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REO Trucks I4 4WD Pickup Truck Starts at $21,500

114 points by b_mc2 2mo ago

thatcherc 2mo ago
It's weird to see a new vehicle announced like this that's not an EV. I wonder what it's like launching a gas truck when new battery-powered trucks are looming in the distance (or already here).
- herbst 2mo ago
  There are many great EV cars. But when you have a trailer or caravan we still talk about a heavily reduced range (and often they aren't allowed to pull at all, or weight limits get a problem, at least in Europe)
  - analog31 2mo ago
    The interesting thing in the US is that a lot of pickups, possibly most of them, are purchased for regular daily driving. None of the people I know with pickups have trailers.
    - csto12 2mo ago
      I love seeing Ram 6000 Max Diesel Rampage Pros who’s sole job is going to work and Walmart.
      - phoghed 2mo ago
        Isn’t the Ram Rampage a more compact non US market 4cyl variant? Like a maverick competitor?
        csto12 2mo ago
        I just made up a name. I know Rebel is a model that’s hilariously large. Don’t know about others.
        quickthrowman 2mo ago
        Yes, the RAM Rampage is comparable to a Ford Maverick which is a unibody vehicle with a truck bed. The massive truck they likely meant would be a RAM 3500 HD super crew cab full size bed Cummins diesel dually rear axle with a vertical dual stainless steel smokestack exhaust kit for good measure. Which is essentially the largest truck you can get with a pickup bed from RAM, GM, or Ford; and they go for over $100,000 with options. There are even larger monstrosities with pickup beds built on top of 550/5500/Class 5 truck chassis which are basically a Canyonero from He Simpsons in real life: https://www.elevationoffgrid.com/ https://www.elevationoffgrid.com/ My favorite derogatory term for a vehicle type is ‘hausfrauenpanzer’ which means ‘housewife tank’ in German, which is used for a large SUV in Germany, lol.
      - wlesieutre 2mo ago
        And when they pick up groceries they load everything onto the floor of the back seat because the bed is so high up you’d need a step ladder to use it
        Eueudhsbsj32 2mo ago
        I think the more important reasons are to prevent the groceries from sliding around in the bed and to protect them from the sun and precipitation.
        bakies 2mo ago
        Dang, if only someone made an everyday car with a soft weather proof enclosed cargo area, possibly you could have the tailgate open up and away as well so it's not in the way. I would think Americans would love to have something more practical than a work vehicle
        antonvs 2mo ago
        Sounds communist
        Eueudhsbsj32 2mo ago
        Sure, I could buy a dedicated more efficient car for the rare days when there is zero risk of rain and I don't need to haul anything larger. After more than 1cm of rain, the last 500m of the steep dirt road up to my off-grid house in the mountains is completely impassable without 4wd. And I, or my family-in-law, regularly haul large trees, construction equipment, several 100kg of fertilizer, etc. in the truck bed. Buying a single vehicle, a pre-owned 4wd Ford Ranger made the most economic sense.
        bakies 2mo ago
        Not doubting there's a place for them. I'm in suburbia and all my friends have or want them for grocery getting. It's stupid.
      - stackghost 2mo ago
        The suburban people buying Ram 9001 Warlord Editions are not the target market for this truck.
      - SoftTalker 2mo ago
        It's honestly not that many. That's a very expensive truck for a daily driver. Most likely they have a large Airstream camper, horse trailer, or 5th wheel trailer or similar that they pull with it. Sure, some people just like a big diesel truck for ego reasons. But the cost of them limits most people's ability to endulge that.
        cosmic_cheese 2mo ago
        That’s what one would expect, but in some parts of the US it’s not uncommon to see dilapidated houses with a shiny tricked out F-150 that’s never worked a day in its life sitting out in the parking lot… I think for some it’s an identity thing more than anything else.
        analog31 2mo ago
        I grew up in a suburb of Detroit, and when I went back to visit the family home a few years ago, every street was parked up on both sides with giant vehicles. It was a sight to behold. They weren't all the most expensive trucks, and many were noticeably older. Things in our town went up and down with the cycle of the car industry.
        antonvs 2mo ago
        > But the cost of them limits most people's ability to endulge that. Sounds like you’ve never been to the US. Thanks to cheap credit, every hillbilly and redneck has one of these. Which feels like about 60% of the population sometimes.
        SoftTalker 2mo ago
        I have lived in the US my entire life. And yes pickup trucks are part of the "country" or "rural" identity to some extent but most people who live in rural areas actually use their trucks as trucks frequently. They pull trailers, or use them to haul furniture, appliances, building materials, trash... all the stuff that has delivery services in the city but you have to do for yourself if you live in the country.
        2mo ago
      - kylehotchkiss 2mo ago
        “Compensation” and extreme loneliness (cannot find my tribe without spreading its dumb peacock wings so they know I fit in)
      - mothballed 2mo ago
        4 trips a year picking up a heavy excavator or tractor so you dont have to pay a tradesman a gazillion dollars and it pays for itself. "But just pay someone to haul it or rent a truck" lmao good fucking luck down my dirt roads
      - hsbauauvhabzb 2mo ago
        Speeding through school zones in a maximum impact people killer sure is fun too though
      - apitman 2mo ago
        Drug store cowboys, aka "big hat; no cattle"
      - MisterTea 2mo ago
        But they have a clean, covered bed and sparking clean trailer hitch that's never seen a trailer tongue - just in case.
    - skippyfish 2mo ago
      I find it somewhat amusing that this attracts a lot of ire, but most of us would prefer a 2,000+ sq ft suburban home with a lawn when we could live comfortably in a 500-700 sq ft apartment, like people do in most European cities. Ultimately, life in highly developed countries is largely about the wants, not the needs, and different cultures emphasize different wants. The tech culture of the SF Bay Area doesn't glamorize big trucks, but it glamorizes making millions of dollars with no regard for privacy or social impacts of the tech we build.
      - rationalist 2mo ago
        You're not allowed to speak the truth against group think. For many people, their emotions are more important than being rational.
    - thegrim33 2mo ago
      That some people buy them and don't really need them has zero relevance on whether any people have need for them.
      - SoftTalker 2mo ago
        And a lot of people have occasional need for a truck but don't want to or can't afford to own more than one car, so they use the truck for all their driving.
        convolvatron 2mo ago
        some guy left a few hundred pounds of steel in the loading area of my workshop for stupid reasons. maybe about $80 worth in scrap. he kept coming by and claiming someone was going to pick up it up, and getting really threatening about us stealing the value from him. the scrap yard is 200 ft away. he drives a big jacked up truck. after a couple weeks of this I'm like 'look, I'll cut it down, and we can throw it in that truck of yours and you can roll 200ft down the road and we'll be done with it'. he was incensed, his bed liner would get all scratched up. after that I dragged it out onto the curb for the meth addicts to sell.
        westmeal 2mo ago
        Lol pavement princess level of nonsense
        cucumber3732842 2mo ago
        Exactly. People are optimizing for the most capability on one car payment. And for a lot of them that looks like a pickup but it also drives what people buy in the SUV market as well. This has bee known for decades. Like it's literally defining principal behind the 4-dr jeep and the proliferation of 3rd rows in midsize SUVs. The fact that you're still getting downvoted for saying it speaks volumes.
        to11mtm 2mo ago
    - copperx 2mo ago
      What do you mean daily driving? Like commutes? That wouldn't make any sense.
      - analog31 2mo ago
        Yes exactly this. The parking lot of a typical American urban workplace will be filled with a disproportionate number of pickup trucks. Our culture ties our cars to our identities.
    - fultonn 2mo ago
      American trucks are built for towing -- it's one of the reasons they are so big and heavy and expensive -- so I get where the "trucks are for towing" wisdom comes from. But it's still funny to me. Because in my mind one of the main perks of an open bed is that you can do so much before having to deal with a trailer (which are super annoying, especially in cities, especially without off-street parking). Which I guess is just to say: maybe there's a market for a truck that can't tow much, because maybe there's a portion of the market that wants an open bed but doesn't need to tow a massive camper or whatever.
  - yellowapple 2mo ago
    Gas vehicles suffer from that range reduction, too, as my brother-in-law learned the hard way last weekend during a road trip we took to Idaho and back (wherein he was towing a camper-trailer).
- nonethewiser 2mo ago
  I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t an ev. Very aggressive price point for a new IC vehicle.
  - doodlebugging 2mo ago
    I agree though I kinda wish it was a hybrid. Maybe down the line that will happen. The price point is a valid point and it ticks all our boxes - 4WD, manual transmission, not huge. I've priced out components for one of my trucks and $21500 is not gonna buy all of the running gear. I expect that none of this truck's drivetrain will use custom parts and that all of the critical drivetrain parts will come from existing supply lines for simplicity and ease of hitting their "repair in your driveway" messaging. The guy is probably gauging interest through reservations and prepping his lie sheet (marketing data) to present to existing supply chain providers to try to earn discounts on volume orders. I hope it all works. We will likely reserve one or maybe two. Our existing small truck, a 4WD Ford Ranger with manual transmission, is long in the tooth and I'm tired of dicking around with it.
    - fragmede 2mo ago
      Kind of like the Local Motors Rally Fighter, which was a kit car that kept costs down by using parts from existing cars instead of designing their own from scratch.
      - doodlebugging 2mo ago
        A bit like that. I don't see a new vehicle manufacturer spending the time or capital to develop drivetrain components when there are already trusted manufacturers with decades of experience and products on the shelf that already function perfectly together. I expect this guy will be looking at reliability data for various components, popular aftermarket upgrades, etc and designing a drivetrain that already uses popular components known by the automotive community to be reliable. Otherwise he will have a hard time hitting the 500k mile target I think I saw on the site. He needs a dependable I4 engine mated to a dependable 6-spd manual transmission, mated to a dependable transfer case that sends power to the wheels through dependable differentials. I bet one could pull data from off-roader forums and configure something in a couple of days for their marketers to build interest.
- greenavocado 2mo ago
  My pickup truck burned 9 miles per gallon when I towed a 35 foot RV. Consider the energy flux and you'll quickly see how hopeless it would be to tow with a battery powered truck.
  - otterley 2mo ago
    Not everyone who owns a pickup tows with it. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a minority of owners who do. Some just need them for hauling plywood, others because they like the aesthetics.
    - greenavocado 2mo ago
      The Ford F-150 Lightning should be selling well, but it isn't
    - ssl-3 2mo ago
      A Honda minivan can fit 4x8 sheets of plywood in the dry, under-roof, with the doors closed. Other times, it can seat 8.
      - otterley 2mo ago
        Unfortunately, to Americans, that really doesn't matter. Even if they're not as fit for purpose, they prefer pickup trucks to minivans. It's a cultural thing. (I realize you're probably being responsive to the word "need" - it's more what they claim they need than actually need. They could use a Japanese kei truck.)
        Ichthypresbyter 2mo ago
        >They could use a Japanese kei truck. I was hearing elsenet from someone who was planning to buy a Japanese kei truck until he borrowed one. Apparently with more than about 300 lb in the bed they feel dangerous to drive- combination of instability and poor braking performance.
- jmspring 2mo ago
  There is a market for it. Cheap. Good range on a tank. 4WD. I've got a 2016 Tacoma TRD Offroad. It's only got about 115k miles (bought it new). I'm not planning on replacing it - toyota hybrid numbers for their trucks suck and an in kind replacement would cost me almost 2x what I originally paid (yes new tech, blahblah). $35k in 2015, $70+k now. Gas isn't going away and rural areas (I've lived in a few) often don't have charging options.
  - mgerdts 2mo ago
    I was at the Toyota dealership today. A TRD off-road with TRD Off-Road Upgrade Package and other goodies has a MSRP of $61k and the tag hanging from the rear view mirror said the no haggle price was $54,608. Still a lot of money and it is a huge truck for the passenger and cargo payload. https://www.smarttoyota.com/new-Madison-2026-Toyota-Tacoma-TRD+Off+Road-3TMLB5JN8TM267886 https://www.smarttoyota.com/new-Madison-2026-Toyota-Tacoma-T...
    - jmspring 2mo ago
      My numbers were based on when I was looking, not current Trump f’d up weird economy.
- stackghost 2mo ago
  I say this as someone who will be buying an EV as his next vehicle: EV proponents have a strong propensity to gloss over the very real drawbacks of battery-only vehicles: - Towing anything outside of charging infrastructure/away from the highway rest stops is not feasible because of the range reduction, which in USA/Canada is a major reason to buy an SUV/pickup. Why buy an electric vehicle that can't tow your boat to the lake where there's no charger? - Mileage goes down in the summer and way down in the winter, because the battery packs need to be cooled/warmed. - Mileage evaporates slowly, even when the vehicle is "off", making these vehicles fundamentally unsuitable for, again, going pretty much anywhere you can't plug it in. When I was a teen we used to take week-long canoe trips into Algonquin Park. Imagine trying to get the kids home from camping on Sunday afternoon, you're an hour's drive away from the nearest city but oops the battery pack is dead because it's been self-discharging and cooling itself the whole time you've been camping. No thanks. - Venturing far away from the charging infrastructure (camping, rural road tripping, jobsites/camp) is risky. If you run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, you can get a ride into town, fill up a jerrycan with gas, and then extricate your vehicle. If your battery-only EV runs out of charge in the middle of nowhere, you are completely fucked. EVs are great, and when my 2013 TDI finally quits I will likely purchase an EV, but they're just fundamentally unsuitable for some use cases.
  - binkHN 2mo ago
    You said it yourself, they're fundamentally suitable for most use cases. Yes, for the near future, there will be many use cases where gas is superior.
    - stackghost 2mo ago
      Sure. But I think the "near future" to which you're referring is going to be a longer tail than many EV maximalists expect. I would be shocked if IC-engined vehicles were no longer being produced in 2050.
      - rsynnott 2mo ago
        There will be a tipping point where production and wide distribution of petrol and diesel becomes unsustainably expensive; it really relies on massive volume to work at all.
- zymhan 2mo ago
  Slate already has that covered.
- rdtsc 2mo ago
  > I wonder what it's like launching a gas truck when new battery-powered trucks are looming in the distance (or already here). Yeah it’s interesting to see how they do. The big and award winning electric truck from Ford is already discontinued. If we’re talking about US pickups how many other ones are battery powered? If anything, I would be more worried about Slate given what happened to Ford Lightning.
- Suppafly 2mo ago
  There are a ton of people that want an affordable ICE powered truck, for a variety of valid and invalid reasons. The market is there, but they're going to need to be smart about how they do this if they want to capture that market.
nico_h 2mo ago
Is there anything special in making a $21k gas truck in 2026? I’m guessing you could get a second hand gas truck for this price?
- cpursley 2mo ago
  Sure, a Tacoma with 100k miles on it already...
- Forgeties79 2mo ago
  Depends on the truck. Pickups in the US can get very expensive very quickly, they’re basically luxury vehicles and they retain their value better for some reason I haven’t really looked in to. Budget trucks are not as plentiful, $21,500 is a pretty competitive price.
  - bnjms 2mo ago
    They retain their value because they _are_ useful for real work and are mostly built for longer lives. Even if new purchases are for luxury reasons used purchases have prices pushed up for working people.
- lostnfound8778 2mo ago
  There are golf carts/lsv's that cost 15k-20k these days and a fiat 500 is 25k iirc, for perspective
- markn951 2mo ago
  Except it’s supposed to launch in 2029 at the earliest?
- maroziza 2mo ago
  The main reason is scale and support, here in ukraine we bought all 21k pickups in europe, it is very hard to sustain tham at same time, so if you have any enterprise you'd want a park of SAME vehicle, so for single buy - yes, it will your beloved hilux for rest of your long life. but if you want 100 pickups, 1000? and parts are scarse now. and than you can even customize them. but even in retail you will have extra support and guarantee for new pickup. Steering rack is just unabtainium here, so there will be every other part for 20 year SUV/Pickup soon.
aaronbrethorst 2mo ago
I’ll save my money for the 2030 Speedwagon.
skippyfish 2mo ago
My first reaction after seeing a website with vibecoded aesthetics was to wonder if this is even real, but apparently, it is - at least to the extent of getting some press coverage: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/startup-wants-build-small-manual-ameri-kei-trucks-texas-21500 https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/startup-wants-build-sma... https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a71667299/reo-industries-runabout-aims-to-simplify-the-truck-market/ https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a71667299/reo-industries-r...
- deleted 2mo ago
  [deleted]
- greggsy 2mo ago
  That cookies notice is awful
  - xbar 2mo ago
    What's the best cookies notice?
    - two_handfuls 2mo ago
      Well best would be websites not using cookies so there is no need for a notice.
      - tclancy 2mo ago
        Yes but what's the next best?
        Panino 2mo ago
        Don't bother with cookies at all unless they serve the interests of the user. And in that rare case, only do a cookie banner if required by law, and here's how to do it: just pretend it's "fine print." Make it functionally invisible, but good enough to get away with it. Nobody will complain about your cookie banner not being annoying enough.
pengaru 2mo ago
fiction
GuestFAUniverse 2mo ago
What have the Dodo, a Fisker and that in common? Well, you all know the answer.
temporallobe 2mo ago
Would be nice to see actual pics instead of silly silhouettes. I am in the market for exactly this kind of truck (especially a manual) but this doesn’t inspire me to want to buy it.
- convolvatron 2mo ago
  also no real mention of body construction or bed dimensions. nice to see a 2 door though I guess
  - deleted 2mo ago
    [deleted]
  - rationalist 2mo ago
    Their website says body on frame.
- AlotOfReading 2mo ago
  The company was started no earlier than December, according to the articles linked in another comment. Very real possibility that no pics or semi-finalized CAD design even exist yet at this point.
  - 999900000999 2mo ago
    It's basically an idea without enough funding to exist. I don't think 25$ reservation slots are going to pay for a full assembly line.
    - b112 2mo ago
      $25 is too low. $25 feels like "no one will go after the guy if the money just disappears".
      - rationalist 2mo ago
        Slate was $50.
par 2mo ago
Do that not have any pictures of it?
- doodlebugging 2mo ago
  Today it only exists in the imagination of the company CEO and a few trusted others, none of whom have figured out how to hire someone with automobile CAD experience to produce a mock-up that might increase interest for their proposed product.
  - prescriptivist 2mo ago
    People are so worked up online in places like Reddit and YouTube comments about how there aren't small trucks anymore. It feels almost like a strange mania. So it makes sense that someone like this would come along and capitalize on that (and probably never produce anything). People will throw $25 at a company without intention to actually purchase the truck, just because they feel some weird memetic vibe to support a small truck movement or whatever.
    - doodlebugging 2mo ago
      There is a lot of truth here. Especially the part about capitalizing on the interest without ever producing a vehicle. This is something that I have considered when looking at Slate, Rivian, and other interesting vehicle concepts. Those two did end up with production vehicles. Others were a lot more vaporware. It feels great and sad at the same time that automakers have lost touch with their customers and no longer produce vehicles that the average consumer would buy and use. Ford, with the Bronco, took years to commit to resurrecting the nameplate. In the process, they gathered so much critical information from Bronco drivers and other 4WD enthusiasts that they were able to condense their configurations to match the options that buyers were requesting and to offer factory installs of and warranties for components that buyers usually had to buy from aftermarket sources. They did everything right and even though there are hiccups with the vehicles, some due to pandemic parts shortages, others due to similar quality issues, they have a bonafide hit. It is hard to go anywhere around me in NTexas without seeing multiple Broncos and Bronco Sports. If this guy at REO is smart and committed to the process he will scour forums for configuration information for his vehicles so that he can select components that buyers prefer. He can work on styling once he hires someone with CAD experience.
cyanydeez 2mo ago
>Why Gas? Because we hate you, and need to make some money off it
smokeyfish 2mo ago
Looks like a Lada
raver1975 2mo ago
The website is black on black, not easy for me to see at all.
- lostlogin 2mo ago
  The truck photos are too.
paxys 2mo ago
Yes, let me throw money at this vibe-coded vaporware.
- nkrisc 2mo ago
  I’ll reserve one when I can test drive it first.
jeffrogers 2mo ago
Makes sense to me... the Toyota mini trucks of the 80s/90s were super useful and Tacomas are basically full-sized and not as efficient.
parl_match 2mo ago
The comparison table is laughable. "Best value": Over how many miles? A hybrid often has a lower TCO. "Gas I4, proven": Maybe it's a skill issue, but I can't figure out which I4 they're using or if they DIY. Meanwhile, the "unproven" Ford hybrid system is pushing trucks to 200k miles on a regular basis. (of course, your mileage may vary but it seems like they did a great job with this) There's other issues as well.
- binkHN 2mo ago
  I love how they list refueling only taking 5 minutes from anywhere, but they leave out that you can't refuel at home. The EV side should be updated to say refueling time is zero because every time I leave my home I'm already completely fueled up.
iambateman 2mo ago
Do I want to own one of these? No. I want my mechanic to be bored when I show up and need service…I guess that makes me a market laggard. But I do love the pressure this (and Slate) puts on Toyota to restore some sanity to truck prices. There is a market of people who want reliable transportation without spending $40k++.
- topspin 2mo ago
  I don't want a mechanic. I want something basic enough I can fix it. REO marketing clearly reflects this. We'll have to wait and see if the actual product hits the mark.
- prmoustache 2mo ago
  They won't have any pressure if it fails and this is unlikely to be successful to be honest.
declan_roberts 2mo ago
No dealer sales is such an enormous perk. We need this everywhere but of course there's too much incumbent vested interest to keep the status quo.
abtinf 2mo ago
At some point, the leadership team had a conversation that went something like this: CEO: “We’ve spent tens of millions of dollars designing, developing, and tooling up to bring a new truck to market at a competitive price. We’ve worked out the entire manufacturing supply chain and have contracts in place with numerous vendors. We’ve placed orders for the thousands of parts, and hired highly skilled labor, and have extensively planned to have the man, machines, and materials all in the same place at the same time to actually pull this off. We have the working capital loans in place to let us run these operations. All that remains is the marketing outreach.” CMO: “Okay, got it boss. Let’s start with one of the most highly visible parts of the marketing plan that literally every customer will interact with because of our sales model. Our contract marketing agency says they can develop a fantastic site for $200k - they have a great portfolio that shows they can make exactly what we need.” CFO: “Fuck that, I just asked Claude to vibe code a marketing landing page. Looks great. Ship it.”
- soared 2mo ago
  Except this company is brand new and 100% skipped the ceo and cmo steps.
agensaequivocum 2mo ago
> Physical Controls Levers, rockers, and real analog gauges. One small screen for diagnostics and CarPlay — nothing more. No subscriptions. No feature locks. Ever. > Right to Repair Every panel off in under five minutes with common tools. Plain-English diagnostics on a $30 scanner. A 20-year public parts catalog at fair prices. No parts-pairing — in writing. I'm very excited about this and pray it is successful.
- shermantanktop 2mo ago
  This flimsy website and company is banking on your excitement and prayers.
  - linksnapzz 2mo ago
    If the product arrives at the quoted price, I could give a shit if their website was done in ActiveX controls for IE6.
    - shermantanktop 2mo ago
      Delivering on that is what I’m doubting, and the website isn’t helping. They have to revive some tech that is now outmoded, and that’s not a small problem. But hey, if they pull it off, great. The economics of the industry are built around the preferences of consumers. The lower end doesn’t look like this, which isn’t encouraging, but maybe there’s room for it.
deleted 2mo ago
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bilsbie 2mo ago
At this point the killer feature would be: privacy, control of your own vehicle, and repair ability. Does it offer this? Wish someone would make that product.
- pudgywalsh 2mo ago
  That's what they claim. Right to repair and direct parts sales.
- BatFastard 2mo ago
  Pretty sure Slate offer exactly this.
calmbonsai 2mo ago
Um, if you're going to market a vehicle, you really, really, really, need to have pictures or at least detailed renderings. Atm, this is a DoA product.
btbuildem 2mo ago
It'd be great if they could come up with a photo of the truck. But an alternative to the oversized absurdities we have on the roads these days can't come soon enough.
- 3327 2mo ago
  [dead]
aejm 2mo ago
Incredibly disappointed to see it will be using a gasoline combustion engine.
whyenot 2mo ago
The website is all hype with very little substance, as well as the taint of AI slop. If they aren't willing to share details, I'm not interested. As a benchmark, I would use Slate, who have so far done an excellent job providing information and updates on their truck.
Animats 2mo ago
It's another kickstarter/"pre-order"/vaporware car. Like Slate. "If all runs smoothly, first customer deliveries will take place in late 2028 or 2029." Expect price creep and delivery date slippage. In the end, it's basically a Toyota Hilux.
- toast0 2mo ago
  > In the end, it's basically a Toyota Hilux. A Toyota Hilux, sold in america would be nice. The small truck market is slim pickings... other than the slate (which is still vaporous), nothing small with a regular cab has been built in a while. Old trucks won't last forever.
- pengaru 2mo ago
  > In the end, it's basically a Toyota Hilux. that's quite the optimistic end! There's absolutely zero chance this ends with a pickup powered by the venerable Toyota 22R-E I4 or an equivalent. "I4, proven" proven to be genai slop and nothing more.
mikestew 2mo ago
My question is: why select a name that for most people, if they recognize the name at all, is a band from the 70s-80s? How many people other than old farts like me even know how to properly pronounce the name? (Because they'll think it's pronounced like the band name.) It's one thing to ride on nostalgia, but how much nostalgia is there for a company whos heyday was 100 years ago, and went out of business (well, merged) 60 years ago? The only nostalgia this old guy has is remembering my grandfather talking about the Speedwagon he had back in the day.
- binkHN 2mo ago
  I don't see the big deal. If it was 100 years ago, then the name, perhaps, is effectively new.
pudgywalsh 2mo ago
[flagged]
- behole 2mo ago
  And an ICE. Snooze.
  - pudgywalsh 2mo ago
    EV pickups are a novelty. Good luck replacing 800 proprietary battery cells yourself or attempting any kind of repair on contemporary iPads-with-wheels without mandatory specialized equipment and documentation.
- binkHN 2mo ago
  I hate CarPlay; yet another dumbed down interface that's inextricably linked to a phone.
  - doodlebugging 2mo ago
    I agree. The last thing I want in a dumbed down vehicle is a function that is tied to a smart phone. I know that many people use CarPlay but I think the best way to deal with music, etc in a new vehicle would be for the manufacturer to include suitable slots, like DIN slots, where the buyer can add their own preferred system any time in the future when it becomes useful to them. Just keep a list of popular options on hand that are available in pre-order so that those who want it can have it on day one instead of making everyone have it.
- doodlebugging 2mo ago
  Very true. This truck, if it ever exists in the promised form, ticks almost everyone's boxes. The one thing I would change would be the CarPlay offering. All I want in a vehicle is a DIN or double-DIN slot. I'll fill it with whatever I end up wanting. I don't need a radio or other entertainment device when I'm driving since that is the only time I really get to practice singing all the songs I thought I had learned over the years. I'm comfortable driving for hours singing to myself, inventing lyrics as I go or warbling my way through tunes I've mostly forgotten.
deleted 2mo ago
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roshannarma 2mo ago
I await real details, currently this is just a promise with nothing to back it up. Would love competition in this space for light trucks, pressuring companies to build better vehicles that last, but this is atleast 3 years away
dzonga 2mo ago
can they pull this off - maybe - IDK the team - but this is possible. cause of concern? - i4 gas engine instead of using 4 electric motors - then using smaller engine to act as generator. plenty of Chinese have done this - quickest way to start a car company. otherwise they're gonna find out real soon - why other auto manufacturers went out of business or why reliability is a cause of concern even for big manufacturers. engines and powertrains can be complex. electric motors are simpler.
serf 2mo ago
the site almost sells you on a ford maverick "Wow, the same style engine, a reputable dealership network, a hybrid system with battery, and a turbo charger for only another 7 grand?"
- to11mtm 2mo ago
  Even as a Maverick owner, I do actually think there's a market for these. Not me, but if it was real I could see it filling a lot of fleet type orders.
tclancy 2mo ago
I need to know if Ransom Olds is involved or not.
rubyfan 2mo ago
I love the concept here. The site and preannounce feels a little gimmicky. It’s definitely of the time but kind of hard to commit to without more detail. Like $25 isn’t a lot of money to reserve a real truck but seems like a lot for a maybe we’ll bring a real product to market.
yellowapple 2mo ago
Much like how I'd be reserving a Slate right now if 4WD was an option, I'd be reserving an REO right now if electric was an option. Kinda frustrating how this new slate (pun half-intended) of non-behemoth pickup trucks manages to be devoid of an option that's all of affordable, reasonably-sized, 4WD, and electric.
throwawaypath 2mo ago
A truck with less towing capacity than my Honda Pilot?
fabijanbajo 2mo ago
i think im getting good at recognizing claude code designed landers
drcongo 2mo ago
Claude did a nice job of the website.
burnt-resistor 2mo ago
Slate is an EV that's so much better than a world-polluting ICE. ICE vehicles will hopefully be banned for sale everywhere by 2030 because they're more expensive and toxic to run than EVs.
- prmoustache 2mo ago
  They won't.
- waynecochran 2mo ago
  You do realize EV’s pollute as well? Batteries are nasty.
wronex 2mo ago
They portray 5h charging at home as a downside. Something to scorn at. But, how long does it take to fill up a diesel truck at home? I haven’t gone to a gas station since getting an EV a few years ago. It trickle charges while I sleep. This is easily the biggest convenience.
- rascul 2mo ago
  Depending on laws in the area, one could have a tank and pump at home, refilled regularly with potentially lower bulk pricing. It's a thing but pretty rare outside of farms in my experience.
LoganDark 2mo ago
No pictures, no interior, no features. I'd wait until they demonstrate the truck exists.
prmoustache 2mo ago
I am pretty sure that if you need an inexpensive car with a decent charging bed, you are better of buying a regular passenger car and tow a small trailer when you need it. My dad bought one years ago and tow it with his corolla minivan whenever he needs it. Chance is that if you only need the bed a couple of times a year or are space constrained you are better of renting it. I never understood those US mountainbikers who awkwardly wrestle their bike on a truck bed when they could more comfortably mount them on an hitch rack of a regular car or inside a van. VW Multivan must be the most popular van amoung mountainbikers here in europe.
- PunchyHamster 2mo ago
  > I am pretty sure that if you need an inexpensive car with a decent charging bed, you are better of buying a regular passenger car and tow a small trailer when you need it. Or a minivan. Or an actual van. Truck's sole advantage is open bed. That is needed even rarer than "enough space for some plywood at the back"
  - rationalist 2mo ago
    True, not everyone goes camping or does their own hauling, repairing, etc.
  - mjh2539 2mo ago
    You can easily fit 8 full sheets of plywood (4ftx8ft) in a 2020 Honda Odyssey, with the seats still in the car. And you don't have to worry about them getting wet on the drive back home.
- nicbou 2mo ago
  I maintain that a Renault Kangoo is the best car format ever.
  - prmoustache 2mo ago
    Yes. We still see an insane amount of Citroen C15 here in south of Spain.
pipeline_peak 2mo ago
I heard this from a friend who
mistyvales 2mo ago
Who makes the engine and powertrain? I didn't see it on the site.
bartlebone 2mo ago
REO missed one important point: monster trucks are about vice signaling and political identity. Most people that own monster trucks know they don’t need them for truck-like things, they need them to identify with their chosen group. There are also a lot of people who own them who think they will need them (like monster SUVs) and overbuy because literally bigger is better in their minds. REO is right in that there is no bottom market and I’m sure folks want a normal pickup, but I don’t think the market for small pickups is big enough when identity and politics (and existing policy) drive decision making at scale.
Jordan-117 2mo ago
I'm not up on the Maverick, but the comparison chart for the Slate EV feels pretty misleading: - the Slate's range is now 205 miles across the board, not 150/240 - both the REO and Slate start as 2-door 2-seaters with pricier models adding capacity, but the chart boasts the REO seats "up to 6" while the Slate seats "2 (5 costs extra)" - for repair costs, the REO just says "mechanical - affordable" (?) while labeling the Slate as "battery pack - $$$$". But an electric powertrain is far simpler and requires virtually no maintenance for 100,000+ miles, while an ICE engine requires regular oil changes, brake pads, timing belts, transmission work, etc. - completely skips the cost of fuel over electric charging; between that and maintenance, the TCO of the REO is significantly higher
- throwawaytea 2mo ago
  If you buy the common reliable gas engines, and stick to timing chains, you really don't have to do much. Our 4runner has 260k miles and hasn't ever had anything done but engine oil, trans oil, and differential oil. Trans and diff oil will still be done on electric cars. I have a 300k Ford F250 gas that also hasnt had anything done basically. And while for trucks the electric vs gas is huge, my Chevy Volt costs per mile about the same to operate on gas vs electric, because electricity is $0.46 a kwh in my California region.
  - vannevar 2mo ago
    Anecdotal evidence notwhithstanding, EVs have much lower long-term maintenance costs. See eg, https://www.energy.gov/cmei/vehicles/articles/fotw-1190-june-14-2021-battery-electric-vehicles-have-lower-scheduled https://www.energy.gov/cmei/vehicles/articles/fotw-1190-june... https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/electric-vehicle-owners-spending-half-as-much-on-maintenance-compared-to-gas-powered-vehicle-owners-finds-new-cr-analysis/ https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/electric-... On electricity costs, California is an outlier---most people in the US pay less than half that $0.46/kwh, more like $0.15-0.20/kwh. https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=table_5_03 https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.ph... So for most people in the US, an EV will cost half what an ICE vehicle costs to operate.
breakyerself 2mo ago
Sad that in 2026 were getting excited about gas powered vehicles.
DivingForGold 2mo ago
Am I missing something here ? There are no images available of an actual truck ?
otekengineering 2mo ago
i'd love a series hybrid version of this. to match performance of that I4 you can probably fit both electric motor and gas generator in a normal sized engine bay. like a compact pickup version of what Edison Motors is doing to the fullsize pickup. i'd take an Edison conversion of an early 90s F250 over any new truck on the market. https://edisonmotors.ca/trucks/pickup-conversion/ https://edisonmotors.ca/trucks/pickup-conversion/
seff 2mo ago
- 5-min refuel These brave souls, touting the advantages of gasoline. The website is almost satirical in places.
- ahahs 2mo ago
  satirical aka AI Slop
everdrive 2mo ago
Interesting if it's not vaporware. As others have said, it's too soon to feel certain about this yet. It looks really exciting though.
4d4m 2mo ago
Hoping for a slantback variant! (all the erm dashes and AI copy make me wonder how far along things really are though)
schainks 2mo ago
What kind of automotive company thinks customers will take them seriously if we can’t see a picture of the whole vehicle and interior on the website?
zachdebo 2mo ago
Hey everyone, my name is Zach De Bernardi. I'm the Founder and CEO of the new REO. I found this forum post because our team keeps an hourly tracker via UTM tags on new reservations. I noticed that 30 have recently come from news.ycombinator.com (this site) and so I was pleasantly surprised to see the comments here. My reason for posting is to see if anyone had questions for me directly. I'd be happy to answer them here directly in the forum.

114 points by b_mc2 2mo ago

It's weird to see a new vehicle announced like this that's not an EV. I wonder what it's like launching a gas truck when new battery-powered trucks are looming in the distance (or already here).

herbst 2mo ago
There are many great EV cars. But when you have a trailer or caravan we still talk about a heavily reduced range (and often they aren't allowed to pull at all, or weight limits get a problem, at least in Europe)
- analog31 2mo ago
  The interesting thing in the US is that a lot of pickups, possibly most of them, are purchased for regular daily driving. None of the people I know with pickups have trailers.
  - csto12 2mo ago
    I love seeing Ram 6000 Max Diesel Rampage Pros who’s sole job is going to work and Walmart.
    - phoghed 2mo ago
      Isn’t the Ram Rampage a more compact non US market 4cyl variant? Like a maverick competitor?
      - csto12 2mo ago
        I just made up a name. I know Rebel is a model that’s hilariously large. Don’t know about others.
      - quickthrowman 2mo ago
        Yes, the RAM Rampage is comparable to a Ford Maverick which is a unibody vehicle with a truck bed. The massive truck they likely meant would be a RAM 3500 HD super crew cab full size bed Cummins diesel dually rear axle with a vertical dual stainless steel smokestack exhaust kit for good measure. Which is essentially the largest truck you can get with a pickup bed from RAM, GM, or Ford; and they go for over $100,000 with options. There are even larger monstrosities with pickup beds built on top of 550/5500/Class 5 truck chassis which are basically a Canyonero from He Simpsons in real life: https://www.elevationoffgrid.com/ https://www.elevationoffgrid.com/ My favorite derogatory term for a vehicle type is ‘hausfrauenpanzer’ which means ‘housewife tank’ in German, which is used for a large SUV in Germany, lol.
    - wlesieutre 2mo ago
      And when they pick up groceries they load everything onto the floor of the back seat because the bed is so high up you’d need a step ladder to use it
      - Eueudhsbsj32 2mo ago
        I think the more important reasons are to prevent the groceries from sliding around in the bed and to protect them from the sun and precipitation.
        bakies 2mo ago
        Dang, if only someone made an everyday car with a soft weather proof enclosed cargo area, possibly you could have the tailgate open up and away as well so it's not in the way. I would think Americans would love to have something more practical than a work vehicle
        antonvs 2mo ago
        Sounds communist
        Eueudhsbsj32 2mo ago
        Sure, I could buy a dedicated more efficient car for the rare days when there is zero risk of rain and I don't need to haul anything larger. After more than 1cm of rain, the last 500m of the steep dirt road up to my off-grid house in the mountains is completely impassable without 4wd. And I, or my family-in-law, regularly haul large trees, construction equipment, several 100kg of fertilizer, etc. in the truck bed. Buying a single vehicle, a pre-owned 4wd Ford Ranger made the most economic sense.
        bakies 2mo ago
        Not doubting there's a place for them. I'm in suburbia and all my friends have or want them for grocery getting. It's stupid.
    - stackghost 2mo ago
      The suburban people buying Ram 9001 Warlord Editions are not the target market for this truck.
    - SoftTalker 2mo ago
      It's honestly not that many. That's a very expensive truck for a daily driver. Most likely they have a large Airstream camper, horse trailer, or 5th wheel trailer or similar that they pull with it. Sure, some people just like a big diesel truck for ego reasons. But the cost of them limits most people's ability to endulge that.
      - cosmic_cheese 2mo ago
        That’s what one would expect, but in some parts of the US it’s not uncommon to see dilapidated houses with a shiny tricked out F-150 that’s never worked a day in its life sitting out in the parking lot… I think for some it’s an identity thing more than anything else.
      - analog31 2mo ago
        I grew up in a suburb of Detroit, and when I went back to visit the family home a few years ago, every street was parked up on both sides with giant vehicles. It was a sight to behold. They weren't all the most expensive trucks, and many were noticeably older. Things in our town went up and down with the cycle of the car industry.
      - antonvs 2mo ago
        > But the cost of them limits most people's ability to endulge that. Sounds like you’ve never been to the US. Thanks to cheap credit, every hillbilly and redneck has one of these. Which feels like about 60% of the population sometimes.
        SoftTalker 2mo ago
        I have lived in the US my entire life. And yes pickup trucks are part of the "country" or "rural" identity to some extent but most people who live in rural areas actually use their trucks as trucks frequently. They pull trailers, or use them to haul furniture, appliances, building materials, trash... all the stuff that has delivery services in the city but you have to do for yourself if you live in the country.
        2mo ago
    - kylehotchkiss 2mo ago
      “Compensation” and extreme loneliness (cannot find my tribe without spreading its dumb peacock wings so they know I fit in)
    - mothballed 2mo ago
      4 trips a year picking up a heavy excavator or tractor so you dont have to pay a tradesman a gazillion dollars and it pays for itself. "But just pay someone to haul it or rent a truck" lmao good fucking luck down my dirt roads
    - hsbauauvhabzb 2mo ago
      Speeding through school zones in a maximum impact people killer sure is fun too though
    - apitman 2mo ago
      Drug store cowboys, aka "big hat; no cattle"
    - MisterTea 2mo ago
      But they have a clean, covered bed and sparking clean trailer hitch that's never seen a trailer tongue - just in case.
  - skippyfish 2mo ago
    I find it somewhat amusing that this attracts a lot of ire, but most of us would prefer a 2,000+ sq ft suburban home with a lawn when we could live comfortably in a 500-700 sq ft apartment, like people do in most European cities. Ultimately, life in highly developed countries is largely about the wants, not the needs, and different cultures emphasize different wants. The tech culture of the SF Bay Area doesn't glamorize big trucks, but it glamorizes making millions of dollars with no regard for privacy or social impacts of the tech we build.
    - rationalist 2mo ago
      You're not allowed to speak the truth against group think. For many people, their emotions are more important than being rational.
  - thegrim33 2mo ago
    That some people buy them and don't really need them has zero relevance on whether any people have need for them.
    - SoftTalker 2mo ago
      And a lot of people have occasional need for a truck but don't want to or can't afford to own more than one car, so they use the truck for all their driving.
      - convolvatron 2mo ago
        some guy left a few hundred pounds of steel in the loading area of my workshop for stupid reasons. maybe about $80 worth in scrap. he kept coming by and claiming someone was going to pick up it up, and getting really threatening about us stealing the value from him. the scrap yard is 200 ft away. he drives a big jacked up truck. after a couple weeks of this I'm like 'look, I'll cut it down, and we can throw it in that truck of yours and you can roll 200ft down the road and we'll be done with it'. he was incensed, his bed liner would get all scratched up. after that I dragged it out onto the curb for the meth addicts to sell.
        westmeal 2mo ago
        Lol pavement princess level of nonsense
      - cucumber3732842 2mo ago
        Exactly. People are optimizing for the most capability on one car payment. And for a lot of them that looks like a pickup but it also drives what people buy in the SUV market as well. This has bee known for decades. Like it's literally defining principal behind the 4-dr jeep and the proliferation of 3rd rows in midsize SUVs. The fact that you're still getting downvoted for saying it speaks volumes.
        to11mtm 2mo ago
  - copperx 2mo ago
    What do you mean daily driving? Like commutes? That wouldn't make any sense.
    - analog31 2mo ago
      Yes exactly this. The parking lot of a typical American urban workplace will be filled with a disproportionate number of pickup trucks. Our culture ties our cars to our identities.
  - fultonn 2mo ago
    American trucks are built for towing -- it's one of the reasons they are so big and heavy and expensive -- so I get where the "trucks are for towing" wisdom comes from. But it's still funny to me. Because in my mind one of the main perks of an open bed is that you can do so much before having to deal with a trailer (which are super annoying, especially in cities, especially without off-street parking). Which I guess is just to say: maybe there's a market for a truck that can't tow much, because maybe there's a portion of the market that wants an open bed but doesn't need to tow a massive camper or whatever.
- yellowapple 2mo ago
  Gas vehicles suffer from that range reduction, too, as my brother-in-law learned the hard way last weekend during a road trip we took to Idaho and back (wherein he was towing a camper-trailer).
nonethewiser 2mo ago
I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t an ev. Very aggressive price point for a new IC vehicle.
- doodlebugging 2mo ago
  I agree though I kinda wish it was a hybrid. Maybe down the line that will happen. The price point is a valid point and it ticks all our boxes - 4WD, manual transmission, not huge. I've priced out components for one of my trucks and $21500 is not gonna buy all of the running gear. I expect that none of this truck's drivetrain will use custom parts and that all of the critical drivetrain parts will come from existing supply lines for simplicity and ease of hitting their "repair in your driveway" messaging. The guy is probably gauging interest through reservations and prepping his lie sheet (marketing data) to present to existing supply chain providers to try to earn discounts on volume orders. I hope it all works. We will likely reserve one or maybe two. Our existing small truck, a 4WD Ford Ranger with manual transmission, is long in the tooth and I'm tired of dicking around with it.
  - fragmede 2mo ago
    Kind of like the Local Motors Rally Fighter, which was a kit car that kept costs down by using parts from existing cars instead of designing their own from scratch.
    - doodlebugging 2mo ago
      A bit like that. I don't see a new vehicle manufacturer spending the time or capital to develop drivetrain components when there are already trusted manufacturers with decades of experience and products on the shelf that already function perfectly together. I expect this guy will be looking at reliability data for various components, popular aftermarket upgrades, etc and designing a drivetrain that already uses popular components known by the automotive community to be reliable. Otherwise he will have a hard time hitting the 500k mile target I think I saw on the site. He needs a dependable I4 engine mated to a dependable 6-spd manual transmission, mated to a dependable transfer case that sends power to the wheels through dependable differentials. I bet one could pull data from off-roader forums and configure something in a couple of days for their marketers to build interest.
greenavocado 2mo ago
My pickup truck burned 9 miles per gallon when I towed a 35 foot RV. Consider the energy flux and you'll quickly see how hopeless it would be to tow with a battery powered truck.
- otterley 2mo ago
  Not everyone who owns a pickup tows with it. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a minority of owners who do. Some just need them for hauling plywood, others because they like the aesthetics.
  - greenavocado 2mo ago
    The Ford F-150 Lightning should be selling well, but it isn't
  - ssl-3 2mo ago
    A Honda minivan can fit 4x8 sheets of plywood in the dry, under-roof, with the doors closed. Other times, it can seat 8.
    - otterley 2mo ago
      Unfortunately, to Americans, that really doesn't matter. Even if they're not as fit for purpose, they prefer pickup trucks to minivans. It's a cultural thing. (I realize you're probably being responsive to the word "need" - it's more what they claim they need than actually need. They could use a Japanese kei truck.)
      - Ichthypresbyter 2mo ago
        >They could use a Japanese kei truck. I was hearing elsenet from someone who was planning to buy a Japanese kei truck until he borrowed one. Apparently with more than about 300 lb in the bed they feel dangerous to drive- combination of instability and poor braking performance.
jmspring 2mo ago
There is a market for it. Cheap. Good range on a tank. 4WD. I've got a 2016 Tacoma TRD Offroad. It's only got about 115k miles (bought it new). I'm not planning on replacing it - toyota hybrid numbers for their trucks suck and an in kind replacement would cost me almost 2x what I originally paid (yes new tech, blahblah). $35k in 2015, $70+k now. Gas isn't going away and rural areas (I've lived in a few) often don't have charging options.
- mgerdts 2mo ago
  I was at the Toyota dealership today. A TRD off-road with TRD Off-Road Upgrade Package and other goodies has a MSRP of $61k and the tag hanging from the rear view mirror said the no haggle price was $54,608. Still a lot of money and it is a huge truck for the passenger and cargo payload. https://www.smarttoyota.com/new-Madison-2026-Toyota-Tacoma-TRD+Off+Road-3TMLB5JN8TM267886 https://www.smarttoyota.com/new-Madison-2026-Toyota-Tacoma-T...
  - jmspring 2mo ago
    My numbers were based on when I was looking, not current Trump f’d up weird economy.
stackghost 2mo ago
I say this as someone who will be buying an EV as his next vehicle: EV proponents have a strong propensity to gloss over the very real drawbacks of battery-only vehicles: - Towing anything outside of charging infrastructure/away from the highway rest stops is not feasible because of the range reduction, which in USA/Canada is a major reason to buy an SUV/pickup. Why buy an electric vehicle that can't tow your boat to the lake where there's no charger? - Mileage goes down in the summer and way down in the winter, because the battery packs need to be cooled/warmed. - Mileage evaporates slowly, even when the vehicle is "off", making these vehicles fundamentally unsuitable for, again, going pretty much anywhere you can't plug it in. When I was a teen we used to take week-long canoe trips into Algonquin Park. Imagine trying to get the kids home from camping on Sunday afternoon, you're an hour's drive away from the nearest city but oops the battery pack is dead because it's been self-discharging and cooling itself the whole time you've been camping. No thanks. - Venturing far away from the charging infrastructure (camping, rural road tripping, jobsites/camp) is risky. If you run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, you can get a ride into town, fill up a jerrycan with gas, and then extricate your vehicle. If your battery-only EV runs out of charge in the middle of nowhere, you are completely fucked. EVs are great, and when my 2013 TDI finally quits I will likely purchase an EV, but they're just fundamentally unsuitable for some use cases.
- binkHN 2mo ago
  You said it yourself, they're fundamentally suitable for most use cases. Yes, for the near future, there will be many use cases where gas is superior.
  - stackghost 2mo ago
    Sure. But I think the "near future" to which you're referring is going to be a longer tail than many EV maximalists expect. I would be shocked if IC-engined vehicles were no longer being produced in 2050.
    - rsynnott 2mo ago
      There will be a tipping point where production and wide distribution of petrol and diesel becomes unsustainably expensive; it really relies on massive volume to work at all.
zymhan 2mo ago
Slate already has that covered.
rdtsc 2mo ago
> I wonder what it's like launching a gas truck when new battery-powered trucks are looming in the distance (or already here). Yeah it’s interesting to see how they do. The big and award winning electric truck from Ford is already discontinued. If we’re talking about US pickups how many other ones are battery powered? If anything, I would be more worried about Slate given what happened to Ford Lightning.
Suppafly 2mo ago
There are a ton of people that want an affordable ICE powered truck, for a variety of valid and invalid reasons. The market is there, but they're going to need to be smart about how they do this if they want to capture that market.

nico_h 2mo ago

Is there anything special in making a $21k gas truck in 2026? I’m guessing you could get a second hand gas truck for this price?

cpursley 2mo ago
Sure, a Tacoma with 100k miles on it already...
Forgeties79 2mo ago
Depends on the truck. Pickups in the US can get very expensive very quickly, they’re basically luxury vehicles and they retain their value better for some reason I haven’t really looked in to. Budget trucks are not as plentiful, $21,500 is a pretty competitive price.
- bnjms 2mo ago
  They retain their value because they _are_ useful for real work and are mostly built for longer lives. Even if new purchases are for luxury reasons used purchases have prices pushed up for working people.
lostnfound8778 2mo ago
There are golf carts/lsv's that cost 15k-20k these days and a fiat 500 is 25k iirc, for perspective
markn951 2mo ago
Except it’s supposed to launch in 2029 at the earliest?
maroziza 2mo ago
The main reason is scale and support, here in ukraine we bought all 21k pickups in europe, it is very hard to sustain tham at same time, so if you have any enterprise you'd want a park of SAME vehicle, so for single buy - yes, it will your beloved hilux for rest of your long life. but if you want 100 pickups, 1000? and parts are scarse now. and than you can even customize them. but even in retail you will have extra support and guarantee for new pickup. Steering rack is just unabtainium here, so there will be every other part for 20 year SUV/Pickup soon.

aaronbrethorst 2mo ago

I’ll save my money for the 2030 Speedwagon.

skippyfish 2mo ago

My first reaction after seeing a website with vibecoded aesthetics was to wonder if this is even real, but apparently, it is - at least to the extent of getting some press coverage: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/startup-wants-build-small-manual-ameri-kei-trucks-texas-21500 https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/startup-wants-build-sma... https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a71667299/reo-industries-runabout-aims-to-simplify-the-truck-market/ https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a71667299/reo-industries-r...

deleted 2mo ago
[deleted]
greggsy 2mo ago
That cookies notice is awful
- xbar 2mo ago
  What's the best cookies notice?
  - two_handfuls 2mo ago
    Well best would be websites not using cookies so there is no need for a notice.
    - tclancy 2mo ago
      Yes but what's the next best?
      - Panino 2mo ago
        Don't bother with cookies at all unless they serve the interests of the user. And in that rare case, only do a cookie banner if required by law, and here's how to do it: just pretend it's "fine print." Make it functionally invisible, but good enough to get away with it. Nobody will complain about your cookie banner not being annoying enough.

pengaru 2mo ago

fiction

GuestFAUniverse 2mo ago

What have the Dodo, a Fisker and that in common? Well, you all know the answer.

temporallobe 2mo ago

Would be nice to see actual pics instead of silly silhouettes. I am in the market for exactly this kind of truck (especially a manual) but this doesn’t inspire me to want to buy it.

convolvatron 2mo ago
also no real mention of body construction or bed dimensions. nice to see a 2 door though I guess
- deleted 2mo ago
  [deleted]
- rationalist 2mo ago
  Their website says body on frame.
AlotOfReading 2mo ago
The company was started no earlier than December, according to the articles linked in another comment. Very real possibility that no pics or semi-finalized CAD design even exist yet at this point.
- 999900000999 2mo ago
  It's basically an idea without enough funding to exist. I don't think 25$ reservation slots are going to pay for a full assembly line.
  - b112 2mo ago
    $25 is too low. $25 feels like "no one will go after the guy if the money just disappears".
    - rationalist 2mo ago
      Slate was $50.

par 2mo ago

Do that not have any pictures of it?

doodlebugging 2mo ago
Today it only exists in the imagination of the company CEO and a few trusted others, none of whom have figured out how to hire someone with automobile CAD experience to produce a mock-up that might increase interest for their proposed product.
- prescriptivist 2mo ago
  People are so worked up online in places like Reddit and YouTube comments about how there aren't small trucks anymore. It feels almost like a strange mania. So it makes sense that someone like this would come along and capitalize on that (and probably never produce anything). People will throw $25 at a company without intention to actually purchase the truck, just because they feel some weird memetic vibe to support a small truck movement or whatever.
  - doodlebugging 2mo ago
    There is a lot of truth here. Especially the part about capitalizing on the interest without ever producing a vehicle. This is something that I have considered when looking at Slate, Rivian, and other interesting vehicle concepts. Those two did end up with production vehicles. Others were a lot more vaporware. It feels great and sad at the same time that automakers have lost touch with their customers and no longer produce vehicles that the average consumer would buy and use. Ford, with the Bronco, took years to commit to resurrecting the nameplate. In the process, they gathered so much critical information from Bronco drivers and other 4WD enthusiasts that they were able to condense their configurations to match the options that buyers were requesting and to offer factory installs of and warranties for components that buyers usually had to buy from aftermarket sources. They did everything right and even though there are hiccups with the vehicles, some due to pandemic parts shortages, others due to similar quality issues, they have a bonafide hit. It is hard to go anywhere around me in NTexas without seeing multiple Broncos and Bronco Sports. If this guy at REO is smart and committed to the process he will scour forums for configuration information for his vehicles so that he can select components that buyers prefer. He can work on styling once he hires someone with CAD experience.

cyanydeez 2mo ago

>Why Gas? Because we hate you, and need to make some money off it

smokeyfish 2mo ago

Looks like a Lada

raver1975 2mo ago

The website is black on black, not easy for me to see at all.

lostlogin 2mo ago
The truck photos are too.

paxys 2mo ago

Yes, let me throw money at this vibe-coded vaporware.

nkrisc 2mo ago
I’ll reserve one when I can test drive it first.

jeffrogers 2mo ago

Makes sense to me... the Toyota mini trucks of the 80s/90s were super useful and Tacomas are basically full-sized and not as efficient.

parl_match 2mo ago

The comparison table is laughable. "Best value": Over how many miles? A hybrid often has a lower TCO. "Gas I4, proven": Maybe it's a skill issue, but I can't figure out which I4 they're using or if they DIY. Meanwhile, the "unproven" Ford hybrid system is pushing trucks to 200k miles on a regular basis. (of course, your mileage may vary but it seems like they did a great job with this) There's other issues as well.

binkHN 2mo ago
I love how they list refueling only taking 5 minutes from anywhere, but they leave out that you can't refuel at home. The EV side should be updated to say refueling time is zero because every time I leave my home I'm already completely fueled up.

iambateman 2mo ago

Do I want to own one of these? No. I want my mechanic to be bored when I show up and need service…I guess that makes me a market laggard. But I do love the pressure this (and Slate) puts on Toyota to restore some sanity to truck prices. There is a market of people who want reliable transportation without spending $40k++.

topspin 2mo ago
I don't want a mechanic. I want something basic enough I can fix it. REO marketing clearly reflects this. We'll have to wait and see if the actual product hits the mark.
prmoustache 2mo ago
They won't have any pressure if it fails and this is unlikely to be successful to be honest.

declan_roberts 2mo ago

No dealer sales is such an enormous perk. We need this everywhere but of course there's too much incumbent vested interest to keep the status quo.

abtinf 2mo ago

At some point, the leadership team had a conversation that went something like this: CEO: “We’ve spent tens of millions of dollars designing, developing, and tooling up to bring a new truck to market at a competitive price. We’ve worked out the entire manufacturing supply chain and have contracts in place with numerous vendors. We’ve placed orders for the thousands of parts, and hired highly skilled labor, and have extensively planned to have the man, machines, and materials all in the same place at the same time to actually pull this off. We have the working capital loans in place to let us run these operations. All that remains is the marketing outreach.” CMO: “Okay, got it boss. Let’s start with one of the most highly visible parts of the marketing plan that literally every customer will interact with because of our sales model. Our contract marketing agency says they can develop a fantastic site for $200k - they have a great portfolio that shows they can make exactly what we need.” CFO: “Fuck that, I just asked Claude to vibe code a marketing landing page. Looks great. Ship it.”

soared 2mo ago
Except this company is brand new and 100% skipped the ceo and cmo steps.

agensaequivocum 2mo ago

> Physical Controls Levers, rockers, and real analog gauges. One small screen for diagnostics and CarPlay — nothing more. No subscriptions. No feature locks. Ever. > Right to Repair Every panel off in under five minutes with common tools. Plain-English diagnostics on a $30 scanner. A 20-year public parts catalog at fair prices. No parts-pairing — in writing. I'm very excited about this and pray it is successful.

shermantanktop 2mo ago
This flimsy website and company is banking on your excitement and prayers.
- linksnapzz 2mo ago
  If the product arrives at the quoted price, I could give a shit if their website was done in ActiveX controls for IE6.
  - shermantanktop 2mo ago
    Delivering on that is what I’m doubting, and the website isn’t helping. They have to revive some tech that is now outmoded, and that’s not a small problem. But hey, if they pull it off, great. The economics of the industry are built around the preferences of consumers. The lower end doesn’t look like this, which isn’t encouraging, but maybe there’s room for it.

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bilsbie 2mo ago

At this point the killer feature would be: privacy, control of your own vehicle, and repair ability. Does it offer this? Wish someone would make that product.

pudgywalsh 2mo ago
That's what they claim. Right to repair and direct parts sales.
BatFastard 2mo ago
Pretty sure Slate offer exactly this.

calmbonsai 2mo ago

Um, if you're going to market a vehicle, you really, really, really, need to have pictures or at least detailed renderings. Atm, this is a DoA product.

btbuildem 2mo ago

It'd be great if they could come up with a photo of the truck. But an alternative to the oversized absurdities we have on the roads these days can't come soon enough.

3327 2mo ago
[dead]

aejm 2mo ago

Incredibly disappointed to see it will be using a gasoline combustion engine.

whyenot 2mo ago

The website is all hype with very little substance, as well as the taint of AI slop. If they aren't willing to share details, I'm not interested. As a benchmark, I would use Slate, who have so far done an excellent job providing information and updates on their truck.

Animats 2mo ago

It's another kickstarter/"pre-order"/vaporware car. Like Slate. "If all runs smoothly, first customer deliveries will take place in late 2028 or 2029." Expect price creep and delivery date slippage. In the end, it's basically a Toyota Hilux.

toast0 2mo ago
> In the end, it's basically a Toyota Hilux. A Toyota Hilux, sold in america would be nice. The small truck market is slim pickings... other than the slate (which is still vaporous), nothing small with a regular cab has been built in a while. Old trucks won't last forever.
pengaru 2mo ago
> In the end, it's basically a Toyota Hilux. that's quite the optimistic end! There's absolutely zero chance this ends with a pickup powered by the venerable Toyota 22R-E I4 or an equivalent. "I4, proven" proven to be genai slop and nothing more.

mikestew 2mo ago

My question is: why select a name that for most people, if they recognize the name at all, is a band from the 70s-80s? How many people other than old farts like me even know how to properly pronounce the name? (Because they'll think it's pronounced like the band name.) It's one thing to ride on nostalgia, but how much nostalgia is there for a company whos heyday was 100 years ago, and went out of business (well, merged) 60 years ago? The only nostalgia this old guy has is remembering my grandfather talking about the Speedwagon he had back in the day.

binkHN 2mo ago
I don't see the big deal. If it was 100 years ago, then the name, perhaps, is effectively new.

pudgywalsh 2mo ago

[flagged]

behole 2mo ago
And an ICE. Snooze.
- pudgywalsh 2mo ago
  EV pickups are a novelty. Good luck replacing 800 proprietary battery cells yourself or attempting any kind of repair on contemporary iPads-with-wheels without mandatory specialized equipment and documentation.
binkHN 2mo ago
I hate CarPlay; yet another dumbed down interface that's inextricably linked to a phone.
- doodlebugging 2mo ago
  I agree. The last thing I want in a dumbed down vehicle is a function that is tied to a smart phone. I know that many people use CarPlay but I think the best way to deal with music, etc in a new vehicle would be for the manufacturer to include suitable slots, like DIN slots, where the buyer can add their own preferred system any time in the future when it becomes useful to them. Just keep a list of popular options on hand that are available in pre-order so that those who want it can have it on day one instead of making everyone have it.
doodlebugging 2mo ago
Very true. This truck, if it ever exists in the promised form, ticks almost everyone's boxes. The one thing I would change would be the CarPlay offering. All I want in a vehicle is a DIN or double-DIN slot. I'll fill it with whatever I end up wanting. I don't need a radio or other entertainment device when I'm driving since that is the only time I really get to practice singing all the songs I thought I had learned over the years. I'm comfortable driving for hours singing to myself, inventing lyrics as I go or warbling my way through tunes I've mostly forgotten.

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roshannarma 2mo ago

I await real details, currently this is just a promise with nothing to back it up. Would love competition in this space for light trucks, pressuring companies to build better vehicles that last, but this is atleast 3 years away

dzonga 2mo ago

can they pull this off - maybe - IDK the team - but this is possible. cause of concern? - i4 gas engine instead of using 4 electric motors - then using smaller engine to act as generator. plenty of Chinese have done this - quickest way to start a car company. otherwise they're gonna find out real soon - why other auto manufacturers went out of business or why reliability is a cause of concern even for big manufacturers. engines and powertrains can be complex. electric motors are simpler.

serf 2mo ago

the site almost sells you on a ford maverick "Wow, the same style engine, a reputable dealership network, a hybrid system with battery, and a turbo charger for only another 7 grand?"

to11mtm 2mo ago
Even as a Maverick owner, I do actually think there's a market for these. Not me, but if it was real I could see it filling a lot of fleet type orders.

tclancy 2mo ago

I need to know if Ransom Olds is involved or not.

rubyfan 2mo ago

I love the concept here. The site and preannounce feels a little gimmicky. It’s definitely of the time but kind of hard to commit to without more detail. Like $25 isn’t a lot of money to reserve a real truck but seems like a lot for a maybe we’ll bring a real product to market.

yellowapple 2mo ago

Much like how I'd be reserving a Slate right now if 4WD was an option, I'd be reserving an REO right now if electric was an option. Kinda frustrating how this new slate (pun half-intended) of non-behemoth pickup trucks manages to be devoid of an option that's all of affordable, reasonably-sized, 4WD, and electric.

throwawaypath 2mo ago

A truck with less towing capacity than my Honda Pilot?

fabijanbajo 2mo ago

i think im getting good at recognizing claude code designed landers

drcongo 2mo ago

Claude did a nice job of the website.

burnt-resistor 2mo ago

Slate is an EV that's so much better than a world-polluting ICE. ICE vehicles will hopefully be banned for sale everywhere by 2030 because they're more expensive and toxic to run than EVs.

prmoustache 2mo ago
They won't.
waynecochran 2mo ago
You do realize EV’s pollute as well? Batteries are nasty.

wronex 2mo ago

They portray 5h charging at home as a downside. Something to scorn at. But, how long does it take to fill up a diesel truck at home? I haven’t gone to a gas station since getting an EV a few years ago. It trickle charges while I sleep. This is easily the biggest convenience.

rascul 2mo ago
Depending on laws in the area, one could have a tank and pump at home, refilled regularly with potentially lower bulk pricing. It's a thing but pretty rare outside of farms in my experience.

LoganDark 2mo ago

No pictures, no interior, no features. I'd wait until they demonstrate the truck exists.

prmoustache 2mo ago

I am pretty sure that if you need an inexpensive car with a decent charging bed, you are better of buying a regular passenger car and tow a small trailer when you need it. My dad bought one years ago and tow it with his corolla minivan whenever he needs it. Chance is that if you only need the bed a couple of times a year or are space constrained you are better of renting it. I never understood those US mountainbikers who awkwardly wrestle their bike on a truck bed when they could more comfortably mount them on an hitch rack of a regular car or inside a van. VW Multivan must be the most popular van amoung mountainbikers here in europe.

PunchyHamster 2mo ago
> I am pretty sure that if you need an inexpensive car with a decent charging bed, you are better of buying a regular passenger car and tow a small trailer when you need it. Or a minivan. Or an actual van. Truck's sole advantage is open bed. That is needed even rarer than "enough space for some plywood at the back"
- rationalist 2mo ago
  True, not everyone goes camping or does their own hauling, repairing, etc.
- mjh2539 2mo ago
  You can easily fit 8 full sheets of plywood (4ftx8ft) in a 2020 Honda Odyssey, with the seats still in the car. And you don't have to worry about them getting wet on the drive back home.
nicbou 2mo ago
I maintain that a Renault Kangoo is the best car format ever.
- prmoustache 2mo ago
  Yes. We still see an insane amount of Citroen C15 here in south of Spain.

pipeline_peak 2mo ago

I heard this from a friend who

mistyvales 2mo ago

Who makes the engine and powertrain? I didn't see it on the site.

bartlebone 2mo ago

REO missed one important point: monster trucks are about vice signaling and political identity. Most people that own monster trucks know they don’t need them for truck-like things, they need them to identify with their chosen group. There are also a lot of people who own them who think they will need them (like monster SUVs) and overbuy because literally bigger is better in their minds. REO is right in that there is no bottom market and I’m sure folks want a normal pickup, but I don’t think the market for small pickups is big enough when identity and politics (and existing policy) drive decision making at scale.

Jordan-117 2mo ago

I'm not up on the Maverick, but the comparison chart for the Slate EV feels pretty misleading: - the Slate's range is now 205 miles across the board, not 150/240 - both the REO and Slate start as 2-door 2-seaters with pricier models adding capacity, but the chart boasts the REO seats "up to 6" while the Slate seats "2 (5 costs extra)" - for repair costs, the REO just says "mechanical - affordable" (?) while labeling the Slate as "battery pack - $$$$". But an electric powertrain is far simpler and requires virtually no maintenance for 100,000+ miles, while an ICE engine requires regular oil changes, brake pads, timing belts, transmission work, etc. - completely skips the cost of fuel over electric charging; between that and maintenance, the TCO of the REO is significantly higher

throwawaytea 2mo ago
If you buy the common reliable gas engines, and stick to timing chains, you really don't have to do much. Our 4runner has 260k miles and hasn't ever had anything done but engine oil, trans oil, and differential oil. Trans and diff oil will still be done on electric cars. I have a 300k Ford F250 gas that also hasnt had anything done basically. And while for trucks the electric vs gas is huge, my Chevy Volt costs per mile about the same to operate on gas vs electric, because electricity is $0.46 a kwh in my California region.
- vannevar 2mo ago
  Anecdotal evidence notwhithstanding, EVs have much lower long-term maintenance costs. See eg, https://www.energy.gov/cmei/vehicles/articles/fotw-1190-june-14-2021-battery-electric-vehicles-have-lower-scheduled https://www.energy.gov/cmei/vehicles/articles/fotw-1190-june... https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/electric-vehicle-owners-spending-half-as-much-on-maintenance-compared-to-gas-powered-vehicle-owners-finds-new-cr-analysis/ https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_release/electric-... On electricity costs, California is an outlier---most people in the US pay less than half that $0.46/kwh, more like $0.15-0.20/kwh. https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=table_5_03 https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.ph... So for most people in the US, an EV will cost half what an ICE vehicle costs to operate.

breakyerself 2mo ago

Sad that in 2026 were getting excited about gas powered vehicles.

DivingForGold 2mo ago

Am I missing something here ? There are no images available of an actual truck ?

otekengineering 2mo ago

i'd love a series hybrid version of this. to match performance of that I4 you can probably fit both electric motor and gas generator in a normal sized engine bay. like a compact pickup version of what Edison Motors is doing to the fullsize pickup. i'd take an Edison conversion of an early 90s F250 over any new truck on the market. https://edisonmotors.ca/trucks/pickup-conversion/ https://edisonmotors.ca/trucks/pickup-conversion/

seff 2mo ago

- 5-min refuel These brave souls, touting the advantages of gasoline. The website is almost satirical in places.

ahahs 2mo ago
satirical aka AI Slop

everdrive 2mo ago

Interesting if it's not vaporware. As others have said, it's too soon to feel certain about this yet. It looks really exciting though.

4d4m 2mo ago

Hoping for a slantback variant! (all the erm dashes and AI copy make me wonder how far along things really are though)

schainks 2mo ago

What kind of automotive company thinks customers will take them seriously if we can’t see a picture of the whole vehicle and interior on the website?

zachdebo 2mo ago

Hey everyone, my name is Zach De Bernardi. I'm the Founder and CEO of the new REO. I found this forum post because our team keeps an hourly tracker via UTM tags on new reservations. I noticed that 30 have recently come from news.ycombinator.com (this site) and so I was pleasantly surprised to see the comments here. My reason for posting is to see if anyone had questions for me directly. I'd be happy to answer them here directly in the forum.