Latest news with #SlateTruck
The Verge
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Verge
Slate Auto FAQ: your questions answered
Alright, we get it. Y'all are excited about Slate. We thought the little Slate Truck was cool, but based on the number of clicks and comments on our Slate Auto articles so far, you'd like to know more. Many of you wrote in with questions and more than a few people raised some doubts. So, we wanted to address as many of those as we could. Here's your one-stop shop for Slate answers based on your questions — plus a few of our own. What are the Slate's full specs, and how does it compare to a Ford Maverick or F-150? The Slate is clearly a vehicle built for everyday utility, and while it'll make for a handy machine for hauling a lot of things, big towing and heavy cargo were clearly not a top priority. Here are the key specs, compared against the four-wheel drive hybrid Ford Maverick with the 2.5-liter engine and a Ford F-150 4x2 with a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. Slate Truck Ford Maverick Ford F-150 Horsepower (hp) 201 191 325 Curb weight (lbs) 3,602 3,674 4,171 Max payload (lbs) 1,433 1,500 1,775 Max towing (lbs) 1,000 2,000 8,400 Bed length (ft) 5 4.5 5.5, 6.5, or 8 Bed width (max / min, in) 50 / 54.9 42.6 / 53.3 50.6 / 66.9 Seats 2 5 5 It's worth noting that these Ford numbers vary widely based on configuration. For example, you can get a '4K Tow Package' on the Maverick that boosts towing to 4,000 lbs, and the F-150 has hundreds of variations depending on need. Max towing on an F-150 is 13,500 lbs. The numbers above represent the figures quoted by Ford for a base, option-free vehicle. And one final note: towing substantially reduces the efficiency of the tow vehicle, due to the weight of the trailer and its additional aerodynamic drag. For an electric vehicle like the Slate, that will surely result in reduced range, perhaps by as much as half depending on the trailer. Where will the vehicle be manufactured? Slate has confirmed manufacturing will take place in a former catalog printing facility in Warsaw, Indiana, which closed in 2023. Slate hopes to renovate the facility and eventually employ 2,000 workers, with an annual production volume of 150,000 vehicles. And the company is seeking tax abatements on the factory site from the county government to begin construction. Full details on that here. That domestic production should mean that vehicles produced by Slate are eligible for the full $7,500 federal rebate — if the credit still exists late next year when the Truck enters production. Does the Slate Truck have a cellular connection? No, the Slate Truck does not have built-in cellular connectivity. LTE is an increasingly common feature in new cars, enabling auto manufacturers to do all sorts of stuff, including good things like software updates and some perhaps not so good things like selling your driving data. For the former, o-the-air updates will still be possible via the Slate smartphone app. Updates will be downloaded to the phone and then pushed to the Slate Truck via USB cable. As for the latter, that leads us to our next question. Will Slate harvest and sell my driving data? Not your driving data, no, but you can upload data about the health of your vehicle. Jeff Jablansky, Slate Auto's head of public relations and communications, gave us this example: 'A 'check engine' light comes on: if the driver has their phone plugged in and has opted in to data movement, the company will send a notification to the Slate app so they can be aware of potential service needs.' Jablansky confirmed that no data will be sold to third parties. Can I precondition my Slate Truck? One of the joys of owning a modern EV is easy preconditioning. Regardless of where your car is parked, you can get the interior warmed up or cooled down from just a few taps on your smartphone, all without having to worry about filling your garage with carbon monoxide. Can you do that in the Slate Truck? Maybe. The lack of cellular connection means you won't be able to wirelessly connect to your Truck from anywhere, but Jablansky didn't rule it out entirely, saying, 'This is something we are working on through the app.' Will Slate make models available for designing 3D-printed accessories? Ready to download some STL/3MF files today and start designing your ultimate cupholder? Us, too, but we'll need to be patient for a little bit. 'The Maker community is incredibly important to Slate, and we are on track toward delivering on this commitment closer to launch,' Jablansky says. So stay tuned on that front. Jablansky says this will also include details on third-party accessory providers and licensing. Why didn't Slate use standard DIN slots for ease of installing audio? The DIN slot, also known as the ISO 7736 or Deutsches Institut für Normung 75490 slot, has long been the standard for in-dash audio. Why, then, are there no DIN slots on the Slate Truck? Slate says it was to offer greater flexibility. 'We wanted to allow the customer to pick and choose their accessories without forcing combinations of options together in packages. This comes to life in our audio strategy to allow customers to choose to install anything from a Bluetooth speaker to a full audio system,' Jablansky says. So the bad news is if you want to use a standard DIN receiver, then you'll need to DIY an enclosure for it. The good news is if you just want to mount a Bluetooth sound bar, then you won't have to worry about filling any gaping rectangular holes in the dashboard. Is a more advanced active driver assistance system in the works? No. 'Consistent with our broader approach, we focused our engineering to make a Slate a great truck to drive,' Jablansky says. Keep those hands on the wheel, folks. Why choose a Truck to start instead of a sedan or compact SUV? Cost and simplicity, it turns out. Jablansky says that 'a two-door form factor meant less material, less complexity, lower cost.' He adds that the lockable frunk means there's sedan-like secure storage for your stuff, with the added benefit of a big bed out back. And, of course, you can add on the SUV kit if you need more seating or more covered storage. Will any special tools be required for any of the DIY upgrades and add-ons? Per Jablansky, special tools are not expected to be required. Will this thing really sell for $20,000? What about tariffs? What if the EV incentives go away? It's a dynamic world and dynamic industry out there right now, but Slate isn't backing down. 'We are committed to our expected price point of $20,000 after federal incentives,' Jablansky says, which implies an MSRP of roughly $27,500. 'If incentives go away, Slate will remain well-positioned in the U.S. with a strong proposition of value, safety, and customization.' Will those attributes be enough to woo people away from a Ford Maverick, which starts at just over $28,000? We'll have to wait and see. Jablansky says that Slate is also committed to US manufacturing, which should fend off most of the tariff fears, and that the company is still on track to start manufacturing in 2026.
Fox News
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Fox News
Jeff Bezos backs radical $20,000 small electric pickup truck
Jeff Bezos is backing a bold new venture that's positioning itself to disrupt the electric vehicle space: Slate Auto. It's a startup that has unveiled a simple, modular electric pickup truck called the Slate Truck. It's priced at $20,000 after federal EV incentives, a concept some would consider radical and even inconceivable. The Slate Truck's base model defies industry norms by stripping down to essentials, with no power windows, no touchscreen and a minimalist dashboard. However, at the same time, it offers a range of customization options, allowing buyers to transform it into a five-seat SUV. The Slate Truck is a compact electric pickup, measuring 174.6 inches in length, 70.6 inches wide excluding mirrors and 69.3 inches tall, making it more than 20 inches shorter than a Ford Maverick and reminiscent of classic pickups like the 1985 Toyota truck. It rides on a 108.9-inch wheelbase and features a five-foot bed that is slightly longer and wider than the Maverick's, offering 37 cubic feet of cargo space. The truck is powered by a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque, delivering rear-wheel drive only and accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in about 8 seconds, with a top speed near 90 mph. Buyers can choose between a standard 52.7 kWh battery with an estimated 150-mile range or an optional 84.3 kWh pack for up to 240 miles of range. Charging is flexible, with an 11 kW onboard AC charger and DC fast charging up to 120 kW through a NACS connector, allowing a 20% to 80% charge in about half an hour. The Slate Truck has a maximum payload capacity of 1,433 pounds and can tow up to 1,000 pounds, making it practical for everyday hauling needs. Safety features include traction control, electronic stability control, automated emergency braking, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and up to eight airbags, with the company targeting a five-star NCAP safety rating. The curb weight is about 3,600 pounds. Slate Auto, founded in 2022, secured $111 million in funding from Bezos and other investors, including Mark Walter, the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The company aims to disrupt the EV market by making electric trucks accessible to budget-conscious consumers. This is a stark contrast to an industry dominated by high-priced models. Slate Auto's production is set to begin in Warsaw, Indiana, at a repurposed paper facility, an unconventional approach to manufacturing. The company is betting on affordability and modularity to carve out a niche in the EV market and is looking to challenge industry giants like Tesla and Ford. Maybe with Bezos' backing, Slate Auto can redefine what an affordable EV looks like. One of Slate's standout features is its extensive customization. Starting as a minimalist two-seater, the Slate Truck can be transformed into a five-seat SUV with an add-on kit that includes rear seats, a roll cage and airbags. Buyers can choose from over 100 accessories, including roof racks, cargo storage, all-terrain tires and lift kits. The vehicle's exterior can be wrapped in different colors and designs instead of painted, allowing owners to easily change its look or even do it themselves with a DIY kit. This modular, build-it-your-way philosophy makes the Slate Truck feel like a rolling Lego set, appealing to both everyday drivers and enthusiasts who want a personalized EV experience. Reservations for the Slate Truck are open for a refundable $50 deposit. Customers should expect deliveries to start in late 2026. You can go to the Slate Auto website to reserve yours by clicking on this link. Slate Auto's approach to building a simple, modular electric pickup truck at an affordable price could shake up the EV market. Its focus on practicality and customization, backed by Jeff Bezos, offers a fresh alternative to pricey, tech-heavy trucks. With production starting in Indiana and deliveries expected in late 2026, the Slate Truck may well redefine what an affordable EV looks like. Would you consider buying a Slate Truck, with its minimalist design and customizable features? Why or why not? Let us know by writing us at For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Follow Kurt on his social channels: Answers to the most-asked CyberGuy questions: New from Kurt: Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
New York Times
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- New York Times
Is the Answer to Expensive Cars a Pickup Truck Without Power Windows?
When Slate Auto, a start-up, unveiled a roughly $25,000 electric pickup truck last month, social media lit up with comments. Many people saw the no-frills vehicle, with an easy-to-repair body and nostalgic hand crank windows, as a refreshing antidote to today's overstuffed and increasingly unaffordable cars. How unaffordable? Average monthly payments on new cars have soared to $739 in March from $537 in January 2019, according to Cox Automotive. The average new car costs $47,400, with electric models around $59,200. High interest rates, now around 9.4 percent for a 72-month loan, have made cars even more of a financial stretch. 'Prices and interest rates are both high and stuck,' said Mark Schirmer, director of industry insights for Cox Automotive. 'If you haven't been in the market since 2018, it's got to be shocking what a car costs.' President Trump's tariffs of 25 percent on imported cars and parts have consumers scrambling to buy before prices rise even more. Cars that cost less than $30,000 are especially vulnerable — nearly 80 percent of those are subject to tariffs. They include consumer staples like the American-made Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, which rely on imported parts. Supplies of budget models are expected to shrink, and automakers may stop importing certain models entirely. Enter Slate, a company based in the Detroit suburbs backed by venture capital firms and Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder. Chris Barman, a former Fiat Chrysler engineer and Slate's chief executive, said the Slate Truck was expressly designed to ease sticker shock, although it won't be available until late 2026. The company plans to produce the pint-size truck at a retrofitted printing plant in Indiana, with a capacity for 150,000 a year. True to its name, the truck is designed to be a blank slate to which buyers can add more than 100 accessories, like power windows and heated seats, as their budgets allow or needs change. There is no built-in stereo or touch-screen display, but there are docks for phones or tablets, saving money and avoiding the digital obsolescence that often plagues auto entertainment and navigation systems. 'We think hardworking Americans are looking for good value for the money,' Ms. Barman said in a recent interview. That message appealed to Liv Leigh, 41, who hopped inside a Slate Truck during its public debut at the Long Beach Airport in California in April. Ms. Leigh, a biomedical designer and electric-car enthusiast, paid $50 to reserve a Slate. She watched the company's employees transform the two-seat pickup into a five-passenger sport utility vehicle in about one hour, with a clever conversion kit aimed at do-it-yourself owners. Ms. Leigh appreciated the truck's tidy size, shorter than a Civic, and its modest 150-mile range. 'I love the idea of an absolute base, beater truck, where I can stick a dog or muddy bikes or plywood in back,' Ms. Leigh said. 'I don't need a giant vehicle to haul stuff.' Ms. Barman said efficient design and production were key to the company's promised low prices. The truck's gray plastic-composite body panels eliminate any need for a steel body-stamping plant or paint shop, which can cost automakers many millions of dollars. Where a Ford Model T, an egalitarian car of another age, famously came only in black, Slate offers vinyl body wraps in 13 colors, for an extra $500. Buyers can also opt for a larger, factory-installed battery with a 240-mile range. 'That all keeps costs down, but also feeds into giving customers freedom of choice,' Ms. Barman said. 'They can outfit the vehicle the way they want it, not the way a manufacturer has designed it.' Slate hopes that a U.S.-based supply chain, including batteries made by SK On, a South Korean company, will make the pickup eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit. Republican lawmakers on Monday released a budget bill that would eliminate that incentive and dismantle other Biden-era climate and energy policies. That all depends on Slate's successfully navigating a treacherous path for electric vehicle start-ups. Several young automakers, including Fisker, Nikola and Canoo, have sought bankruptcy protection and shut down. With or without subsidies, Slate has a viable business plan, Ms. Barman said. The company hopes to price its truck in the mid-$20,000s before government incentives, which would undercut the Nissan Leaf, which is the most affordable electric car at $29,300 but no longer eligible for tax credits. Chevrolet plans to offer a redesigned Bolt S.U.V. by year end for roughly $30,000. The General Motors brand intends the Bolt to qualify for the tax credit, dropping its effective price to roughly $22,500. Erin Keating, the executive analyst of Cox Automotive, praised the Slate Truck's ingenuity. But she said a pickup with two seats, short range and a bare-bones interior might not appeal to American car buyers who have grown accustom to having many tech and creature comforts. 'There's nothing wrong with trying to crack the affordability crisis, but I don't see this as a massive volume seller,' Ms. Keating said. 'Ultimately, this is an extremely small E.V. with almost nothing in it, in a market with a growing number of affordable choices with much longer range.' The Ford Maverick is a potential rival that may argue for or against Slate's prospects. That compact pickup is two feet longer than the Slate. It seats five passengers and offers many more features. A hybrid version can reach 40 miles per gallon and travel more than 500 miles on a full tank. Ford sold 131,000 Mavericks last year, suggesting there is strong demand for small, energy-efficient trucks. The company has raised the starting price of the hybrid version of the truck by $4,200 since 2024, to $28,150, including an increase last week that Ford Motor acknowledged was partly a response to tariffs on the truck, which is assembled in Mexico. The company said it was not passing on the full cost of the tariffs to customers and would offer all of its cars for the same price it sells them to employees until early July. As much as any vehicle category, America's pickup trucks epitomize how cars have changed over the last several decades, mostly by becoming bigger, more powerful and a lot more expensive. Some lavish pickups can cost as much as large European luxury sedans. Electric trucks from Tesla, Rivian and Ford range from $70,000 to more than $100,000. Ms. Barman sees a market opening for entry-level truck fans, families shopping for a second car, empty nesters, and businesses such as landscapers, contractors and delivery workers. The company expects to sell many trucks to people who otherwise would buy a used car, the average price of which is $26,000. One big challenge for Slate, or other companies hoping to sell more affordable cars, is that despite what they say they want, many Americans don't seem to buy such cars. Ms. Keating noted that roughly two dozen models on the market start at less than $25,000. All are small cars or S.U.V.s, including the market's lowest-price car, the $18,300 Nissan Versa. Nearly every midsize family sedan starts at less than $30,000, including the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Hyundai Sonata. But many Americans have rejected those cars in favor of bigger vehicles. S.U.V.s, pickups and minivans now account for more than 80 percent of the market. Mr. Trump's trade policies remain a wild card. Analysts expect tariffs will add thousands of dollars to the prices of new cars and drive up the demand and prices for used cars. Americans bought 1.5 million new cars in April, 400,000 more than in April 2024. But analysts said people were buying now to avoid being raked over later. Jonathan Smoke, the chief economist at Cox Automotive, said new-car inventories had fallen to their lowest levels in two years, suggesting that prices could rise as dealers run out of cars made before tariffs took effect. S&P Global Mobility, another research firm, has lowered its forecast for new-car sales and now expects them to fall 4 percent this year. For people seeking safe harbor in a financial storm, electric cars are a smart choice, Ms. Keating said. Between government and automaker incentives, new electric cars were discounted by 13.3 percent on average in March, a nearly $8,000 savings. Ms. Leigh recently leased a Chevrolet Equinox for two years, paying $5,500 upfront, which works out to a monthly payment of $230. The electric S.U.V. has a 319-mile driving range. 'Some people don't realize how many incentives are out there,' she said.
NZ Autocar
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Literally born from a clean slate
An American start-up backed by Amazon will launch a bare-bones $US27,000 electric pick-up truck in 2027. It is called the Blank Slate. News first broke last month and now further images are to hand. believes 'people deserve to have a car that they can afford'. They add that the concepts of desirability and affordability should be 'inseparable'. Blank Slate will go heavy on personalisation options. Tisha Johnson, director of Design said that the response to the Slate Truck's unveiling last month was overwhelming. It reflects the public's desire for an affordable yet still attractive pick-up. Johnson said that the Slate project appealed specifically to her desire to have a 'meaningful impact for society and on people's lives'. It also gave her an opportunity to fulfil a career ambition. 'It was concerning to me that I hadn't delivered affordable mobility, an affordable car, to people.' Indeed, the Slate Truck is tipped to be one of the most affordable pick-ups – electric or otherwise. It goes on sale in the US with a targeted start price of $US27,000, before incentives. That makes it roughly the same amount as an entry-level petrol-engined Ford Maverick. It's about half the price of the Ford F-150 Lightning, the least expensive electric pick-up in America. To achieve this it has a bare-bones cabin featuring manual seats, no stereo as standard and a device mount in place of a touchscreen. 'People know what they want in their own tech that they're carrying with them. Let them nest their phone or a tablet, if they want to, and then just get back to the act of driving.' It's an approach similar to that taken by the Dacia Spring and Citroën ë-C3. 'We are probably the least influenced by the directionality of industry players,' she said. There's a huge array of personalisation options for the pick-up. They range from vibrant liveries and chunky cladding to different wheel designs and even the choice of body style. There are kits available that turn the vehicle into a compact SUV or a fastback crossover. Johnson said the aim was that 'the person looking at it can overlay some interesting possibilities'. 'First and foremost, we want people to love the car.' Slate can build just one basic model line at its factory in Indiana, which keeps tooling and supply chain costs in check. Will Slate go global? Not initially, according to Johnson. It is 'focused on an American truck that we can deliver in the US'.
Stuff.tv
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Stuff.tv
I've seen the Slate Truck pickup and the best thing about it is there's no touchscreen
A touchscreen is great on your smartphone. In fact, unless you still hanker after a Blackberry keypad, it's hard to imagine life without one. It's the same in cars too, with touchscreen infotainment dominating today's dashboards. However, there seems to be a definite pushback against too much touchscreen tech in vehicles. It was a key point being made at the third Car Design Event 2025 event held at Munich's Drivers & Business Club this week. Users were all too ready to voice their concerns to designers about just how fed up they are with much that lives within the omnipresent infotainment screen of modern cars. Sure, there's a place for a touchscreen, but folks want good old buttons and switches too. The recently unveiled Slate Truck pickup is a prime example of this desire for minimalism. Look at the dashboard and there's no touchscreen, just a mount for your own screen of choice. It makes total sense because so many drivers just want to get behind the wheel, plug in their own system and use that, instead of picking through endless infotainment menus. Simplicity could be the secret of Slate's success and, if they can bring it to market at around $20,000 dollars that will certainly help. The other key factor is that by using our own smartphones or tablets as the 'infotainment' system, buyers can keep their vehicles up to date. Over-the-air software updates are all well and good, but many of the screens in even some of the best electric cars are going to look mighty tired and outdated in just a few years' time. Slate's approach is refreshing, even if we're not going to be able to get this Jeff Bezos-backed funky little pickup truck here in the UK for now. It starts out basic, but the buyer can create their own vehicle thanks to several core options that turn it from a pickup into an SUV. From there, the Slate can be further customised with myriad personalisation options. A neat idea. Alongside Slate, user interface and experience (UI/UX) topics were heavily featured during presentations from BMW, General Motors, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Lamborghini, Pagani, Volkswagen and even the reborn Yugo brand (remember them?). And, even if you've had your fill of touchscreen infotainment systems, it is perhaps BMW that could be about to deliver the most refreshing variation on this theme. The forthcoming BMW Panoramic iDrive, which we tried for ourselves a while ago, is a fantastic amalgam of a Panoramic Vision dashboard layout, which actually runs along the complete length of the lower windscreen, supplemented by a head-up display and, yes, a touchscreen oriented toward the driver. However, the icing on the cake is the way the new multifunction steering wheel offers lots of control right there at your fingertips. BMW says 'hands on the wheel, eyes on the road', which definitely sounds like the way to go and could make for the perfect compromise when it appears in its Neue Klasse vehicles that will arrive later this year. The Car Design Event is the brainchild of automotive journalists Jens Meiners and Des Sellmeijer. It's a unique mix of car design experts, suppliers and educational institutions plus media and influencers. And, one thing was very apparent throughout, it might be time designers start listening to consumers and bring a few more buttons back into the mix of their future creations.
