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A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen

• sparrish 1y ago
  In Colorado, I need 4x4 sometimes. Slate is just RWD. I'd love to see a minimalistic 4x4 model like this.
  • imoreno 1y ago
    RWD on an electric truck, lol. What a joke.
    • baby_souffle 1y ago
      > RWD on an electric truck, lol. What a joke. My ignorance is going to shine through here, but isn't the rear axle the one you'd want driven if you had to choose? Sure, both is "better" but if I need cheap, rear is the better choice?
      • bluGill 1y ago
        Depends. rear wheel drives can get stuck on pavement if it is raining and they are trying to go uphill. Snow and ice make it worse. But put some load on and you get enough weight over the axel to be fine. Of course betteries may be under the bed thus providing good weight distribution.
• michpoch 1y ago
  The question is... how many farmers / ranchers need these pickups? There seems to be like an absolutely crazy competition for vehicles for a very narrow group of people. Who will be buying all of these pickup trucks?
• tomrod 1y ago
  I am, and I say this without hesitation, absolutely the target demographic for this truck.
• jofzar 1y ago
  I hate this, I need a screen and stereo in my car. Seriously, who wants to be in a modern car without music, and who wants to travel without Google maps.
  • mixmastamyk 1y ago
    Use your mobile device.
• UncleOxidant 1y ago
  "but is this extreme simplification too much for American consumers?" No, it's not. This American consumer says bring on the simplicity. Also like that this is not some monster sized thing.
  • _fat_santa 1y ago
    I think many consumers want a simpler "dumb" car, just look at sales of the 5th generation 4Runner. That car came out originally in 2010 and they sold it through 2023 with barely any upgrades and their best sales years were all in the 2020's. Lots of people say it's because offroading got popular but I think it's also because that car was "dumb" compared to more recent offerings. And personally as an owner of a 4th generation 4Runner, one of the things I like most about is that it's "dumb".
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• Sontho 1y ago
  Interesting, the options for customization is endless.
  • jjulius 1y ago
    A very rare thing with many kinds of hardware these days. Refreshing.
  • greesil 1y ago
    Oh good, an EV technical
• pelagic_sky 1y ago
  Ars did a good write up on this as well: https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-wants-to-sell-a-bare-bones-ev-truck-for-20000/ https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-w... Definitely something I would consider if they can make it happen.
• alephnerd 1y ago
  It has a base range of 150 miles [0], which won't resolve range anxiety worries as the average American travels 42 miles a day [1] and only has 2 seats. I think it will do well for hobbyists and EV enthusiasts, but it would be hard to compete with a slightly pricier Tacoma. When people buy a pickup truck, they often use it as a daily commuter as well. > Got a road trip planned? These trips are all doable on a single charge of our standard battery. If you want to go even farther, our extended range battery increases the range to a projected 240 miles from a projected 150 miles. [0] [0] - https://www.slate.auto/en/charging https://www.slate.auto/en/charging [1] - https://www.axios.com/2024/03/24/average-commute-distance-us-map https://www.axios.com/2024/03/24/average-commute-distance-us... Edit: The average pickup truck purchaser's has a household income of around $110,000 and 75% live outside cities [0]. When they are purchasing a pickup, it is meant to be both a daily driver and an errand vehicle. Spending $20,000 on a 2 seater bench pickup with 150mi range is ludicrous when you can buy a used 5 seater Honda Fit or Toyota Tacoma for $0-7k more. This is most likely targeted at fleet usecases like a factory or local deliveries, but this won't make a dent in the primary demographic that purchases pickups, and being overly defensive is doing no favors in thinking about HOW to build a true killer app EV for the American market.
  • whycome 1y ago
    The thing about range: it’s always reducing (as the batteries age). And then it also reduces based on factors like temperature. The anxiety is solely from the not knowing.
    • alephnerd 1y ago
      Yep, and it's something that Slate's marketing doesn't directly address. Before Tesla's brand perception meltdown due to Elon, a major reason why Tesla was much more popular than other brands was because of the Supercharger network, which helped reduce range anxiety worries in the West Coast.
      • Suppafly 1y ago
        > a major reason why Tesla was much more popular than other brands was because of the Supercharger network, which helped reduce range anxiety worries in the West Coast. Can't basically every other brand use those now? Between the compatible Tesla chargers and all the other ones through Charge America and charging overnight at home, there is no concern from a daily driving, or even moderately ranged trip, standpoint. The downside to long trips is the 30+ minute wait at each charging stop, not the lack of chargers.
• FeistySkink 1y ago
  Looks interesting. Are there any real-life non-marketing photos of it? Reminds me of Bollinger prototypes. Whatever happened to those?
  • mixmastamyk 1y ago
    They pivoted.
  • neogodless 1y ago
    https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-wants-to-sell-a-bare-bones-ev-truck-for-20000/ https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-w... Scroll down. The launch event photos look like real prototypes. A bit closer than the marketing photos.
  • eth0up 1y ago
    I was thinking; hey, these remind me of Bollingers, which is the only electric vehicle I'm interested in, not for its features, but for the absence of them. This will be a couple hundred k more attainable.
• swagasaurus-rex 1y ago
  Very exciting! Electric vehicles have the ability to be very simple, much simpler than an ICE. Although electric can't be 100% analog, I miss the old days when a car has no software updates, no telemetry, no privacy issues, no mandatory subscription for features.
  • the__alchemist 1y ago
    Don't want or need analog: Just don't enshittify the digital! CAN bus is a great system; don't IoT it or use dark patterns.
    • pnw 1y ago
      I doubt CAN bus will be around that much longer, I know several EV manufacturers are actively phasing it out. Yes, it was revolutionary in it's time but it's a 40 year old standard that doesn't have enough bandwidth for the requirements of modern cars, and it was designed before security was even a thought. It's also unnecessarily complex wiring that adds weight to the car. Even the updated FD standard is only 8 mbps, so it's barely enough for video from a backup camera.
      • the__alchemist 1y ago
        It's a tool that's more than sufficient for most things. Video isn't one of those, and it's a 2-wire bus, so I don't see what the wiring concern is!
        • pnw 1y ago
          As I understand it, newer systems like LVCS and Ethernet use less wire and smaller connectors. Apparently it can save up to 30% of the weight in a wiring harness which would be about 100 lbs. There was a thread on it on HN not long ago. Video for a backup camera is mandatory on new cars in the US and Europe, so it makes sense to use the same bus.
    • AlotOfReading 1y ago
• dogline 1y ago
  It's a $20k, street-legal, EV modding platform. Sounds like you can mount your own infotainment system. Just an electric motor, battery, and chassis, and the rest is up to you. Isn't this what we've been asking for?
  • ryandrake 1y ago
    Yea, it's pretty exciting. I'd like to see how much more they could strip out to reduce the price and still have a viable commercial product. I guess I'm living firmly in the past, but $20K still seems to be a high price for a car. Then again, I haven't bought a car new since the 90s, so I'm probably just an old fart who hasn't grokked what things cost today. I still remember the day when the base-model Corolla started costing more than $9999 and I thought the world was coming to an end. EDIT: Yep, I'm just old. Another commenter linked to a "10 cheapest new cars" list and there seems to be a price floor of around $20K. No major manufacturer seems capable of making one cheaper! 1: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43794523 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43794523
    • neural_thing 1y ago
      According to this, there is only one new car model of any kind selling for under $20K in the US these days https://www.carfax.com/rankings/cheapest-cars https://www.carfax.com/rankings/cheapest-cars
      • ty6853 1y ago
        One would be wiser to based on annual depreciation in real $ plus time value of purchase price. I suspect out of new trucks a tacoma would be the cheapest since the depreciation is low to negative (IIRC recently a Tacoma was worth more 1 year old than new).
        • conductr 1y ago
          All new car brands/models will not have comps for several years. Even folks buying Rivians, etc have no idea how the resale value will play out so you’re always going to have to take a gamble
• discmonkey 1y ago
  I love the look and the idea, but I wonder if it will go the way of the small/budget phone? Will folks revealed preference continue to be big and expensive?
  • harimau777 1y ago
    One advantage they might have is that there isn't much on the market for low priced pickup trucks in general. I'd probably rather have a gas pickup than an electric but I don't want to pay the inflated prices that go along with them.
  • cityofdelusion 1y ago
    Agreed. The U.S. market had a very long run of both large expensive and small cheap pickup trucks, and people consistently have bought the big luxury pickups. It is why all the small trucks were axed to begin with. Even back in their prime, I saw many more F-150s than Rangers. Its an easy up-sell as I'm sure any car salesman will say: well for only a few more thousand you get into a full-size, and from there, add some options and its over.
    • Suppafly 1y ago
      >Even back in their prime, I saw many more F-150s than Rangers. I think you're misremembering. The streets were flooded with Rangers and S10s back in the day. Full sized pickups have been the most popular class of vehicle for decades but that number is grossly inflated by the amount that are bought as fleet vehicles or work vehicles.
      • HeyLaughingBoy 1y ago
        It doesn't matter why the number is inflated. If full sized trucks are most popular, then that's what you'll see more of. In any case, there are many people for whom a full-size pickup is their daily driver and not used for work. HN is constantly complaining about it, just not today apparently.
      • ac29 1y ago
• PaulHoule 1y ago
  I like it. My wife runs a riding academy and we use a Honda Fit the way some people would use a pickup truck: we can fit 10 bales of wood shavings in the back. [1] We’re dreading when it fails because they don’t make the fit anymore and compact hatchbacks seem to be on the way out. Recent experiences have made me a bit of a Buick enthusiast and I can see driving a 2005-ish sedan except that I won’t get those sawdust bales into the trunk. We are also thinking of fitting in EV into the fleet, so far the used Nissan Leaf has been the main contender but this is a pickup truck I could get into. [1] We were profitable from day one because we didn’t buy a $80,000 pickup on day one the way everybody else does.
  • x436413 1y ago
    how do you haul hoss though? i would imagine you then outsource to professional hauling services? what do you do for vet visits, when it's not a farm call?
    • PaulHoule 1y ago
      Just pay somebody. In a rural area there are a lot of farmers with a big truck and a trailer and it costs less than the monthly payment on a big truck.
      • x436413 1y ago
        i'll be honest, if the rest of your profile wasn't at least somewhat corraborative, i'd say you're larping, but what you're saying is at least irresponsible. most farmers in rural area have livestock trailers, not horse trailers, hauling for hire (including if you're hauling for students at your barn or whatever) requires CDL and a bunch of other documentation, which you're not typically going to have as a farmer, and more documentation if you're hauling interstate (my vet is across a border), but would i even trust random joe dirt to haul for me? i've hired professionals to transport horses, and i have a handful of people who could haul in a bind and unlicensed but i wouldn't rely on them to be available in an emergency. last year i had to haul an old mare, she was colic, she laid down in the field, covered in sweet, and had to be put down at the vet, but overall it was less than an hour from load to vet. if i had to rely on "farmers", that would prolong her agony. now i just train, so i don't usually have freak accidents, but at riding barns, with students, on trail, something happens from time to time. riding barns i work with tell me horror stories all the time. i'll give you a benefit of the doubt, maybe your wife knows the details, and ithaca being horse country, maybe she's got a friendly neighbor on speed dial, but then you're at best outsourcing your responsibilities to someone else. what other things you can save on to make your operation profitable, at the expense of safety and well being of hoss?
• gigel82 1y ago
  All those photos look fake / rendered. And they didn't even bother rendering an inside shot for a car that's all about the inside design choices.
  • grandempire 1y ago
    Good point. Is this article designed to feel for demand of a possible product?
  • lattalayta 1y ago
    there is an interior rendering in the image slider in the article https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/Blank-Slate-Interior_web.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1920 https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/202...
  • nottorp 1y ago
    There are some photos that look real at the bottom of the Ars article.
• forgetfreeman 1y ago
  Oh HELL yes!! This is almost exactly the kind of thing truck owners have been clamoring for for years now. The only way this could be more exciting is if Ford flipped out and rebooted the Econoline on this concept.
• whycome 1y ago
  What’s the price without incentives though?
  • tchock23 1y ago
    It is mentioned in the article - $27,500. [Edit: Got that number not from the original article, but from the Ars article another person posted in this thread.]
    • jandrese 1y ago
      Of course this assumes the Trump administration doesn't shitcan the $7,500 tax credit, which is not something I'd bet a new company on.
• classichasclass 1y ago
  I loved the Saturn plastic doors. The salesdroids were conditioned to call them "polymer panels" and I got corrected when I bought my SL2 back in the day, but I was sold when in their own showroom he kicked the door in, it visibly dented, and then popped itself right back out with no damage to either the paint or the pla, uh, polymer. That SL2 went from California to Maine, down to Georgia and back to California. It never had any dings and had only a few scratches in the paint. My Civics seem to get dinged if you look at them wrong. I wish I could have said the same about the Saturn's stickshift, though. That actually fractured when I was in Gilroy. I mean, the shaft literally snapped.
  • KerrAvon 1y ago
    Yeah, the problem with Saturn was the general level of QA of GM cars of that era. I could make the "check engine" light come on by pressing the accelerator with a small amount of force in my SL2. And it didn't handle very well.
  • aquova 1y ago
    My first car was a Saturn, they performed that same trick in the salesroom as well. They didn't keep that trend up forever though, in the late 2000s my father went to go purchase another Saturn, and he was reeling up to give it a kick before the salesman had to hurriedly tell him they didn't make them like that anymore.
    • classichasclass 1y ago
      That was probably by the time they had become a glorified Opel rebadge shop. I was probably going to buy another Saturn and I might have settled for an Ion, but the Astra was, to borrow from Dan Neil, "hewn from solid blocks of mediocrity." So now I drive Hondas again.
  • tgtweak 1y ago
    They did have a tendency to shatter in the norther climates though during cold weather. Many of those Saturns in Canada driving around with cracked body panels from stray rocks or errant doors in parking lots.
• jonstewart 1y ago
  I had an old Nissan XE truck for a few years. I loved it, the thing was simplicity itself. I assume there's still a lot of vaporware here, but if they can make it reliable and avoid the teething issues of new cars, I'd probably impulse-purchase one. I would also love to see options for AWD and a full-length bed.
• wonderwonder 1y ago
  I feel like this is the perfect first car for a teen or college student Gets them from A to B. optimally 5 star crash test rating. Cheap. If they deliver i would absolutely buy one for when my oldest starts driving in 3 years.
  • readthenotes1 1y ago
    Where I live, a cheap truck was often a Young person's first purchase. There were a bunch of minimal 2 seaters that were affordable. And young people move residences a lot. Having a small truck that can hold a mattress was ideal. The modern luxury behemoth truck is an abomination...
• seanalltogether 1y ago
  Hand crank windows is a weird choice, are the locks manual as well?
  • yboris 1y ago
    Wouldn't it significantly increase the cost (think wiring, motor, assembly, etc) to have "power windows"?
    • bri3d 1y ago
      Power window "regulators" (the unit that holds and raises/lowers the window) are usually similar in price and weight to cranked manual window assemblies, and can be cheaper. A small motor is not at all expensive and is a less specialized item than a window crank handle and gear unit. What could save money is not needing to run any wiring whatsoever into the door - if the doors can be made with no speakers, lighting, crash sensors, switches, power locks, or power windows, then the assembly becomes significantly simpler and therefore cheaper since there's no wiring harness to fish (usually a manual production step), no holes and grommets, etc. But if power windows are going to be an option, I'm not sure how this plays out. Do the power windows come with a wiring harness that requires the user disassemble the interior and fish the wiring? If it comes pre-wired, then the choice for manual windows is actually quite strange and possibly more expensive.
    • seanalltogether 1y ago
      That's why I'm wondering if locks are manual as well. If there's no wiring at all going into the doors then presumably the doors will be cheap. But if they have power going in for locks already, power windows shouldn't be a costly addon.
      • HeyLaughingBoy 1y ago
        I think automatic door locks are a US requirement for crash safety.
  • linkregister 1y ago
• test1235 1y ago
  I would love to have such a simple car, here in the uk. Something tells me though, that if such a company got successful, it wouldn't be long before the features started creeping back in, to justify an increase in price.
• soperj 1y ago
  Ars Technica is also running something on this today as well. They must be paying their publicist a fair bit.
• Invictus0 1y ago
  If Slate succeeds, it would be the total inversion of Tesla's original masterplan strategy of starting with a supercar and then slowly working their way down the value chain. And what's really astonishing is that, not only is this the cheapest electric car in the country, it's one of the cheapest new cars in the country, period. https://www.cars.com/articles/here-are-the-10-cheapest-new-cars-you-can-buy-right-now-421309/ https://www.cars.com/articles/here-are-the-10-cheapest-new-c...
  • _aavaa_ 1y ago
    Slate’s plan is only possible because they have the benefit of almost 2 decades of advancements (read incredible price drop) in batteries and EV related components. Exact same car 2 decades ago would have cost a hell of a lot more. At which point the lack of bells and whistles would have been a huge problem.
  • modeless 1y ago
    It's a very different market today than when Tesla started. Tesla's strategy of starting at the high end was necessary to build electric cars from scratch. New competitors can start with existing supply chains and a base of engineering expertise. I do think Tesla has lost sight of their original plan, though. They should have kept going through one more generation of significant cost reduction/increased volume after Model 3/Y. They are intentionally leaving this part of the market to competitors as they focus on self driving, and I think it's a mistake that will cost them in the near term.
    • snowwrestler 1y ago
      I think Tesla looked at what is selling in the U.S. market and pivoted to the Cybertruck. Small, cheap sedans and wagons just don’t sell that well at retail anymore—in part because people don’t like them, in part because of safety concerns, and in part because there is a huge backlog of cheap used vehicles.
      • modeless 1y ago
        I think the Cybertruck is a prestige project, like the Roadster. It will never compete with the F-150 in the US in its current form, it won't work in the global market either, and probably won't ever be material to Tesla's financial results unless it gets a complete redesign to make it cheaper and less ostentatious.
• ty6853 1y ago
  I love it. However I wonder about the overlap between people that need a truck and this particular truck. I have only owned trucks when I needed to go out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere with a payload, in places with poor access to electricity. If I need to go in bumfuck nowhere without payload then there is no need for the truck, and if I need a payload in the city it's just way way cheaper to have it delivered when you factor in depreciation of even a cheap truck. Would really love to see something like this with a simple 4 cylinder motor. Like the old s-10 / ranger. Until then the solution I have found is to just tag a trailer on small passenger vehicle, since it is now impossible to find a compact gas truck.
  • thinkmassive 1y ago
    It sounds like the truck is very modular so maybe they’ll offer a generator option for gasoline-powered charging. Otherwise you could throw a normal generator in the bed.
  • InitialBP 1y ago
    I think that you're looking at extremes exclusively when it comes to your assessment. I live in a "city" in WV and need my truck all the time to get to rural areas, but that doesn't mean that I don't have reasonable access to electricity. Furthermore delivery around my city really isn't affordable or available in a lot of cases. That being said, I really wish we had a small ICE truck in the USA, or an equivalent to the s-10/ranger. Even the ford maverick is exceptionally tall and it doesn't come with a bed that is big enough to conveniently move building materials. The maverick bed is only 54" or 4.5ft and older model rangers and S10s can be had with up to a 6ft bed. https://www.motor1.com/news/698055/toyota-13000-dollar-hilux-champ/ https://www.motor1.com/news/698055/toyota-13000-dollar-hilux...
    • cityofdelusion 1y ago
      I bought a Maverick and it wasn't noticeably larger than my extended bed ranger, I actually feel like it is smaller, especially considering modern A pillars and such are very thick and rigid compared to the death trap of the old ranger. I have had no issues moving construction materials with the Maverick. I've moved around 12ft boards and stacks of drywall. The only real difference I noticed is I can't lazily hang things off the tailgate, which tailgate latches aren't specced to do anyways.
• ramesh31 1y ago
  These are going to be backlogged for years. The US market is absolutely dying for this truck (and even moreso the SUV variant), exactly as specified. The big guys have refused to provide it, so there is a literal gold mine awaiting anyone that can.
• brad0 1y ago
  I put down $50 to reserve one. I grew up with an old car that I tinkered with endlessly. Mostly because it was simple enough for me to get my head around! This car reminds me of that time. I'm hoping that they go with a lot of "off-the-shelf" electronics and mechanical parts. Standards are a blessing. It feels like they're going with a different business model to traditional car manufacturers. AFAIK most manufacturers make a lot of their money via servicing. I'd love to take a look at what their long-term business strategy is.
  • Tokumei-no-hito 1y ago
    how did you find their website? all i get are articles about the car but no links
    • kwindla 1y ago
      https://www.slate.auto/en https://www.slate.auto/en The configurator is fun: https://www.slate.auto/en/personalization https://www.slate.auto/en/personalization
      • rawgabbit 1y ago
        Thanks for the link. I see they sell portable bluetooth speakers we can mount under the dash. I like the idea of DIY wrapping both the interior and exterior; I can imagine anime fan boys like my son coming up with very wild art for these wraps. I had also forgotten cars used to have hand cranks to roll up the windows.
    • deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
  • 7thaccount 1y ago
    You could buy an old Volkswagen bug (not the new models) for cheap. They are dead simple too with tons of parts available.
    • mrweasel 1y ago
• lincon127 1y ago
  Yes, it is too much for consumers... Farmers might have no choice though if they want a new truck
• taylodl 1y ago
  I LOVE it! THIS is the kind of truck I'd be looking at to replace my 1998 Ford Ranger. Here is what could be potential deal-breakers: - Lack of a mobile app. Minimalist design is great, but I still want an app to manage charging and be alerted to any vehicle issues. - Lack of good charge management and battery conditioning. Either that, or a cheap and easy to replace battery pack. I'd really like both! - Comparable hauling and towing capacity to the 1998 Ford Ranger. Those numbers aren't exactly impressive, but I do use the truck as a truck, and I occasionally need the hauling capacity (weight). - Bucket seats. I need a bench seat so I can take my wife and dog. Think weekend glamping trips. Picture 8 shows a bucket seat. It doesn't look like that would work. If anyone from Slate is reading this, this is how I'm looking at this truck. FYI, I'll be comparing this to the Ford Maverick.
  • aaronbrethorst 1y ago
    From the FAQ: Beginning in 2026, you’ll be able to find charging stations using the upcoming Slate App. https://www.slate.auto/en/faq https://www.slate.auto/en/faq it doesn't explicitly answer whether the app will satisfy your criteria, but there'll be something.
  • fishpen0 1y ago
    Bench seats are almost certainly not coming back in modern low cost vehicles due to side impact safety regulations. They aren't _illegal_ but its extremely difficult to meet those standards with a bench configuration and ironically probably why a budget pickup is less likely to have them. Cutting those corners by not having a bench at all is an easy way to save money in the design. The hauling and towing is another one. Unfortunately batteries are much heavier than a combustion engine and take away from the total capacity of the vehicle. It's curb weight is 500lbs more than the 1998 Ford Ranger. Same thing, budget vehicle means budget suspension, so its weight lowers the capacity instead of increasing the cost of the suspension.
    • taylodl 1y ago
      I had no idea bench seats had such an impact to side impact safety regulations. Thanks for that insight! It also makes sense that the total capacity of the vehicle would diminish, but at the same time, and engine isn't weightless (though neither is an electric motor). If I had 1,500 pounds capacity, then I should be good to go.
• tdiff 1y ago
  They are targeting 5-stars safety rating, but we don't know if they manage to achieve it.
• bionhoward 1y ago
  Seems genius, hope this catches on
• iamben 1y ago
  Absolutely love this. Love brands taking the SLC (simple, lovable, complete: https://longform.asmartbear.com/slc/ https://longform.asmartbear.com/slc/) approach - minimalism is an absolute delight in a world where everything is crammed with unnecessary/unused feature bloat. (That said, I'd love a stereo - even if it was just a built in bluetooth speaker/aux-in, which feels like a perfect compromise!)
  • kelseyfrog 1y ago
    Good news, it can be added. > A Bluetooth speaker holder that fits under the climate knobs is available, but there is also a soundbar that can be installed in the dashboard storage compartment. https://americancarsandracing.com/2025/04/25/best-accessorie-slate-pickup/ https://americancarsandracing.com/2025/04/25/best-accessorie...
    • teruakohatu 1y ago
      Technically you could zip tie or duct tape an Amazon Basics Bluetooth speaker to just anything even a lawnmower. This looks like just one step above that. It’s a shame they didn’t add a DIN head unit slot and throw a plastic cover over it, preinstall install speaker wires. Anyone could then DIY a real stereo for less than they are probably selling the Bluetooth speaker/soundbar.
      • eightys3v3n 1y ago
        Or even just conduit between all the common places we would need to run cables.
      • yugioh3 1y ago
        or just pre-installed dashboard speakers with an AUX input and single volume+power knob. very cheap off the shelf parts. would save customers from weird bluetooth speaker setups, and would support a wide variety of devices – from iPods to tablets to pocket radios. no speakers and low range are the only two things I'd quibble about. and maybe the price, seems too high for what you're getting.
  • 1y ago
• spiritplumber 1y ago
  Electric cars make personalization so much easier, glad someone's doing this. And it's a pickup truck that is an actual pickup truck.
  • 9rx 1y ago
    > that is an actual pickup truck. Which is its ultimate downfall, unfortunately. It being an actual pickup truck means that for all practical purposes you will also need a car, with all the additional headaches of owning more wheels to go along with it, and at its price point plus the price of a car you may as well buy one car with some truck-like features (i.e. the pretend pickup trucks that have become so popular).
• patagonia 1y ago
  If this can’t compete head to head (no tariffs or other import restrictions) with BYD and the like, then I don’t know why one would get excited. Feels like an expensive consolation prize with tons of compromises. I want competition.
  • ramesh31 1y ago
    >"If this can’t compete head to head (no tariffs or other import restrictions) with BYD and the like, then I don’t know why one would get excited." Would you prefer our roads flooded with cheap Chinese EVs that are the automotive equivalent of Shein hauls? Protectionism has its place in certain areas, and I would say building a thriving domestic EV industry that isn't beholden to a single weirdo is one of them.
    • dghlsakjg 1y ago
      By most accounts the Chinese EVs are decent quality. What makes you think they aren’t?
      • ramesh31 1y ago
        NHSTA standards
        • dghlsakjg 1y ago
          I can’t find any evidence that the NHTSA has ever evaluated Chinese EVs negatively. The ones not available in the US meet high standards in other places like Europe and Australia. Do you have any evidence to support your claim?
        • bryanlarsen 1y ago
          European standards are tighter, and many Chinese vehicles are homolgated in Europe.
          • popcalc 1y ago
• bko 1y ago
  This looks great. But isn't there a long history of new car companies over the last few decades that have an impressive car, take pre-orders and never deliver? Something about production hell?
  • codyvoda 1y ago
    talk is cheap, show me the vehicle I can purchase that works well
  • LeifCarrotson 1y ago
    Slate is financially backed by Bezos [1] and Eric Schmidt [2] so it's not like they're going to run out of money unless they choose to do so. And it's staffed by a bunch of Detroit automotive engineers, so it's not like they're going to be surprised to learn that building and selling automobiles is harder than launching a CRUD app or SAAS. I do expect a steep price jump when they realize that all this customization (especially post-purchase) makes crash testing really difficult and expensive, $20k is not going to happen but hopefully it will be under $30k MSRP and under $40k with typical options, at least targeting a different market than Rivian. [1] https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/inside-the-ev-startup-secretly-backed-by-jeff-bezos/ https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/08/inside-the-ev-startup-secr... [2] https://www.fastcompany.com/91322801/bezos-backed-slate-auto-reveals-its-new-customizable-20000-ev https://www.fastcompany.com/91322801/bezos-backed-slate-auto...
    • snowwrestler 1y ago
      Why would post-purchase customization be crash-tested at all? It’s not currently. If I buy an F-150 and jack it up, it’s not Ford’s responsibility to crash-test my work. Even if I use genuine Ford parts I buy from Ford.
    • bko 1y ago
      Being backed by Bezos and the appearance of infinite funding isn't necessarily a good thing. You need someone at the helm that is driven and in control. Don't know who's running the company or if they have the proper mentality to get through production issues, but it's certainly not Bezos. Either way, I'm rooting for their success. The low end car market is pretty much non-existent. I've heard people blame the cash for clunkers program that got rid of a ton of low end supply in 2009, but haven't looked into it too much.
• nimbius 1y ago
  what is the point of this? a used car for 10k does more, costs less, and has a lower carbon footprint.
  • ziddoap 1y ago
    Customization, no previous owner that you have no idea how they took care of the vehicle, less chance of complications and expensive fixes, warranty, it's a new pickup that doesn't cost $50k+, etc.
  • bryanlarsen 1y ago
    > and has a lower carbon footprint No it doesn't. An electric vehicle takes < 18 months to become carbon negative. Nobody buys a used car expecting it to last than 18 months. If it does, replacing your car every 18 months is not carbon friendly.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• hansvm 1y ago
  Isn't this sort of thing illegal as a new vehicle in US markets because of those backup camera laws?
  • aaronbrethorst 1y ago
    it has a backup camera. A mandatory part of today’s safety features is a digital rear-view camera. Typically, this view pops up on a modern car’s central infotainment screen, but the Slate doesn’t have one of those. It makes do with just a small display behind the steering wheel as a gauge cluster, which is where that rearview camera will feed.
    • hansvm 1y ago
      I missed that, thank you.
• mikekij 1y ago
  Love this. Definitely getting on the list.
• hedora 1y ago
  The $20K is after incentives, so it's actually $27,500. That still compares favorably to Ford's closest offering, the F-150 PRO, which is $54,999 (pre incentives): https://www.fordpro.com/en-us/fleet-vehicles/f150-lightning/ https://www.fordpro.com/en-us/fleet-vehicles/f150-lightning/ The Ford comes standard with the same range as the upgraded Slate, though. The slate can tow 1000lbs, and hold 1,433 lbs, vs the Ford's standard 5000 / 2235, respectively (you can upgrade the range and towing capacity on the ford): https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a64564869/2027-slate-truck-revealed/ https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a64564869/2027-slate-truck... Not including a bluetooth capable am/fm radio / speakerphone on a fleet vehicle seems dumb. This cut what, $100? I can easily see Ford cutting $10K off the cost of the Pro. It looks like it has power windows, and it definitely has an infotainment system. Also, the two row cab adds lots of weight + cost and makes the bed smaller. Anyway, competition is good. Hopefully slate will make something with an upgraded suspension / power train for $10K more, and maybe eventually a larger one with ford-compatible conversion mounts (for custom work trucks, etc.)
  • Suppafly 1y ago
    It's meaningless to compare a small city truck to something like a full-sized truck, they are totally different classes of vehicle. I get that ford doesn't make a small electric vehicle, but that doesn't make the lightning the "closest offering".
    • hedora 1y ago
      Is there another EV offering that's closer and available in the US?
      • Suppafly 1y ago
        >Is there another EV offering that's closer and available in the US? No, that's the point, it's filling a niche that basically nothing else does right now. The closest alternative would be a small electric car paired with a small utility trailer. Something like a Nissan Leaf and one of those $500 trailers from harbor freight. Which added up and with discounts probably costs fairly similar to this.
• water-data-dude 1y ago
  The fact that it’s so bare bones (no stereo, etc. unless you put one in) makes me really hope that it doesn’t phone home with a firehose of telemetry like pretty much every other new car. If so, they’ve got my interest
  • krunck 1y ago
    Excellent question. Isn't that required by law in the US now?
    • gotoeleven 1y ago
      We've detected that you're not driving towards the bug store to collect your bug rations. Correcting route.
    • wswope 1y ago
      What gave you that impression?
  • fellowniusmonk 1y ago
    I've seen that it doesn't have the ability to phone home on it's own but that OTA updates and other connectivity relies on you using their optional phone app and your phones internet connection. That's the killer feature for me, if this actually comes out the after market mods are going to be amazing, having a test bed for creating your own self driving rigs is going to be a complete game changer. It's so hackable (in a good way) that this platform could foster a whole knew segment of the population getting into EV manufacturing and dramatically increase the talent pool the same way the VW beetle and the Lisa Computer did, hobbyist hackers are the greatest pool for technical founders. Not to mention replacing the exterior panels with custom displays and other amazing "Art Car" opportunities.
• nkurz 1y ago
  It took me a few articles to even find it mentioned, so I'll repeat it here in case anyone else was wondering: it's rear wheel drive only.
  • inahga 1y ago
    Darn, with removable doors and top, I thought this could be a Jeep killer. But no 4WD makes that a non-starter.
• subpixel 1y ago
  With a 1000lb towing capacity and 150m range (let’s call that 120 when you don’t charge 100%) this eliminates too many use cases. It’s the anti-cybertruck but aimed at people who actually could get by with a nice trailer.
  • Suppafly 1y ago
    >this eliminates too many use cases Such as? Seems like it meets a lot of use cases.
    • hedora 1y ago
      You could get a used non-truck EV, add a tow hitch and you'd be able to move more weight in the trunk and in the trailer than this thing can. Of course, it's a truck, so it can move light + bulky stuff, like appliances and furniture. Personally, I'd want to pay another $5-10K and get one that can also handle heavy loads. This, but for $30K ($37.5K pre incentives) with no truck-related caveats would be amazing. I'm guessing it wouldn't cost $10K for them to upgrade the suspension + drivetrain.
      • Suppafly 1y ago
        I'm not sure I understand your point, obviously it's not a replacement for a larger ICE vehicle with 4-5x towing capacity, but it's not designed or meant to be.
        • subpixel 1y ago
          But what is it designed for? I understand it's appealingly different, but it doesn't do anything that a trailer doesn't do. And not much that any SUV can't do. I have a homemade trailer with greater bed capacity than this pick-up that I got for $800 and use it for a myriad of things – from hauling lumber to launching small boats. I've driven it hundreds of miles to the closest Ikea. When I'm not using it, it's not attached to my low-end SUV. But with the seats down, there isn't a whole lot my low-end SUV can't do as well as this toy pick-up, without range anxiety.
• rgbrgb 1y ago
  Kind of a big light phone [0]. China has had these for a bit, I’d guess there’s a decent market for them, though hesitant to buy the first production model of any car, given how dependent we seem to be on warranties and market forces to ensure manufacturing quality and the poor survival rates for new car companies. Interested in v2 for sure. [0]: https://www.thelightphone.com/ https://www.thelightphone.com/
• flustercan 1y ago
  Its a cool car, but forgive me for not getting Lucy-Footballed again by an electric car startup claiming to be able to "change the game" while never actually getting any cars sold.
  • jandrese 1y ago
    Yeah, the completely unrealistic timeline, price point, and the fact that the company is only now looking to hire engineers sets off my "fun looking product that will never be available for sale" alarms. I don't think they even have a prototype built yet, everything you see is just a render. They have not even started planning how to start building the factory. The price point is assuming the R&D is already paid off, the factory is built, the supply lines are optimized, and they're building a million of these things every year. History has shown that you can't start off with a cheap mass produced car as your only product because mass production requires way too much startup capital. The success stories started with hand built extremely expensive cars that were used to pay down R&D costs and keep the company afloat while they built the factory for the mass production model. About the only way I see this happening is if Bezos goes all in and dumps an outrageous amount of money into getting the production line running knowing that he won't see a return for at least a decade or more, and I don't think he's quite that generous. Also this assumes that cheap lightweight powerful batteries become widely available in the next couple of years.
    • floxy 1y ago
      >I don't think they even have a prototype built yet https://insideevs.com/news/757237/slate-ev-spotted-los-angeles/ https://insideevs.com/news/757237/slate-ev-spotted-los-angel... https://insideevs.com/news/757649/slate-auto-truck-suv-revealed/ https://insideevs.com/news/757649/slate-auto-truck-suv-revea...
      • rainingmonkey 1y ago
        > The Autopian's David Tracy climbed underneath and didn't see any powertrain or proper suspension components, indicating this is a non-functional show car.
• danans 1y ago
  From the related Ars article[1]: > Rather than relying on a built-in infotainment system, you'll use your phone plugged into a USB outlet or a dedicated tablet inside the cabin for your entertainment and navigation needs. How is a "dedicated tablet" different than an infotainment system, other than not having vehicle telematics and controls? Also, a regular tablet UX would be dangerous while driving, and typically they don't have their own mobile data connections. 1. https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-wants-to-sell-a-bare-bones-ev-truck-for-20000/ https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-w...
  • xnx 1y ago
    > Also, a regular tablet UX would be dangerous while driving, and typically they don't have their own mobile data connections. I think it's still possible to run the Android Auto app (with its purpose-built interface) on a regular tablet.
    • vel0city 1y ago
      Android Auto for Phones has been dead for a few years. That would be the app you'd use on an Android tablet. https://www.autoevolution.com/news/android-auto-for-phones-is-dead-long-live-the-all-new-driving-mode-167515.html https://www.autoevolution.com/news/android-auto-for-phones-i... Also, these days AA can connect to the car's systems to do range estimations for its route suggestions and suggest charging on the routes. I'd hope whatever connectivity they do here includes sharing that data with the device in the cabin.
  • shayway 1y ago
    Not being built-in is significant. Infotainment systems tend to get outdated, and are also a common point of failure that can be expensive to fix, so not having the tablet hardwired in allows for people to choose their own setup and is also more future-proof.
    • danans 1y ago
      > Infotainment systems tend to get outdated, and are also a common point of failure that can be expensive to fix Android Auto and CarPlay solve that problem for navigation/communication/entertainment. The automakers aren't going to provide an open API to the vehicle control systems, for both competitive and safety reasons. What would be nice is the old fashioned DIN interface, where you could install an aftermarket AA/CarPlay unit like this: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/pioneer-10-1-hd-screen-luminous-bar-android-auto-wired-wireless-apple-carplay-wired-wireless-bluetooth-black/6594623.p?skuId=6594623&ref=212&loc=19658741001&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-ORIjTUUmu8S4y5K8kkhCfv7pmh&gclid=Cj0KCQjw5azABhD1ARIsAA0WFUEc-Upnee1E6XnXPFgMev3jgq4TqOJSgbqVI8i81wwoi8qR0HpSgkoaAsOmEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds https://www.bestbuy.com/site/pioneer-10-1-hd-screen-luminous...
• n42 1y ago
  please, god, let this thing make it to production in the US!
• mgaunard 1y ago
  With all those missing of basic features why is it still 20k and not 10k?
  • Suppafly 1y ago
    >With all those missing of basic features why is it still 20k and not 10k? Because you can't sell a car for 10k in the US without losing money.
    • mgaunard 1y ago
      I never bought a car for more than 10k. Seems like a huge waste of money.
      • saalweachter 1y ago
        ... are you complaining that the price of a new vehicle is higher than the price of a used vehicle?
      • Suppafly 1y ago
        We're talking about new cars not used ones. Wait a few years and you'll be able to get one of these for 10k too. It makes no sense to discuss used car prices when talking about how much a new one costs.
• meonkeys 1y ago
  This'll seem a like an odd question given the obvious bare-bones approach, but still: Is or could be instrumented for self-driving? I can't imagine us humans driving forever. Otherwise this looks like a dream truck to me. Easy DIY repair, electric, fewer distractions, meant for work not showing off.
• carlgreene 1y ago
  Man this is so awesome. I do really think they need to consider the fold down bed sides like the kei trucks have. The bed being plastic doesn’t give me much confidence either. The payload may be similar to a mini truck, but a mini truck’s metal bed will take a significant beating over plastic. This is very, very close to what I want, but I worry that those two things may prevent me from actually pulling the trigger. While all of the modular features are cool and neat, I don’t really consider them very useful for what I would actually use this truck for. The purpose of this seems to be a fleet or Personal utility truck, but I still feel like I would be leaning towards a used old Ford Ranger or similar.
  • rightbyte 1y ago
    "Awesome" is understating it. "Tisha Johnson, head of design at Slate and who formerly spent a decade at Volvo." Ye. This is a Volvo station wagon, that Volvo themself discontinued in 2016 becouse it was too popular.
• jayd16 1y ago
  No stereo is a bridge too far.
  • emeril 1y ago
    yeah I agree, afraid it doesn't have a/c either should cost like nothing to add simple stereo system with a couple speakers
• krunck 1y ago
  "...but is this extreme simplification too much for American consumers?" Not this one. It's the premiumization that drove me away from every EV product out there. Plus, load up the back with more batteries and you've got great range!
• gwbas1c 1y ago
  > The simplification goes simpler still. Slate will make just one vehicle, in just one trim, in just one color, with everything from bigger battery packs to SUV upgrade kits added on later. Makes me wonder if, once "normal" features are added, cost and reliability will be a problem? In contrast, I could see this really helping the dealer model work because dealers could compete with different customizations. That being said: At least when it comes to the battery, efficiencies come from a single large battery instead of a modular battery. I suspect they'll need to offer a larger battery at the factory.
• readthenotes1 1y ago
  Video review: https://youtu.be/iVeYjxQPdz4?si=RU4gWmJk5WJHiac5 https://youtu.be/iVeYjxQPdz4?si=RU4gWmJk5WJHiac5
• ZYbCRq22HbJ2y7 1y ago
  > Meet the Slate Truck, a sub-$20,000 (after federal incentives) electric vehicle that enters production next year. Then it isn't < $20000. It is a pitch.
• Rumudiez 1y ago
  I love it, now give me a gas engine so I can take it on weeklong off-road camping trips
  • bluGill 1y ago
    I want a generator hookup in the bed. A 5kw generator will get me all day and then when I'm done for the day charge the battery and provide me other generator benefits.
• xnx 1y ago
  It's a shame reasonably sized and reasonably priced imports are illegal. We could have much better vehicles for this price now.
  • twiddling 1y ago
    All about the chicken https://www.autoblog.com/news/why-the-chicken-tax-still-controls-the-us-light-truck-market https://www.autoblog.com/news/why-the-chicken-tax-still-cont...
• metalman 1y ago
  go the next step, and offer box and wheel/tire deleet, lots of people will have or can get wheels/tires that will fit, if they use one of the popular size combos, and many would opt for a flat deck, or custom purpose box see if it can be squeezed down to 20k, taxes in delivered with no box, they can be stacked, piggy back, just the way commercial heavy trucks are stacked for delivery.....more per load, less trips
• incanus77 1y ago
  I love this. We have a Fiat 500 EV that we got for $8k used that’s a fantastic city / small hauling car, and this beats it in many qualities in a way that’s still minimalist, reasonably affordable, and low maintenance (if as promised). We also have a 1986 4WD VW camper van which gets the big jobs done but is still manageable in the city. This truck is like the DIY marriage of the two.
• soared 1y ago
  Does this strategy even make sense? You can charge $20k for a car. Why wouldn’t you add options that cost you nearly nothing but some amount of buyers will opt in for a meaningful revenue increase. Charge $1k for paint. Even if 95% of people don’t do that, 5% of orders just increased their revenue by 5%. Paint doesn’t take engineering time.. just spend $500 and let some other company do it. This is why trims exist, having a single low price point means people who want to spend more either produce lower revenue than possible, or are disappointed. IMO this one trim, one price is almost certainly a prelaunch marketing gimmick as from a business perspective there is literally no benefit.
  • disgruntled1901 1y ago
    > Paint doesn’t take engineering time.. just spend $500 and let some other company do it. Are you sure you read the article? The is explicitly addressed.
    • soared 1y ago
      DIY wrap kit I guess is a form of options, but again seems like a missed revenue opportunity. Some of your market wants DIY customization, but realistically some anmount of (or almost every) consumer would rather pay +$1000 for a nice colored than $400 for a wrap kit.
      • deleted 1y ago
        [deleted]
  • tetris11 1y ago
    I think it better if they just give options for easy modding. You take it to a garage for a mechanic to spray it, or to hollow out radio nook, or add a phone charger outlet.
  • joezydeco 1y ago
    The moment you say "just", you've lost the argument.
  • 1y ago
• gotoeleven 1y ago
  This sounds great. There are not any pictures of the interior but I hope it is also very simple and not full of difficult to reach nooks and crannies that are impossible to clean.
• Nelkins 1y ago
  Seems a bit like a spiritual successor to the Jeep Cherokee XJ, which also has a very strong DIY community around it.
• Rover222 1y ago
  150 miles of range is pretty terrible, especially when it's winter and you have a load in the back. Suddenly that's 70 miles of range. I get that it's a bargain price, so that's the tradeoff. But a pretty bad one.
  • JKCalhoun 1y ago
    I expect an extra battery option will be a thing.
    • morsch 1y ago
      From the ars article: The truck will come with a choice of two battery packs: a 57.2 kWh battery pack with rear-wheel drive and a target range of 150 miles and an 84.3 kWh battery pack with a target of 240 miles (386 km).
  • Triphibian 1y ago
    There are tons of golf carts on the road where I live so there appears to be a spectrum of use cases and ranges that people will tolerate.
• alistairSH 1y ago
  ~$30k for a manual-window, slow-charging truck? Will anybody in the US actually want one? It's a cool concept... looks good to my eye, small trucks are neat, etc. But, I'd want push-button windows, up-to-date charge controller/battery tech, and the normal EV integrated app. Maybe if it was really a $20k truck (they're advertising the price after incentives, many of which are either going away or vanish for higher income earners).
  • fuzzfactor 1y ago
    >I'd want push-button windows, up-to-date charge controller/battery tech, and the normal EV integrated app. Don't they already have Cybertrucks for that ;)
  • tverbeure 1y ago
    Why slow-charging? I didn't see anything about that in the article?
    • alistairSH 1y ago
      120kW charging system, so ~30 minute 20-80% (on a relatively small battery), was what I saw. It's not "wall plug" slow, but it's nowhere near state-of-the-art. The small battery and slow(-ish) charging means it's mostly a run-about and less (relatively) suitable for roadtrips. The American market loves to buy on the most intense use, not the average or minimal - giant pickup trucks because somebody might go to Home Depot once a season or tow a small boat at the beginning/end of lake season. Etc.
      • ac29 1y ago
        120kW charging isnt slow by any reasonable standard, especially for a vehicle with a <60kWh battery.
  • itsoktocry 1y ago
    >It's a cool concept... looks good to my eye, small trucks are neat And it's barely a truck, 1000-lb towing capacity. A VW Golf can tow twice as much.
• quantadev 1y ago
  This Truck is gonna be a big Hit with consumers! But once it starts selling like hotcakes they'll jack up the price to "Whatever the Market will Bear" relative to how many they're able to produce. With most people struggling to get by nowadays (economically) we'll love the "less gadgetry" option because all that advanced technology stuff (and I do mean even power windows!) is, as my father always said, "Just something else that's going to eventually break, and was designed so it must be replaced not repaired."
• CraigJPerry 1y ago
  I hope they succeed, this is a great idea. I’d love something like this.
• jcgrillo 1y ago
  > Instead of steel or aluminum, the Slate Truck’s body panels are molded of plastic. Deal breaker. Plastic gets brittle with age.
  • JKCalhoun 1y ago
    Replace it then?
    • jcgrillo 1y ago
      That's really expensive, I'm actually in the process of replacing the plastic front and rear bumpers on my 1999 W210 Benz and just the plastic parts add up to over $1k before paint. Having a shop do the whole thing would probably cost $5k or more. I'd rather pay up front whatever it costs to have steel body panels than deal with plastic.
  • bluGill 1y ago
    depends on the plastic. Some do much better than others.
• mcoliver 1y ago
  This is amazing. More car manufacturers should get out of the infotainment business. tablet tethered to a cellphone for reception, and a connection to OBD2 for car data is all you need and allows for easy upgrades/replacements when things fail. I do think they should keep in mind that people will want to do this and at least design the dash to easily accept a tablet mount (vesa standard), amp mount (plug and play Pyle 120v?), speaker wire, and speakers (6x9 or 6.5”). That’s an easy hour install if everything is standardized, accessible, and doesn’t require drilling. Would also love seating for 5.
  • neogodless 1y ago
    https://www.slate.auto/en https://www.slate.auto/en Not sure if the article covers it (I read Ars Technica's, not Verge) but the Slate site shows that they do have support for tablets, bluetooth speaker mounts, 3-seat back row, etc.) While speaker wiring might be nice... I sense that's less likely to be readily supported. Mounts + wireless + USB port for charging is probably the limit there. Of course, used truck buyers tend to be happy to run some wiring for things like CB, radar, extra lighting, etc. Doesn't matter if the wiring is showing!
• scrapey 1y ago
  I like the idea, but I think a hybrid version would be the better first product. A 150 mile range is going to limit the people who will purchase this truck.
• ein0p 1y ago
  As far as I can tell, it's "$20K" the same way Cybertruck was "$39K". It's not available for purchase yet, and when it is, it'll be twice as much, because Bezos also likes money.
• flkiwi 1y ago
  Me, showing this to my wife: Oh, they made a car for you! She's not wrong, though I'm not at a point where I want THIS much minimalism (or lack of range). What a great product though. Now, the Ineos Grenadier? That thing speaks right to my soul.
  • popcalc 1y ago
    https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/isuzu-npr-npr-77-35q-li-diesel-8b7b5ff2-9947-42dd-a198-fbb7e316bfc1 https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/isuzu-npr-npr-77-35q-li-d... 1/3 of the price including tax credit. Too maximalist?
• scblock 1y ago
  Looks like a concept that will never actually reach the market. And if it does and I'm completely wrong, this concept is probably doomed anyways, as it is swinging far too far to the other side away from fancy tech and right into uselessly bare. I'm sure a few people are excited by this, but realistically it will have a tiny real market. Nearly no one wants manual windows and leaving them out isn't saving huge amount of money. Make it comparable to a decent conventional vehicle, but electric, and you may do well. This though is more useless and non-functional than my old Jeep, which has a trip computer and bluetooth as the biggest "tech features".
  • imoreno 1y ago
    It seems performative. They remove a bunch of stuff nobody ever complained about, like paint or radio. Meanwhile it still has an app and it's still electric with pitiful range. The goal isn't to actually fix the car market, but provide a sort of self-flagellation experience so people can feel good about suffering with no radio, no ac, no auto windows... And I doubt they will reach that goal, sounds more like some kind of investor scam. With all these controversial design decisions they can brag to investors it's "making waves on popular platforms like hn".
• sleepyguy 1y ago
  I hope they separate the BMS from the battery, unlike Tesla and others, which force you to replace the entire battery if the BMS fails. What a concept, allowing people to personalize and repair their own vehicles.
• asdsadasdasd123 1y ago
  I like it but minimalism always fails for complex products because everyone wants a different 80% of the features cut. You can already see it in the comments haha.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• jimt1234 1y ago
  Do youngs know how to use manual windows? LOL
  • bluGill 1y ago
    They show off that fancy feature to their friends. the first kids I saw doing this are now getting their phd.
• JackC 1y ago
  > It only seats two yet has a bed big enough to hold a sheet of plywood. Not really the point of the article, but, does it? This[0] says the bed is 60 inches long and 43 wide, and plywood is 96x48 inches. Is it like, any vehicle fits plywood if you cut it to the size of the truck or stack it on top? [0] https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-slate-truck-is-two-feet-shorter-than-ford-maverick-but-has-a-bigger-bed https://www.thedrive.com/news/the-slate-truck-is-two-feet-sh...
  • goodness 1y ago
    That appears to be the bed width between the wheel wells. I assume it would fit width wise on top of the wheels, which is still in the bed. As to the length, not even most full size trucks are long enough to fit the whole sheet. I guess the main point is that you wouldn't have any trouble getting the sheet of plywood home.
    • 0xffff2 1y ago
      8 foot beds do exist. They're very rare nowadays with nearly every truck being a super-extra-mega cab 4 door.
      • jandrese 1y ago
        You generally have to find someone willing to sell you a fleet vehicle if you want a full 8 foot bed. Modern trucks are more like minivans with a vestigial bed sticking out of the back.
        • jes5199 1y ago
          I have on old fleet truck: four full doors and an eight-foot bed. I love it, it’s getting quite old, and I have no idea how I’m ever going to replace it
    • jandrese 1y ago
      In my old Ranger there were a couple of spots in the bed where you could put a couple of 2x8 beams across it and have a place to stack 4x8 sheets. You did have to lower the tailgate, but they didn't stick out past the end of the lowered tailgate so there was no special requirements (flags etc...) for hauling them. It was very convenient. I would hope this truck has a similar feature, since it's almost free to add and increases the utility greatly.
• os2warpman 1y ago
  People say they, and many other Americans, want a cheap and simple truck. They're lying. I know you don't believe me but it's true. Automotive sales numbers are public information. Every single time a VIN is stamped into some metal, that record is public. The gradual decline in the sale of small, simple, cheap trucks is well documented. People want full-sized trucks. People say they love manual transmissions, too. They walk right past the manual Tacomas and Jeeps and buy an automatic. People say they love station wagons. Then they go to the Volvo dealership and walk right past the V60 and buy an XC60. People say they want a cheap car. Then they walk right past the base model Corolla and throw down $50k on a Rav4 Limited. Only enthusiasts and weirdos like me will buy one of these. A company whose audience is enthusiasts and weirdos must charge a shit-ton to stay in business. $20k isn't a shit-ton and if their strategy is to make up the difference on upgrades, they're not selling cheap trucks anymore. I know what Americans, in aggregate, want. They want a big-ass SUV with heated and cooled seats with a screen that stretches across the entire god damned dash, 360 degree cameras, RGB mood lighting, 47 speakers, and second-row captain's chairs that make getting to the third row easy. I own 3 cars, a Fiat 124 (MANUAL) Spider, a Volvo V70, and an Alfa Romeo Giulia. But I am a weirdo, and because of this those companies are about to go extinct (in the US, at least). I'm the guy that ran OS/2 and BeOS until the bitter end. I prefer writing software in Ada. I had a Saab. I am literally and actually a subject matter expert on this shit. I know what normal people want, and this ain't it. I know this because I want it.
  • mthulhu 1y ago
    When is the last time a car this cheap looked this good? Irresistible to weirdos like us.
  • mrWiz 1y ago
    > if their strategy is to make up the difference on upgrades, they're not selling cheap trucks anymore. They are very explicit about not offering upgrades, and the benefit that has on simplifying manufacturing.
  • eldaisfish 1y ago
    are you sure that people want "trucks" the size of tanks or is it that the US is now in an arms race focused on vehicle size? Could it be that reasonably sized vehicles are just not available? The auto companies' argument about what consumers "want" is mostly nonsense.
• nrmitchi 1y ago
  I see this and I don't see it as an every day, driving-on-my-commute style vehicle. As someone who (previously) drove a 2014 honda civic, cheaper cars leave a lot of comfort for longer drives. I can't imagine this barebones vehicle being fun to drive for any extended period of time, or any extended distance, unless you'd spent considerable time customizing it to those needs (at which point, you've probably spent more than buying something off the shelf). I do see this being great for short utility trips (think running errands, picking something up, etc), and as a utility vehicle (would be nice to be able to have an 8ft bed). It would be really interesting to me to see a fleet of vehicles like this that are ultra-rentable; think a Bird/Lime scooter, but a utility truck.
  • rockostrich 1y ago
    > I do see this being great for short utility trips (think running errands, picking something up, etc), and as a utility vehicle (would be nice to be able to have an 8ft bed). Japan and the rest of the world figured this out decades ago. They're called kei trucks. You can buy pre-2000 imported ones in the US from like $5-15k depending on the miles/condition/year/transmission. I have a 1990 Suzuki Carry that is solely used for trips to Home Depot and picking up random furniture from FB Marketplace that I got for $6k.
    • hbsbsbsndk 1y ago
      Aren't there issues with states randomly revoking registration for imported kei vehicles because of emissions/safety/whatever?
      • nrmitchi 1y ago
        Not going to say it's right, but for a vehicle that is occassionally used to drive between your home and the hardware store, I'm sure that a ton of these types of vehicles are just not registered. Even if you get caught without registration, the inconvenience is relatively minor (when compared to a daily-driver not being registered)
      • rockostrich 1y ago
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• maxglute 1y ago
  How much before incentives? TFW just want cheap Hilux Champ.
• Peanuts99 1y ago
  This is like a car version of the Framework laptop. Love it.
• pnw 1y ago
  I'm really intrigued to see how this does. Kudos to Slate for trying something new and building it in Detroit at a great price point. I see a ton of discussion on social media from people who want to buy simpler vehicles with less features at a better price point (e.g. the Japanese Kei trucks). I'm not convinced Americans will actually buy such a vehicle because we are used to our modern conveniences in new vehicles. You can even see that trend in this thread where people are asking for more features, or things that were phased out decades ago due to safety (e.g. bench seats). Perhaps Slate has figured that out with their options packaging? I'm rooting for them regardless.
  • sema4hacker 1y ago
    > I'm not convinced Americans will actually buy such a vehicle because we are used to our modern conveniences My town is FULL of workers doing hauling, painting, gardening, construction, etc., and they're all driving old worn rusting pickups that barely seem held together. There's definitely a market for minimal trucks designed to just get the job done without the "modern conveniences".
    • twiddling 1y ago
      I also see this truck appealing to city/college/corp. campus fleets.
• aidenn0 1y ago
  For anyone curious, if you made a similarly sized gas-powered pickup with an i4 engine, it would be penalized more than a full-sized pickup for being too fuel inefficient, despite likely getting much better mileage than an F-150 because, since 2011, bigger cars are held to a lesser standard by CAFE[1]. 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy#Overview https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_average_fuel_economy...
  • MostlyStable 1y ago
    Example #5621 that a simple carbon tax would be miles better than the complex morass of regulations we currently have.
    • deleted 1y ago
      [deleted]
    • aidenn0 1y ago
      That's overly reductive. 1. Poorer people tend to drive older vehicles, so if you solely encourage higher fuel economies by taxing carbon emissions, then the tax is (at least short-term) regressive. 2. You can work around #1 by applying incentives for manufacturers to make more efficient cars should lead any carbon tax 3. If you just reward companies based on fleet-average fuel economy without regard to vehicle size, then it would be rather bad for US car companies (who employ unionized workers) that historically make larger cars than Asian and European companies. 4. So the first thing done was to have a separate standard for passenger vehicles and light-trucks, but this resulted in minivans and SUVs being made in such a way as to get the light-truck rating 5. We then ended up with the size-based calculation we have today, but the formula is (IMO) overly punitive on small vehicles. Given that the formula was forward looking, it was almost certain to be wrong in one direction or the other, but it hasn't been updated.
      • bflesch 1y ago
        Meanwhile jet fuel for private jets is (and remains) not taxed at all, even in the EU.
• greyjoyduck 1y ago
  No electronics in an EV, nahhhh
• SamuelAdams 1y ago
  Looks like the biggest thing isn’t even mentioned: no telematics control unit to track your behavior. https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/personal-information/how-to-stop-your-car-from-collecting-sharing-driving-data-a1233378612/ https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/personal-informa...
  • baby_souffle 1y ago
    > Looks like the biggest thing isn’t even mentioned: no telematics control unit to track your behavior. Is that confirmed? I would buy one *today* if this was known to be true... but I am 80% sure that they don't have any in production; all I see are renders. There will almost certainly be a WiFi radio (for at home OTA updates) but there will likely be a modem, too, for people that like to remotely manage charge. The modem may be an optional extra and the WiFi traffic is something I can block/inspect as needed.
    • ac29 1y ago
      > There will almost certainly be a WiFi radio (for at home OTA updates) but there will likely be a modem, too, for people that like to remotely manage charge. My 2024 EV doesnt have WiFi or Cellular radios.
      • baby_souffle 1y ago
        > My 2024 EV doesnt have WiFi or Cellular radios. Which car is that?
        • ac29 1y ago
          Lower trim of Nissan Leaf
      • germinalphrase 1y ago
        Which EV is that?
        • 1y ago
• rpmisms 1y ago
  I want exactly this, but with a hybrid engine, RWD, and a manual transmission. I would buy it new for $28k, no frills.
• varelse 1y ago
  [dead]
• sidewndr46 1y ago
  1. $50 for a reservation 2. No guarantee of delivery date 3. No right to purchase 4. No guarantee of purchase price 5. No assignment of purchase to other parties I've got some lunar real estate to sell you if you think this product will ever exist
• thecrumb 1y ago
  Love this! Would like to see a (manual) split rear window- super helpful for hauling longer things in a smaller truck. I put 10' conduit in my Ridgeline all the time.
• ge96 1y ago
  this seems so funny to me like "hey you want to buy something worse" I'm talking specifically about the no stereo/screen
• VyseofArcadia 1y ago
  This is amazing. I hope it succeeds. If I had any use for a truck I'd be lining up to buy one. They make one in a compact sedan or hatchback form factor and I am in. Heck, even better a subcompact.
  • thederf 1y ago
    I compared the dimensions of the Slate with my '06 Pontiac Vibe hatchback, and it's only a few inches longer. I suspect the Slate + Fastback kit will be pretty close to a hatchback in size and function.
• bufferoverflow 1y ago
  150 mile range makes it close to useless. As soon as you take it on a highway, the range will likely drop by half. Which means you can only do a round trip of 37 miles before you have to charge. Even a very aerodynamic Model 3 loses half of range at highway speeds. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/vkz0SOnR45Gved9B-q9ncPhpgfR5PNTUw9J81-V5QY8cFvc4amR0llr0etNa2VjcfE-PFy6yhe8C3TH1DO5OatquM1Ia2djqie4 https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/vkz0SOnR45Gved9B-q9n...
  • Rebelgecko 1y ago
    If I'm reading the chart properly it looks like the M3LR gets a smidge better than the advertised range at 65mph?
  • ac29 1y ago
    EVs dont lose 50% of their range at highway speeds. Even if they did, I'm not sure why you think you could only go 37 miles between charges (I think you meant 75 mi?).
    • hsshhshshjk 1y ago
      Round trip, you can go somewhere up to ~37 miles away and drive home to recharge on a single charge. You're both saying the same thing:)
    • bufferoverflow 1y ago
      > EVs dont lose 50% of their range at highway speeds. Yes, they do, compared to 25 mph. I even gave you the chart.
      • acdha 1y ago
        Tesla does not quote a 550 mile range for the Model 3, any more than an ICE car’s range is stated as what a hypermiler could get. As the chart shows, the reverse would be true: if they’re advertising a 150 mile range you would be able to beat that considerably if you drove at 30mph.
• randmeerkat 1y ago
  This is cool, but you can buy a 3 year old used model 3 right now for close to $25k that has 300+ mile range. The model 3 also has, wait for it, a/c and speakers…
  • neogodless 1y ago
    How long is the bed of that pickup? You mean this? https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-first-pickup-truck-is-a-diy-model-3-conversion/ https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-first-pickup-truck-is-a-diy-...
  • fads_go 1y ago
    wonder who is going to service that mod 3 if T. folds?
  • rawgabbit 1y ago
    I don't want to drive Führer wagon.
• coolspot 1y ago
  Remember when cybertruck was supposed to be cheap minimalistic truck? No paint, spartan interior, simple materials and straight shapes. $39k price tag. Yeah…
• mthulhu 1y ago
  This makes a lot of sense for a run around town and short commute car. It specializes for that use case perfectly. I can see a world where families have one decent gas/hybrid car and one cheap EV. That set up could save a lot of gas money over time while meeting the needs of the household. Also, when is the last time an economy car/truck looked this good? The slate is beautiful. I think it has a real shot if it arrives as promised, but we know how these things go.
• 9283409232 1y ago
  I'd buy this immediately and just paint it myself. This care looks perfect for modding.
• tintor 1y ago
  What are downsides of "no paint"?
• rossdavidh 1y ago
  I want one.
• scosman 1y ago
  This is just beautiful. A small, functional, electric truck. Not a luxury SUV with a tiny truck bed for cowboy cosplayers, or a cyberpunk glue heap. I hope they sell millions.
• malwrar 1y ago
  I love this concept and will probably buy one for that reason alone. 150 miles is too low though, I already struggle with the 180 I get out of my current electric car. Really cool to see more ideas in this space, congrats to the founders getting this far!
  • moate 1y ago
    Seems like they're offering a battery upgrade package, the 150 is the "MVP" battery
• benguild 1y ago
  this is cool but does it meet strong safety standards?
  • bob1029 1y ago
    "strong safety standards" are what got us to the point of 5000lb pickup trucks and A-pillars that are so wide they arguably kill more people (predominantly pedestrians & cyclists) than their constituent airbags save. It is cartoon villain tier to compromise the visual range of the driver at the safety expense of everyone outside the vehicle, who is not shielded by 2 tons of mass. Much of what is wrong with automobiles is a severe inability to think in higher order terms.
• wojciii 1y ago
  > "and the only way to listen to music while driving is if you bring along your phone and a Bluetooth speaker" Why not make a physical connection (power/network) and define a form factor for entertainment system with or without screen and speakers and let other companies design something to fit the space available. I don't understand why no one does this instead of selling cars full of crappy software that can't be upgraded.
  • mattlondon 1y ago
    That's what cars always used to have. Made them easily stealable though.
    • wojciii 1y ago
      This can be fixed by locking the device to a specific car .. by the user.
  • NegativeLatency 1y ago
    Double DIN already exists with fairly standard plugs in the back
    • wojciii 1y ago
      This is not plug and play. I want plug and play. You could even make an entertainment system which just runs using a phone connected using usb or bt.. which would make it just like android auto but without needing the car to support anything from google.
• duncancarroll 1y ago
  All the images look like renderings. Is the car actually in production?
  • neogodless 1y ago
    https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-wants-to-sell-a-bare-bones-ev-truck-for-20000/ https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-w... This has launch event photos that claim to be of prototypes.
• porphyra 1y ago
  At $20k it is actually comparable in cost to a GEM el Xd pickup [1] which can only go up to 35 mph, has 78 mile range, and costs $18k [2]. Totally different class of vehicle, of course. [1] https://www.gemcar.com/gem-el-xd/ https://www.gemcar.com/gem-el-xd/ [2] https://electriccarsalesandservice.com/products/2024-gem-el-xd-2-passenger-utility-truck-new https://electriccarsalesandservice.com/products/2024-gem-el-...
  • neogodless 1y ago
    I do wish we'd all just call this a $27.5K USD truck. If it ends up allowing some people to get a tax credit, awesome. But that's not the price they are targeting for selling this truck. And that tax credit is far from a guarantee come late 2026 / early 2027. (That's before any "later adjustments" to the price, not to mention the effects of uncertain tariff policy.)
• acyou 1y ago
  Okay, but is (was) this assuming on putting in Chinese batteries? If not, where are you going to get the cells and pack for that money?
• jmward01 1y ago
  The big thing I would want from this is no call-home/telemetry. I want privacy so I want a vehicle that gets me from a to b.
• __mharrison__ 1y ago
  I'm not sure why I read this as a $20k guitar pickup...
• Animats 1y ago
  Price seems to be creeping up. Car and Driver says $28K.[1] That may be related to "incentives". This could be very popular with companies that need small fleets of pickup trucks. The ones that have company logos on the side. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVeYjxQPdz4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVeYjxQPdz4
  • odo1242 1y ago
    Yea, incentives are currently about 7-8k depending on state so that sounds about right.
• loloquwowndueo 1y ago
  If they make a sedan I would buy it in a heartbeat at those prices. A pickup or suv doesn’t work for me.
• AlexCoventry 1y ago
  I'm looking for a vehicle which doesn't track my location, and doesn't have complex software controlling vehicle functions which could kill me. Maybe this is for me.
  • constantcrying 1y ago
    >and doesn't have complex software controlling vehicle functions Nobody should be allowed to buy a car without these functions. You aren't a good enough driver.
    • trinix912 1y ago
      Not when they're constantly failing. I've a 2020 Honda Civic with a lane assist that has quite a few times tried to spontaneously squeeze me into the wrong lane. I was better off without it.
• CydeWeys 1y ago
  I'm wondering why the hood is so big, given that it doesn't need to contain an engine? Is that where the batteries are located? Or is it just mostly empty space in the form of a frunk serving as a crumple zone to meet crash testing standards? I hope it's not just a strictly aesthetic thing, because you could reduce that distance and end up with an even more practical truck.
  • mrWiz 1y ago
    It has a 7 cubic foot frunk in there.
• moralestapia 1y ago
  This is not real. This will be real when you can go to some place, pay $20k and drive out with such thing. If you're into car CGI, this is a much more enjoyable resource [1]! 1: https://www.behance.net/search/projects/Car%20Render https://www.behance.net/search/projects/Car%20Render
• thederf 1y ago
  I'm quite excited about this. Ticks all my boxes for "low" tech, simple, moddable, useful, and cheap. I'm hoping my aging Pontiac Vibe holds out long enough to upgrade to one of these, if they succeed. I put in a preregistration!
  • aaronschroeder 1y ago
    Vibe solidarity! I have a 2009 with manual everything - even the old crank windows and manual door locks. This truck seems right up my alley.
  • data_ders 1y ago
    Hell yeah Pontiac Vibe! My 2008 is at 308k! I’ll drive into the ground
    • stantaylor 1y ago
      My 30-year-old daughter is still driving the Toyota version, the Matrix, also 2008, that we bought in about 2013. She loves the thing. If she didn't have it, I'm sure I would still be driving it. I find it hilarious that it's a limited-edition M Theory model. It has a badge glued to the dash that says "1926 of 5000." For a Toyota econobox.
    • thederf 1y ago
      Niice, giving me hope! My '06 is showing its age, but I hope it's got another 100k in her!
  • doctorpangloss 1y ago
    The problem is, the kind of person who cares about those things, as valid as they are, buys 0-1 cars per 20 years, and the market is driven (ha ha) by people who buy 2-3 cars every 2 years.
    • stantaylor 1y ago
      Very true. This truck appeals to me very much. My wife and I have a 2010 Accord and a 2014 CR-V. We could afford newer and/or fancier cars, but we just don't care about those things. We're thinking of buying a newer car at some point, but between interest rates and, now, tariffs, we're not in any hurry.
• pavlov 1y ago
  For comparison, this is a $16k car in China: https://carnewschina.com/2025/03/25/byd-sealion-05-ev-launhed-in-china-with-a-starting-price-of-16240-usd/ https://carnewschina.com/2025/03/25/byd-sealion-05-ev-launhe... It’s like if you could buy an old Nokia for $200, or a new Android smartphone for $160. The old Nokia certainly has nostalgic qualities and some concrete practical benefits like all-week battery life, but overall it’s not a great deal. And this is why you have >100% tariffs on Chinese cars — American manufacturers know they can’t compete.
  • rchaud 1y ago
    Those cars are priced for the budgets of domestic Chinese consumers. BYD exports to Europe are priced similarly to car models sold there. For the same reason, this Slate truck is very unlikely to cost just $20k when it reaches the mass production stage.
    • pavlov 1y ago
      There’s a 27% tariff on BYD cars in Europe, designed to bring the price more in line with European manufacturers.
• trgn 1y ago
  i hate trucks because they're big and trash up my neighborhood with their noise and size, just don't belong in the city. but since some neighbors have started driving electric (rivian, cybertruck), I tolerate them so so so much more. it's amazing how just making them electric has changed (and I hope, continues to change) the gestalt of my block.
• billconan 1y ago
  While I like this concept, for my next car, I need the safety features like 360 view, blind spot warning, lidar etc. Also, though I think using tablets and detachable speakers is cost effective, it may promote car break-ins?
• nashashmi 1y ago
  Good trend. Other companies should follow suit. Simplify the car enough. And make it cheap. Sometimes I feel like Chevys are just like this. Real cheap machines. Or those white ford vans made for industrial use.
  • anticorporate 1y ago
    I wish those Ford Transit vans were made at a cheaper price point. There's not one in stock in my metro area for less than $50,000.
• leoapagano 1y ago
  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore this truck. But I feel the same way about this truck that I do about the Framework Laptop (having owned one)—cool idea, cool product, but will Slate be around in 5 years to keep making parts and offering support for it?
  • sixdimensional 1y ago
    This is a fair concern, I imagine. If it is highly user serviceable, maybe that isn't a concern. That said, I think you raise a bigger issue - I'd like to see MORE things like Framework, Fairphone or Slate - user serviceable, customizable - maybe low initial cost. To me, this feels futuristic, exciting, optimistic and positive.. we need more like this, so how can we make these kinds of businesses more likely to succeed, resilient, etc?
  • nrp 1y ago
    5 years later, we’re still around and more successful than ever, both from a mission achievement and a business fundamentals standpoint.
• doright 1y ago
  From the Wikipedia page: > Unlike most vehicles sold in the United States, the Slate Truck is not expected to have any Internet connectivity Well that's certainly a sentence. It wasn't true just 20 years ago. It makes me wonder about the world we've grown into with deeply intertwined apps becoming not only the norm but expected. The idea is there but I'm wondering about the execution. Here's hoping it takes off.
  • Maxamillion96 1y ago
    if the truck becomes popular enough post-market modifications will probably be sold as an extra.
    • fellowniusmonk 1y ago
      If this thing really comes out in a couple years by the time it's ready for mass production to hit consumer hands there will probably be 2 or 3 self driving kits designed for it. The mods for this thing would be amazing. A buddy of mine who creates shaped interactive art panels with oleds for disney and other groups interactive events texted me about this, installing video panels on this is going to be a breeze. I'm more excited about this as a platform than even as a car, this is going to be like browser JS, the Lisa and VW Bug for creating an EV tech skill pipeline.
• mring33621 1y ago
  too many comments here to read them all but, MMW, i think they will sell every single unit made basic truck + freedom of customization will be very popular in the USA
• guywithahat 1y ago
  The issue with this is they claim the cost savings came from not having a screen and other silly features, but that’s not where money is spent. The real cost savings came a tiny, 150 mile battery. It could easily be <100 miles loaded up after a few years of use, which means there are very few use cases for this truck, and it certainly doesn’t make sense without the tax credit. Cool idea, but there’s no getting around the price of batteries
  • ceejayoz 1y ago
    There are plenty of use cases for a ~100 mile truck.
    • aksss 1y ago
      There are plenty of use cases in the narrow band that it can operate, but it is a pretty narrow band. Around town commuter in climate that doesn't need AWD/4WD, like great for shopping, commuting, or for small contractors doing jobs. Two people in the vehicle plus luggage, it will be interesting to see what happens to range. Love the concept.
      • ceejayoz 1y ago
        That “narrow” band is the vast majority of American driving. People drastically overestimate their needs in this regard. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/07/07/ev-range-anxiety-battery-myth/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2023/07/07/... > According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, 95.1 percent of trips taken in personal vehicles are less than 31 miles; almost 60 percent of all trips are less than 6 miles. In total, the average U.S. driver only covers about 37 miles per day. > In a study published in 2016, researchers at MIT found that a car with a 73-mile range (like an early version of the Nissan Leaf), charged only at night, could satisfy 87 percent of all driving days in the United States.
    • eightys3v3n 1y ago
      I would buy a 160km truck to drive to and from work.
• blt 1y ago
  As a car audio enthusiast, the biggest obstacle to putting a system into a new high-tech car is bypassing the deeply-embedded infotainment system while retaining decent aesthetics and steering wheel controls. The idea of getting an electric drivetrain and new-car safety with a 90's-style blank canvas for audio is amazing. I hope that the noise isolation and intended speaker mounting locations are good!
  • maerF0x0 1y ago
    feature, not a bug, they want you to buy their $4000 BOSE upgrade which is actually $500 of equipment.
    • skort 1y ago
      Do you have any proof or even a hint of a reason that this will be the case? Or is this just nonsense? Their FAQs even state: > Built-in infotainment systems raise a car’s price, and they become outdated quickly and have high failure rates. It seems unlikely that a company saying this will throw in a $4,000 infotainment system in a $20,000 vehicle.
      • manacit 1y ago
        I read this as the parent complaining about other car manufacturers selling you crappy default stereos so that you'll upgrade, not that Slate is excluding a stereo on this truck to upsell you. In fact, I would be rather surprised if you could buy $4,000 worth of stereo equipment for this car, given their promo materials seem to include a $100 bluetooth speaker below an iPhone.
      • whoknowsidont 1y ago
        The parent comment was about the general trend for car manufacturers to do this, not the manufacturer in question.
      • deleted 1y ago
        [deleted]
• taco_emoji 1y ago
  The rest makes sense, but no stereo? Why not?
• 383toast 1y ago
  Anybody know the safety of these vs typical trucks?
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• Animats 1y ago
  This is really useful. It's an upgraded kei truck. All the modern safety features - airbags, ABS, rear view camera, anti-collision braking. None of the frills - infotainment, connectivity, etc. Does it have air conditioning?
  • mixmastamyk 1y ago
    A video linked says yes.
• tboyd47 1y ago
  > a sub-$20,000 (after federal incentives) electric vehicle Buried the lede, didn't we?
• sandebert 1y ago
  Really interesting stuff. Reminds me of Ox (https://www.oxdelivers.com/ https://www.oxdelivers.com/).
• thekevan 1y ago
  >The rather extreme omission of any kind of media system in the car is jarring, but it, too, has secondary benefits. >“Seventy percent of repeat warranty claims are based on infotainment currently because there’s so much tech in the car that it’s created a very unstable environment in the vehicle,” Snyder says. I'm totally cool with them not having an infotainment screen or even a stereo itself. But speaker management might be a pain. I really hope they decide to either include speakers to which you connect to your own infotainment system or at the very least, have the space or brackets where you can bring your own speakers and install them without cutting. Having a bluetooth speaker take care of all the sound is just too bulky and cumbersome for those of us who need to live with constant music in the car. Plus, I don't want to leave a $150 bluetooth speaker in my car all the time and encourage break-ins.
  • cma 1y ago
    I'd rather have my Bluetooth speaker stolen than an installed stereo stolen where they just gut parts of the car and rip things up. But it will be a bigger target since it's easier to resell.
    • BoorishBears 1y ago
      > But it will be a bigger target since it's easier to resell. Indeed: https://www.reddit.com/r/Toyota/comments/1bt8ck8/loved_dropping_55k_just_to_have_the_jbl_speaker/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Toyota/comments/1bt8ck8/loved_dropp...
  • spookie 1y ago
    just place 4 bluetooth speakers connected to eachother in a mesh or something
  • germinalphrase 1y ago
    There is a video going around showing Slate’s answer is an optional, removable Bluetooth speaker. It looked similar to a JBL. There’s a bracket to mount it on the dash.
  • mulmen 1y ago
• aksss 1y ago
  I like the idea of this as a Framework-style vehicle. If they really leaned into the mod community and were making deliberate decisions to support this, it could offer a lot of traction. Shame there's no AWD version of this. That, the larger battery option, in truck mode with a rack and tonneau cover would be great for contractors as an around-town job vehicle.
• rmason 1y ago
  I think one of the most amazing things about this new company is that its run by women who held prominent roles in the Big 3. Its an intriguing vehicle but a Ford Maverick pickup offers far more value for the same price. Sad to say but if the thing was made in Mexico and was priced at $15,000 it would be a huge hit. By the time you accounted for the $7500 federal tax credit it would be priced at around a quarter the price of a gas 4 cylinder powered pickup. An entire industry of add-ons and wraps would spring up around it.
  • nodesocket 1y ago
    Not following why it’s women run has any real bearing. Let’s judge people by their accomplishments not their sex and race.
    • ChadMoran 1y ago
      Do you think women have had equal opportunities leading to this moment?
    • paddw 1y ago
      I don't read it as saying run by *women*, I think it's just saying "run by women" in the same mode as "run by guys from".
      • rmason 1y ago
        Actually I meant it in a good way. To my knowledge there has never been a car company anywhere that was started by a female team. Just checked with ChatGPT and it confirmed while there have been women involved with EV and battery startups there hasn't ever been an all female founder led car company. Now that Mary Barra became the CEO of GM it was wildly heralded that there was no longer a glass ceiling in the auto world. But I'd posit actually starting a company, raising money from investors like Jeff Bezos is taking it to another level. The good news is that I don't think its the last new car company that will get started. I personally know of a guy in Ohio who wants to manufacture a car he built using a diesel engine that gets over 100 mpg and can beat both a Dodge Viper and a Tesla Model 3 to 60 mph.
• conductr 1y ago
  Looks up my alley. I already went backwards and got a low mileage 2013 specifically to shed all the technology crap. I’d much rather have something newer and nicer
• drunner 1y ago
  Can we do this for combustion cars too please!
• iZSJERil 1y ago
  I could imagine this being popular for company and fleet trucks, but I can't imagine it being popular for personal vehicles with the general public. The people I know who drive personal pickup trucks want the absolute biggest one they can find and have zero interest in actually doing any truck activities with it. They drive their Raptors and 2500s to work and to burger king and that's it. If they do any customization, they might take it to a shop and pay them to put a louder muffler on it.
• klysm 1y ago
  Will believe it when I see it unfortunately looks like very early stages
• resters 1y ago
  This is extremely refreshing. I think that it would be possible to make something like this in the US for under $15K even. Cars and trucks are so over-engineered and come with tons of low value options intended to drive up the price. For a case in point, consider that headlights that turn on and off automatically in response to darkness (or rain) are not a standard feature on many cars, yet they include a manual switch that costs more than a photosensor only because of the trim-level upgrades. Cars could include a slot for a tablet but instead come with overpriced car stereos and infotainment systems that are always light years worse than the most amateurish apps on any mobile app store. As should be very clear by now after the 2008 US auto industry bailouts and the 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs, the US auto industry is heavily protected and faces virtually no competition, which is why a common sense vehicle like the one in the article sounds revolutionary, though I imagine BYD could deliver something a lot more impressive for $10K if allowed to compete in the US without tariffs.
  • tw04 1y ago
    >heavily protected and faces virtually no competition Huh? Out of the top 25 vehicles sold in the US in 2024, 16 of them are non-US automakers. Just because the US is actively blocking China from dumping heavily subsidized vehicles into the north american market, doesn't mean they "face no competition". Kia and Hyundai alone show that it's VERY possible to break into the US market if you have even a little bit of interest playing fair. https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g60385784/bestselling-cars-2024/ https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g60385784/bestselling-cars...
    • decimalenough 1y ago
      The only real way to break into the US market is to have factories in the US. Trucks in particular are protected by the notorious 25% "chicken tax", which has been in place since the 1960s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tax
      • tw04 1y ago
        >Trucks in particular are protected by the notorious 25% "chicken tax", which has been in place since the 1960s. And yet, that applies to everyone, including US automakers, which is why Ford had to do unnatural things to import the transit from Europe. They aren't protecting US automakers, they're trying to retain some semblance of manufacturing in the US, which I'm fully in support of. Both because those are well-paying jobs and because it's a matter of national security.
• Loughla 1y ago
  That's what I want. That's almost exactly what I want. If it were 4x4 it would be literally exactly what I want.
• chubs 1y ago
  I'm very positive, however note that when they mention "injection molded polypropylene composite material" - this (i think) is the same material used for Seadoo Spark jetskis. I owned one and had a minor crash, and because this material cannot be repaired, the entire hull needed replacing, it was an insurance write-off. I hope they've thought about how to make this car repairable and not 'disposable' after the first inevitable minor crash. Of course this may not be a fair comparison because jetski hulls are exposed, whereas car chassis' have panels and bumpers.
• throw7 1y ago
  I want this with an ice engine.
• Animats 1y ago
  There's a configurator now.[1] Lots of factory options. The trouble is that it turns into a $30,000 and up vehicle. [1] https://www.slate.auto/en/personalization https://www.slate.auto/en/personalization
• sarmasamosarma 1y ago
  [dead]
• ranger_danger 1y ago
  I can't imagine the DIY minimalist crowd is terribly popular, or profitable... I wonder how long they will actually be able to stay in business.
• vroomvrooom 1y ago
  [flagged]
• Jach 1y ago
  What a gross looking vehicle, and at that price? I just want the old ranger design. I've been using a 2006 ranger for quite a while and it's served me well, I'd like to upgrade it to a ranger XL for that little extra cab room for crap, along with 4WD and power windows and AC, but people rightfully guard them and when they do show up at dealerships they're typically pretty expensive too. I've thought about importing a Kei, but I don't think it's for me. When I think "American kei truck" I at least think something in the ballpark range cost of a Kei, which is quite a bit less, at least half as expensive for the best options like 4WD, even less if you can compromise. It also has charm unlike this. The range is just ridiculous, too. My little ranger isn't exactly great, I don't push it much more than 300 miles on a tank, but having half that (new! let alone after a few years) is such a deal breaker. Last time I took my truck camping it was around 60 miles each way, and that was a nearby spot.
• burlesona 1y ago
  I LOVE this idea. I’ve specifically been looking to buy a tiny truck or van, “can hold sheets of plywood” being a major criteria. I love the idea of that being a simple electric I can charge at home. Beautiful!
• mystified5016 1y ago
  No infotainment is great. We're all dying for a car with no infotainment. But no stereo at all is not something that anyone wants. A simple radio is as much a basic expectation as "windows that go down". Aside, why a pickup body? Aren't sedans wildly more popular?
  • Marsymars 1y ago
    > Aside, why a pickup body? Aren't sedans wildly more popular? No, roughly SUVs are 55%, trucks 20% sedans/hatchbacks/station wagons 20%, vans 5%. With SUV kit, this covers 75% of market from a body-style perspective.
• nelblu 1y ago
  This should really be mainstream car manufacturing. I can't wait for the day when we have choice of cheap cars, with DiY upgrades and no fucking tracking mechanisms built in and something that works without a phone. I wish them all the success and for the first time in my adult life, I'm excited about technology in cars again!
• guynamedloren 1y ago
  Perfect. Instant buy for me if they can deliver on their promises. No other car in recent memory has spoken to my minimalist frugal engineering mind like this one. Hope my 2000 4runner lasts until the Slate gets delivered to my door!
• ThinkBeat 1y ago
  Will this be street legal? Will it have airbags? If most of the car in injected molded plastics, what happens when it gets int a crash with a regular car?
• ThinkBeat 1y ago
  If I undersand the article right, it sounds like they make it with no features but that you add yourself afterwards "We moved all the complicated parts outside the factory" What does that really mean? You can paint it yourself, well ok, people may like that. Making it easy to service is great. If I want electric windows is that adaptable? (It may come with electric windows) When I want to put in a stereo A navigation system? AC? (Might come with it) It would be cool if the car was a abit "framework" so it has an open well thought out way to add and integrate features a person may want. THe compnay and 3rd parties could offer up all sorts of cool stuff.
• siscia 1y ago
  I wonder if it would make financial sense to offer the "skeleton" of the car for sale and let design studios integrate all the pieces.
• lukewrites 1y ago
  I put down a deposit for one. An EV that's designed to be user-serviceable, has modular upgrades, and isn't full of surveillance technology? This checks all the boxes for me. Can't wait to play with it.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• chrisbrandow 1y ago
  I have dreamt of some entity trying to do this. A completely stripped down vehicle sold for a (hopefully) sustainable profit. I wish them as well as possible, and they will have my interest in purchasing one.
• gumboshoes 1y ago
  My prediction: this will cost $15K-$25K more before you ever have it in your driveway. Even with tariff and market uncertainties.
• mrcwinn 1y ago
  I thought the Verge only covered “what’s in the box.” This vehicle will not be $20k in the end.
• kevin_thibedeau 1y ago
  These are going to rust out fast in higher latitudes. You'd think Michiganders would know better.
• robomartin 1y ago
  Interesting. No mention of crash testing or crash-worthiness/safety. Airbags? ABS braking? Collision avoidance (brakes engage based on distance and speed to cars or objects ahead), etc. Before the hounds say "it is refreshing..." remember that lots of safety features are there because so many people died before they were instituted. How safe is this plastic body from lateral impact by an F150 or SUV? One of the reasons for which I do not like or buy old vehicles is the lack of safety features that are common today. All it takes is to land a loved one in the hospital (or worse) to quickly regret the choice to buy a cheap car or an old unsafe car. Years ago my father was t-boned by a full size SUV at a neighborhood intersection, launching his car diagonally across the intersection and onto the front yard of the corner house...through a couple of trees. He walked away from that one because the safety engineering of the vehicle he was driving save his life. Another note: To me, while this is interesting, it is also a sad commentary on the state of manufacturing in the US. The ONLY WAY to make a $20K car in the US is to strip it down to bare metal...err...not even use metal...or paint...or electronics...or comfortable seats...and have HALF the range of other EV's...and even take out the speakers, etc. And then, you sell not having all those things as a FEATURE! Yup. Brilliant. What's the least we can do to build a car and get away with it? My prediction is that this thing will die a pretty rapid death or they will have to pivot into making real cars for this market. There's a reason nearly three million conventional trucks were sold in the US last year. Plastic bodies, 150 mile range and barren interiors did not fit the description of a single one of them.
• mberning 1y ago
  I wish them the absolute best. Make trucks trucks again.
• smeeger 1y ago
  people when a tesla doesnt have a knob: “outrageous. there couldnt be any benefit to that!” people when this car has no paint or speakers: “… take my money.”
• smeeger 1y ago
  it is extremely important that you read this comment: a company called edison motors out of canada is making a conversion kit that can turn any pickup into a hybrid using a drop-in motor and a really powerful generator. imagine something that costs less than this truck, has a range of many hundreds of miles, and can be used to tow more than ten thousand pounds. and you never have to turn on the generator if you dont need to. groceries on all electric. they are posting videos on youtube about this, its real. i personally believe that these work trucks will be the best in history. the most reliable, the most utility, the best cost.
• FloatArtifact 1y ago
  Hold on, isn't backup cameras mandated for vehicles sold after May 2018?
• WalterBright 1y ago
  It sounds just like the goals of Ford's Model T. I'd be very interested in buying one of these as my first EV.
• frainfreeze 1y ago
  Is there anything like this in EU?
• 0xbadcafebee 1y ago
  It's embarrassing when people buy a truck and don't use it for work, towing or payload. So you bought a fuel-inefficient non-aerodynamic vehicle whose storage area is open to the air and unusable for passengers, and it's not big enough to carry or tow large items? What a smart choice. However, with the SUV package and lift kit, this is actually useful. It's basically the same size (and payload and towing capacity) of the 2nd gen Scion xB. A boxy, roomy, small, cheap car. Absolutely useful and great. (Unlike a tiny truck.)
• ryanschaefer 1y ago
  So incredibly refreshing after the abomination that is the telos was announced
• zrobotics 1y ago
  Damn, this might finally get me to retire my 83 Mazda b2200. I've king thought this size trick is about perfect, and the old Perkins engine in my truck is getting really tired. Mostly commenting so I have this in my history to refer to later
• spaceguillotine 1y ago
  so, an actual cybertruck
• almosthere 1y ago
  Cybertruck was such a miss.
• LoganDark 1y ago
  > "Extremely affordable" > $20,000
• ezekiel68 1y ago
  They could get the price down to $18.5k by omitting the steering assemblage.
• slimmons 1y ago
  I don't know what laws need to change, or what needs to happen, but for the people in the southern united states, nearly every one of us would be a reasonably priced gas truck. There are no options. I had to buy a grossly overpriced F150 for double what I think it's worth because there's no other option. These fuel economy laws in the USA make no sense. While this truck is neat I guess, there's 0 use case for it for people who really need trucks in the USA.
• furrydoge 1y ago
  Looks good. If it never beeps or dings or makes interior noises, I'm in.
• Animats 1y ago
  The US is falling way behind in electric vehicles. If BYD could sell in the US, the US auto industry would be crushed.[1] What went wrong is that 1) Tesla never made a low-end vehicle, despite announcements, and 2) all the other US manufacturers treated electric as a premium product, resulting in the overpowered electric Hummer 2 and F-150 pickups with high price tags. The only US electric vehicle with comparable prices in electric and gasoline versions is the Ford Transit. BYD says that their strategy for now is to dominate in every country that does not have its own auto industry. Worry about the left-behind countries later. BYD did it by 1) getting lithium-iron batteries to be cheaper, safer, and faster-charging, although heavier than lithium-ion, 2) integrating rear wheels, differential, axle, and motor into an "e-axle" unit that's the entire mechanical part of the power train, and 3) building really big auto plants in China. Next step is to get solid state batteries into volume production, and build a new factory bigger than San Francisco. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BYD_Auto_vehicles https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BYD_Auto_vehicles
  • sebmellen 1y ago
    The Chevy Spark EV is an incredible vehicle and has been my around town go kart for the past 7 years. Cost me $11k (!!) as an off lease purchase.
    • joshjob42 1y ago
      I adored my Spark EV til it sadly died (fairly scarily, on a highway access road) one day. Chevy was never able to repair it and ultimately gave me a nice payout after paying for a rental for me for nearly a year. But if you sold the Spark EV for 20k today with like 120mi of range, it would be perfect and would satisfy all my needs 99% of the time. Even mine (13k all in) was great here in LA with ~60mi of range. I loved how small and easy to park it was without feeling cramped to me at all. If it had CarPlay I'd've said it was the perfect car haha. It's a shame they haven't rebooted it yet as a pure EV. It's right there in the name!
  • caseyf7 1y ago
    BYD buses are operating in the US.
• allset_ 1y ago
  OK now do a small hatchback.
• nkoren 1y ago
  Not a truck guy, but I like it. What I like the most is that it's not batshit fucking insane. I recently visited America after a couple of years away, and spent a couple of weeks in California, driving from SF to LA. The thing which I found the most striking was the sheer insanity of the pickup trucks that were absolutely everywhere. These things were true Idiocracy-class monster trucks, which are clearly lethal to operate in any environment which includes pedestrians. In some cases, my five-year-old's head barely reached the bumper, and my wife's head didn't clear the hood. And these were highly-polished, un-dented behemoths that had clearly never seen a dirt road in their lives. The whole thing is clearly all about aesthetics and identity politics. Absolutely revolting. (If you haven't visited the US recently, I think it's almost impossible to appreciate how obscene the phenomena is. 10 years ago, trucks were far more restrained, but could still do everything they needed to do. 30 years ago, trucks were fully half the size, but could still carry the same-size loads and do honest work. There's honestly no possible justification for their corpulent growth.) Anyhow, this thing looks like it can do honest work without killing everyone who crosses its path. I really appreciate that. I hope it starts a trend.
  • Marsymars 1y ago
    I mostly agree with you, but I will note that the big trucks now have much higher load capacities than regular trucks 30 years ago. A stock F-150 now has about double the towing capacity of one from 30 years ago, despite most of them never being used to tow anything.
• catchmeifyoucan 1y ago
  I wonder if I could write my own software for this car? Like auto-sensing rain-wipers with an Arduino or something, and if the CAN BUS protocol isn't super hard to use. This would be a car hacking dream.
• fluorinerocket 1y ago
  Make it a combustion engine and I'm sold
• paulajohnson 1y ago
  This has much the same design philosophy as the original Land Rover: tough, reliable, simple and maintainable. It was originally developed as the UK answer to the Jeep, but rapidly became the standard utility vehicle for anyone with an outdoor off road job. Especially farmers. Something like two thirds of all Land Rovers ever made are still in use. This might well go the same way.
  • constantcrying 1y ago
    >This has much the same design philosophy as the original Land Rover: tough, reliable, simple and maintainable Where do you get any of this from? Especially EVs are not something you can easily tinker with as the risk of killing yourself is pretty high. In general they are also more integrated and less maintainable and it seems unlikely that this won't be the case here. Maintainability costs money and to make a 20k car happen every cent needs to be saved. As for reliability it is obviously one of the first things to sacrifice to make low costs happen. We have seen nothing of this car, I doubt the engineering is even far along.
• constantcrying 1y ago
  It is an interesting idea, but there is obviously a lot which can go wrong here. Can you actually build an EV like that, conforming to all regulations, with significant cost reduction? VW is currently trying to build a 20k EV, which seem extremely difficult in Europe and US labor costs are probably higher. The Dacia EVs (which seem closest in concept to a pickup) suffer from many downsides, to make low prices happen. Do people actually want less screens or do they just say that? Is customization a road to profitability? VWs ID.1 concept has a similar idea to lower entry price, by making several upgrades user installable, so they can be bought over time. This is obviously a US only car and the US is very lacking in EV adoption. Will this sell in significant numbers? Can you actually make it cheaply? Rivian is notoriously unprofitable and making cheap cars is, far, far harder than making expensive cars.
• theshrike79 1y ago
  And the worst thing is that Elon could've been a living legend by building/funding colleges and schools focused on the tech his companies need, software development, robotics etc. Or even given out million dollar scholarships for the very top students. And he still would've been worth over 250 billion easily. Instead he chose to buy the president and start "optimising" the government with AI.
  • motorest 1y ago
    > And the worst thing is that Elon could've been a living legend by building/funding colleges and schools focused on the tech his companies need, software development, robotics etc. Could he, though? I mean, he might have the cash, but if you look at his history you don't see that much interest or respect for basic academic principles, or even any basic academic achievement whatsoever. He conveys an image of someone who is mentally trapped in prepubescence, and who repeatedly does things that a prepubescent kid does to try to gather admiration. I meant who desperately tries to pass themselves off as elite gamers? How long will it take until he moves on to DJing? That's not someone who has any interest in founding education institutions. The man does have an army of terminally online sycophants, which I now wonder whether they are astroturfed.
    • e40 1y ago
      I think the point is he could if he was a different person.
      • motorest 1y ago
        > I think the point is he could if he was a different person. That statement is pointless. The critical factor is not money, it's willingness. You do not even need to be the world's richest man to put together a school. There are pro athletes with a fraction of the wealth that already do meaningful investments in education.
    • voidspark 1y ago
      He has two degrees. BA in Physics and BSc in Economics
• torginus 1y ago
  I have said this and will reiterate - building an 'afforable' EV is impossible with the current level of technology - by which I mean a vehicle that competes on price with affordable ICE vehicles, and doesn't make compromises that would make it impractical to own as the only car. There are $20k cars with infotainment, bodypaint and probably a lot more creature comforts than this thing. Also this thing has a 150 mile range (less probably IRL), which is not practical. Looking at the basic shape, the drag looks horrible, and probably the efficiencys bad too, considering they only manage 150k with an 52kWh battery. Euros have already tried this, they put out abominable shitboxes where they tried to save money everywhere but the battery and charger, and the result were poverty cars which barely cost less than a Model 3. Once you spend the money on a 400 mile battery and a fast enough charger to be practical, you're most of the way in terms of BOM to a 300HP electric upmarket road monster. Tesla understood this, and are dominating the market. BYD also knows this, and there's a reason their C-segment EVs cost more than their D-segment plug-ins, despite the latter having tons of electric range. Also doesn't cost $20k from the factory, it costs $20k with tax credit.
  • gniv 1y ago
    Why is this? We've been told that the cost of batteries is in freefall for years now. Why aren't they competitive yet with ICE, even if they are heavier?
    • mixmastamyk 1y ago
      It’s a process happening over time. Why the grandparent’s comment will age horribly in only five years. I remember similar comments about digital cameras shortly after Y2k. A dozen years later it was already hard to use anything else. Read the innovator’s dilemma for a full understanding of the process.
• torginus 1y ago
  I think this is going to cater very well to contractors who do a lot of run-around in small area.
• almosthere 1y ago
  By the way, THIS is how we stop inflation. We make new things that cost less and are innovative. People on here are so scared of "deflation" but the reality is, if you don't have deflation your not innovating enough!
• wiz21c 1y ago
  Please make a washing machine like that
• chollida1 1y ago
  Aren't backup cameras mandated in the US now? How do you have a background camera with no screen? Edit I see the issue. The actual title say no touch screen. The OP altered the title to just say screen for some unexplainable reason. Maybe this title should be fixed?
  • VyseofArcadia 1y ago
    Answer's in the article. There is a screen behind the wheel for the speedometer, odometer, etc. The backup cam displays there.
    • chollida1 1y ago
      Right, I edited my comment. The OP just posted a pretty misleading title saying there was no screen at all.
• rco8786 1y ago
  Feels kinda like an American kei truck, maybe it'll catch on.
• yellowapple 1y ago
  If Slate can actually pull this off then this might be the first automobile I buy new. It's almost exactly what I've been begging for. Main question I have is whether the "blank slate" can be gradually upgraded. Article mentions a battery upgrade, but for example if I did eventually want to install a head unit or whatever, would I be able to do that after driving the truck off the lot? How open will this thing be to aftermarket upgrades?
• tgtweak 1y ago
  It would be great if they published an SDK for canbus communication and interfacing, that would really enable aftermarket and add-ons.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• karaterobot 1y ago
  I couldn't be more excited about this vehicle (I put $50 down to reserve one), but god damn, that customizer tool is bad. I'm someone who goes to a lot of auto manufacturer websites and makes imaginary builds, so I think I've spent time using the majority of builder apps that are out there, and this is one of the worst. On a laptop, with a shorter screen and a touchpad, it's really hard to use. Which is too bad, since customization is their whole deal.
• casey2 1y ago
  Who is going to pay 20K for an oversized RC car? Youtubers?
• brianolson 1y ago
  Great concept. Bring back real small trucks. My grandpa ran a farm with a truck this size. Disappointed in towing capacity of 1000 pounds ish. I can already do 1700lb on my hybrid rav4
• finnjohnsen2 1y ago
  I love the idea. Simple and elegant. Hopefully someone will make something similar in Europe
• usrusr 1y ago
  So basically they are doing the simple "BEV can be cheap if you don't try to size the battery for long distance driving" but leave out lots of other things that don't meaningfully contribute to the lower price, as a distraction. That might be just the thing that had been missing for bootstrapping the market of short haul electric (think of all those trips that are done in a car because they are almost but not quite walkable/bikeable!). Reminds me of how the Tesla roadster and then S bootstrapped the market of luxury electric.
• avalys 1y ago
  The discourse around this thing is hilarious. For years people have been saying “I just want a small, simple truck with no frills and a reasonable price.” Now, one is finally available, and all the commentary is “Oh, I’m in the target market for this, but I just need them to add:” - more room for passengers - more payload - an infotainment screen for nav - more room in the bed - more towing capacity - screens in the seats for kids - an app to “manage” it Guess what! This is why the best-selling vehicles are large trucks, because they give the most people what they want. Everyone wants a small and cheap and simple car with all the comforts of big and expensive cars. Reality doesn’t work that way!
  • CamperBob2 1y ago
    It's the Microsoft Office paradigm in automotive form. Nobody uses more than 20% of the features in Word or Excel, but nobody uses the same 20%, so it's basically a useless observation. You can't just chop 80% of the features out and still end up with a widely-used product. They can't sell a vehicle in the US market without a screen, in any case, due to the need for a backup camera.
• deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
• mbonnet 1y ago
  I wish there were an all-wheel or four-wheel drive option. This would make it the perfect shorter-range adventuremobile for snowsports and remote backwoods climbing and hiking access.
• jamescontrol 1y ago
  This reminds me of the cars being produced in Russia at the moment…