Edmunds - 2027 Slate Truck First Drive Review: There's Potential, But I'm Not Convinced (8/25/26)

[motorolas]

https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2027-slate-truck-ev-first-drive-review.html

Here’s the mildly TL;DR (it's still long, cause I added my own experience and thoughts, ha.) of Edmunds’ first-drive review of the 2027 Slate Truck by reporter Steven Ewing.

Looks like the author drove a pre-production unit around Monterey and Carmel area for about an hour.

Likes:
Small and maneuverable: Its compact size and relatively heavy steering make it surprisingly fun to toss around corners.
Great visibility with lot's of headroom (author is 5'8").
Strong regenerative braking: One-pedal driving brings the truck all the way to a stop.
Cheap and simple: The whole vehicle is designed around minimizing cost and complexity.

Dislikes:
Ride quality is rough. The suspension feels distinctly "trucky" and considerably less refined than most EVs.
He did notice getting in and out of the Slate, he would snag his foot on the doorsill "every time".
Driver's door slammed shut with a shudder, not sure what this sounds like, maybe loose hinges?
Interesting to me point on the truck turning on when he "shove the key fob into the slot on the dash, like a late-2000s Volvo. I don't have reference to this, but I do like a push to start option and would be curious to see how the key fob works out, since it's customizable. I figure Slate needs to keep the key fob a particular size.
Lots of body movement. author noticed substantial side-to-side motion under acceleration, braking and cornering.
It's loud. This may be the biggest criticism. There's very little sound insulation, so wind and road noise are prominent, with lots of echo/reverb inside. I've got a Honda Fit, and it's loud, my old Integras were also loud.
It's slow. The author estimates roughly 8 seconds to 60 mph. As someone who drives a sub-compact car, I don't mind this as I am no longer a "speed demon".
One-pedal driving can't be disabled. If you don't like aggressive regenerative braking, you're stuck with it. I'm fine with this, I tried this on a Tesla Y during the Alameda Demo Days and it does take time to get used to.
The interior is extremely basic. This seems like a given for the audience it's looking to serve.

"The truck I drove was a preproduction prototype — one of only a handful that exist, I'm told — so I'll cut Slate some slack about the fact that this might be the rattliest car I've driven since my 1998 Ford Escort. I want to believe that the trucks destined for customers will be better screwed together and more refined, but we'll see."

"To me, the Slate only makes sense if you snag one of the most basic, bare-bones versions and stick to the $26,400 base price."

Keywords and sentences that I relate to that I read in the article:
"...you get honest, basic transportation with seating for two people and an estimated 205 miles of driving range."
"To describe the Slate's interior in a word: It's austere."
"But if you're used to any modern vehicle, the Slate's gonna seem cheap."
"Overall, the truck goes, turns and stops in a straightforward manner. "


I'm still in.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

I think there is an audience for the Slate that doesn't care if the truck punches you in the nose every time you get in. I mean that in a nice way. Hanging out on this forum for a year now - Slate is blessed with a core of true believers who will stick with Slate come whatever. Slate is genuinely lucky in that sense. They have some wiggle room to get through the traditional new truck issues.

 

[Moe]

Since the author mentioned the Chevy Bolt, here’s an Inside EV review.

2027 Chevy Bolt Review: Do Americans Really Want Cheap EVs?
It’s a good car at a great price. But there’s a reason Americans don’t buy cars like this.

https://insideevs.com/reviews/805609/2027-bolt-ev-affordable-car-review/

Despite the clamor to bring it back, the Bolt only sold 4,221 units in the first half of the year at 0.9% of US BEV sales. Perhaps GM shipping it with a discontinuation date had something to do with that.

 

[tubes]

Since the author mentioned the Chevy Bolt, here’s an Inside EV review.

2027 Chevy Bolt Review: Do Americans Really Want Cheap EVs?
It’s a good car at a great price. But there’s a reason Americans don’t buy cars like this.

https://insideevs.com/reviews/805609/2027-bolt-ev-affordable-car-review/

Despite the clamor to bring it back, the Bolt only sold 4,221 units in the first half of the year at 0.9% of US BEV sales. Perhaps GM shipping it with a discontinuation date had something do with that.

The comments were interesting. One complaint that rang true was dealers pushing people to ICE for both better profit and future maintenance.

I don't know. We do seem to be obsessed with gigantic vehicles.

 

[kvermeer]

Last month, the author of the article posted these reviews as well:

https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2026-mercedes-maybach-s-class-v12-first-drive-review.html

https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2027-mercedes-maybach-s-class-first-drive-review.html

> With a starting price of $249,000 (including $1,550 for destination), I maintain that the Maybach S 680 is an absolute bargain compared to a V12-powered Rolls-Royce Ghost. And the S-Class — even the base one — is more tech-rich than a Bentley Flying Spur while matching it hide for hide in luxury. The S 680 is the most premium sedan you can buy this side of a Rolls-Royce Phantom...

> After an overnight transatlantic flight to the Côte d'Azur followed by a private helicopter jaunt over the French Alps, stretching out in the absolutely palatial back seat of a 2027 Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is an opulent end to an extravagant day....

> Compared to the standard S-Class, the Maybach's wheelbase has been stretched by 7.1 inches. This gives backseat riders nearly 4 feet of lavishly upholstered legroom, rivaling — if not besting — some of the best airline Business Class suites. (There's a fold-out ottoman!) Want a heated or ventilated massage? You got it; activate it via voice commands or use the iPhone-sized remote controls. ... I've ridden in the back of Bentley Flying Spurs and Rolls-Royce Ghosts; the Maybach S-Class is honestly the best of the best.

I am not at all concerned if he thinks the Slate is noisy or stiff or has cheap plastic.

 

[granny]

The Bolt is hideous. There's a reason no one wants it.

 

[Mac-Tyson]

Posted about this on Reddit so I’ll share it here:
Having Rode in the Slate Truck I Highly Disagree with Edmunds on their bold points

Stiff Ride And Loud, Uninsulated Cabin: In terms of ride I didn’t get the opportunity to drive the truck so I can only talk about it as a passenger. The ride felt like an in between of a body on frame truck and a more stiff unibody. That part I don’t disagree with but that was also more my expectations for a Pickup Truck.

Road noise was noticeable at higher speeds but not loud or deafening as they have described it in the past. One concern I had was rattles and shakes but was pleasantly surprised when there were none.

Hard, cheap looking plastics: I mean from pictures it shouldn’t be surprising there’s a lot of plastics. But I felt it was more economical than cheap, not like early 2000s gm plastics. Everything felt very nice to the touch too. Great tactile feedback on everything. The seats were firm but not uncomfortable like that type of firm that feels good for your back. But if you don’t like firm seats you might not like Slate’s seats. The Leather Seat Covers look more comfortable but didn’t get a chance to sit in them.

Don’t just take my word for it though Slate will have ride a longs and test drives so be sure to be on the lookout for them.

That was for the post though for the full review here are my thoughts on some aspects of it starting with this quote:

“The Slate's small size and weighty steering feel make it kinda fun to whip around tight turns. But that's about where my compliments end. There are a lot of fore/aft and side-to-side body motions while accelerating, braking and cornering, so the truck feels uneasy at times, and the ride is, well, trucky — stiffer than other EVs”


I agree with that part completely from the ride, I just disagree that the ride feeling tricky instead of a modern EV is a bad thing for the “Slate Truck”.

But I disagree with the way the reviewer talked about how loud it was, it feels like an over exaggeration or much higher expectations.

Also,
he compares the base Maverick Hybrid to his $30K+ build (which he only gives a rough idea of what it includes). I’ve already built out the closest equivalent to the Maverick Hybrid in the Slate Maker. The Slate is cheaper but the point is you only need to buy what you want and what your budget can afford. What the review considers a relatively well build out Slate Truck is not what everyone else will.

At the very least using the starter packs as a base line would be more objective.

 

[Moe]

Since the Mrs likes the way they look I’ve dug into the Maverick. I won’t go into it in detail since it’s OT for the thread but I will note once you get beyond the XL and XLT trim, it gets REAL expensive REAL fast. I expect the Fathom will be similar.

 

[Johnologue]

(Alright, I might have mixed around the parts of this post, so apologies if it's disorganized.)

It's slow. The author estimates roughly 8 seconds to 60 mph. As someone who drives a sub-compact car, I don't mind this as I am no longer a "speed demon".

When I hear people call the Slate slow, it makes me wonder what they're usually driving.
Also, 8 seconds isn't an author estimate, they say it's "estimated" - so they're probably referencing official spec on the 0-60.

I think a lot of this review comes down to expectations over EVs and over how "truck-like" the Slate actually is. Like, the suspension got a good review from an Autopian journalist taking it over a seemingly earthquake-damaged road. It's got a solid rear axle (one with reduced unsprung mass, but still), it's not a sport luxury vehi-

With a starting price of $249,000 (including $1,550 for destination), I maintain that the Maybach S 680 is an absolute bargain compared to a V12-powered Rolls-Royce Ghost.

WTF, is this guy Jeremy Clarkson, crowning the Bentley Continental GT "People's Car of the Year"?

For interior...just based on my collection of reference images for stuff, modern car interiors are really overdesigned. Fewer parts and an open-ended dash means rectangles, not a bunch of swoopy shiny things of varied textures. There's less eye-candy in the Slate, but is that "cheap"? Even something like the Chevy Trax looks like this:

If anything, I feel being overdesigned is a way for cheap cars to hide their "cheapness". Minimalism is confident.

The Bolt also has a 65-kWh battery pack, but it can charge at a peak rate of 150 kW and we observed 290 miles of real-world range on the Edmunds EV Range Test.

It's funny, I always say that the "Edmunds-tested real world range" of the Bolt was 15 miles.
https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/2027-chevy-bolt-tech-issues.html

Also, I take issue with them treating the Bolt EUV as more performant/fun - it's front-wheel drive!

Interesting to me point on the truck turning on when he "shove the key fob into the slot on the dash, like a late-2000s Volvo. I don't have reference to this, but I do like a push to start option and would be curious to see how the key fob works out, since it's customizable. I figure Slate needs to keep the key fob a particular size.

We have some information on the key fob system, it's from a company called CyberCogs. I don't recall if there was anything suggesting they could easily switch to a push-start.
I don't know how the concept of inserting a key can be anachronistic to someone...though I understand why people might want push-start. I'd ask how the author gets into their house, but they probably have some horrible Wi-Fi doorbell thing.

Lots of body movement. author noticed substantial side-to-side motion under acceleration, braking and cornering.

I think they're the only reviewer we've had thus far who's made it sound like their test vehicle was actually broken in some way.

You can drive the Slate only by using the throttle, and it'll bring itself to a complete stop. Don't like that feature in EVs? Sorry, in the Slate, you can't turn it off.

I feel the meaning of "you can't turn regen off" is different when you learn (as some here have noted) that regen is just what the motor does if you don't run power into it to pretend you're coasting.

It's got a green wrap, speakers in the doors, floor mats, a center console for storage, a tonneau cover for the bed, and a couple of pieces of flair like fun head- and taillights. It's $30,950.
[...]
"To me, the Slate only makes sense if you snag one of the most basic, bare-bones versions and stick to the $26,400 base price."

Okay...do you want extra stuff, or not? This kind of talk is really common and makes no sense if you actually think about it. Just get what you want? Saying it's all or nothing is absurd. If the base truck is a good value, and you want speakers, then are the speakers a good value? NO, GET A MAVERICK.

There are no speakers in the doors. I'll assume he means the ones at the sides of the dash and didn't look too close.
The floor mats and the tonneau cover need to be bought separately on any vehicle, AFAIK, so it's an unfair point to compare versus something like an unadorned Maverick.

Actually, the Slate's tonneau is cheaper (not counting the $1350 from a third-party brand), barring a soft cover that isn't offered.

And be sure to add the floor liners/mats! That's $135-175 (if you want carpet for some reason). The Slate's front floor liner is actually only $60...I guess you have to buy a "set", since you have four doors and it'd be weird otherwise.

They'll actually sell you a bed topper that costs about as much as an entire row of seats and airbags.

If we say, floor mat and tonneau cover, that's a minimum of $735 ($135 liner + $600 soft cover), a maximum of $1455 ($175 liner w/carpet + $1280). Or, if we include the exclusively dealer-installed retractable bed cover, that's $2530 (plus the floor mats).

Oh no, the Maverick is a terrible deal now! Better upgrade to a Maybach!

 

[Boston Brian]

The Bolt is hideous. There's a reason no one wants it.

They did that on purpose.

 

[Mac-Tyson]

Chris Higa’s take:

 

[Rocks]

Sounds like Mr. Maybach here got to drive without a chaperone. That's different from the Rhode Island press tour.

 

[E90400K]

A pickup truck that rides like a... pickup truck. Who'd a thunk?!

Jeeze.

 

[Moe]

The Bolt still holds a record with approximately 62,045 sales in 2023.

This is the highest single-year U.S. sales figure for any non-Tesla pure battery electric vehicle (BEV). The Bolt EV (hatchback) and Bolt EUV (slightly taller crossover variant) are typically reported together as a family due to their shared platform, powertrain, and close relationship; 2023 was their final and strongest year before production ended.

Other notable recent peaks for comparison:

- Chevrolet Equinox EV: 57,945 units in 2025 (the top individual non-Tesla model that year, roughly double its partial-year 2024 total). Now down ~41% in 2026.

- Ford Mustang Mach-E: Peaked at about 51,600–56,300 units (e.g., ~51,620 in 2025; higher in 2024 in some reports). Down 46% in 2026.

- Hyundai Ioniq 5: Around 47,000 in 2025. The Ioniq 5 is the current US non-Tesla BEV sales leader and up YoY due in part to a $9,800 MSRP drop. It’s current annualized sales project 2026 sales of ~42,000.
.

 

[danielt1263]

2027 Chevy Bolt Review: Do Americans Really Want Cheap EVs?
It’s a good car at a great price. But there’s a reason Americans don’t buy cars like this.

https://insideevs.com/reviews/805609/2027-bolt-ev-affordable-car-review/

I saw this article and had a look. At my local dealership, they have two Bolts that haven't been used as "courtesy vehicles", MSRP for both of them is $29.3k and you have to contact the dealer to find out what the dealer price is. Meanwhile, they have twenty-three cheaper vehicles (again, not including courtesy vehicles) and in every case, they give the dealer price for them on Chevy's website. These include the Trax, Trailblazer, and even a couple of Equinox.

What about the courtesy vehicles, you may wonder... They have 6 Bolt courtesy vehicles out of a total of 8 on the lot (75%). Meanwhile they have 1 Trax courtesy vehicle out of 13 and 2 Trailblazers out of 17 (10%). Obviously, as far as the dealership is concerned, the Bolt is just around for reliable transportation while people are waiting for their gas vehicles to be fixed.

So when I see a headline that says "Chevy Bolt, Do Americans really want cheap EVs?" I have to say, how about first finding a cheap EV.