also be a boxy SUV and even a fastback. With an expected starting price of around $27,000, the Slate could cost even less than $20,000 so long as federal EV tax credits stay in place. Although the Slate’s proposed range of 150 miles with the standard battery or 240 miles with the extended range battery isn’t particularly noteworthy, it’s pretty much on par with the similarly priced Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Bolt. Where it strays from its aged rivals, however, is in its format. Instead of offering yet another blobby hatchback with a raised roof, Slate decided to try something new by reviving something lost: the (truly) small pickup truck.

The Slate EV is a rare example of a battery-powered vehicle being less expensive than the gas-powered alternative

Small pickup trucks are making a comeback, and Ford has been capitalizing on the segment’s popularity for some time now with the Maverick, which starts as low as $28,145. Hyundai has joined in on the fun, too, offering up its Santa Cruz pickup, which starts at a similar $28,750. Even without the federal EV tax incentives, the Slate EV pickup could offer an all-electric alternative for even less money than the Ford and Hyundai. What you will sacrifice in return for battery power, however, is size, but if I’ve learned anything in my many years, size isn’t everything–it’s how you use it. Slate uses its size to its advantage, and minimalism is the name of the game here. Instead of developing an intricate infotainment system at a cost to buyers, Slate simply gives you a mount for your iPhone or iPad. Like listening to music while you drive? You can have integrated speakers if you’d like, or you can save your money and simply opt for the Bluetooth speaker mount.

Final thoughts

Essentially, Slate has recognized a market that other manufacturers have neglected. Where I live, at least, small Japanese pickup trucks from the 80s and 90s still litter the roads like rusty cockroaches that refuse to die. They are extremely popular with young people because they can be had for dirt cheap, can take a serious beating, and have enough space for 2-3 occupants and as much junk as you can throw in the bed. Need room for bikes, surfboards, mattresses, or even more occupants, depending on your local laws or your willingness to bend them? A Nissan D21 Hardbody or similar will tick all of those boxes. Somewhere along the way, in the early to mid-2000s, manufacturers simply stopped producing basic trucks like these, and the barrier of entry into the midsize pickup segment has grown costlier and costlier ever since.

Slate Auto’s new electric truck will offer those who might otherwise buy a rather beaten-up Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Hardbody a similar package, without the necessity of the odd weekend rust repair job or costly fill-ups at the pump. What makes Slate’s truck such a revolutionary EV is not that it has mind-boggling power figures, long enough range to travel the entire circumference of the Earth’s surface, or even that it’ll be incredibly affordable. The Slate truck’s excellence lies in the fact that it might just be the most in-touch product we’ve seen from an auto manufacturer in years–it’s exactly what people have been waiting for.

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