How Much Can a Slate Tow / Haul - new page on Slate website

[LuMu14]

How Much can a slate tow

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HOW MUCH CAN A SLATE HAUL?
The Slate Truck is rear-wheel drive and projected to have around a 1,550-lb payload and 2,000-lb towing capacity. But with EVs, towing isn’t just about numbers on a spec sheet — it’s about how electric power delivery, battery management, and vehicle architecture change the experience compared to traditional gas trucks.

TOWING: EV VS. GAS ENGINE
Gas trucks rely on combustion engines that hit peak power higher in the RPM range. EVs are different — they deliver max torque instantly. That means pulling a trailer with Slate will feel stronger off the line than a similar-spec gas-powered vehicle, even if the tow rating is modest.

But EV towing has a few unique considerations:


1. BATTERY SIZE AND RANGE

Towing pulls more energy from the battery — just like it burns more fuel in a gas truck. Depending on trailer weight, shape, and speed, range can decrease because the vehicle is pushing more drag and weight.

• Heavier loads = more energy consumption
• High speeds increase aerodynamic drag
• Hills and elevation changes draw more power

The Slate is designed for real-world use cases and daily utility, so its towing capacity is tuned around preserving range and ensuring predictable performance.


2. MOTOR AND DRIVETRAIN
Because the Slate is rear-wheel drive, its tow rating is optimized around traction, stability, and thermal limits. EV motors generate torque instantly, which is great for pulling — but sustained towing creates heat, and EVs need to protect motors, inverters, and battery systems from overload.


3. REGENERATIVE BRAKING
One of the biggest advantages of EV towing is regen braking. With a load behind you:

• The motor can recapture more energy going downhill
• Braking distances can feel more controlled
• You reduce wear on physical brakes

But regen has limits at higher speeds or with very heavy loads, which is why total tow capacity is carefully balanced.

4. WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION AND HITCH DYNAMICS
EVs carry more weight low in the chassis thanks to the battery pack. That helps stability, but tongue weight, trailer sway, and hitch setup still matter just like in any gas truck.


So…What Can Slate Really Handle?

For small trailers, motorcycles, yard equipment, kayaks, camping setups, and weekend utility jobs — the Slate truck's projected 2,000-lb tow rating and 1,550-lb payload should be plenty. And the instant torque makes low-speed hauling (like backing a trailer into a tight spot) easier than with a gas engine. A Slate isn’t meant to replace a full-size tow rig, though. It’s built for everyday practicality, not heavy-duty hauling.

 

[livehappy42]

Do we think it could work well as a yard shunter to, say, move an RV from one side of a lot to another, even if towing that same RV long-distance isn't practical?

 

[The Weatherman]

Do we think it could work well as a yard shunter to, say, move an RV from one side of a lot to another, even if towing that same RV long-distance isn't practical?

Yes absolutely.

 

[LuMu14]

Yeah absolutely. At low speeds the biggest limit will be weight distribution from the hitch. If you put a fifth wheel on the slate I feel like it could move around almost any trailer with its instant torque.

 

[RedJoker]

Do we think it could work well as a yard shunter to, say, move an RV from one side of a lot to another, even if towing that same RV long-distance isn't practical?

Considering I move my 2000# loaded utility trailer around the farm with my old electric golf cart, I'm sure this could handle higher loads at low speeds too.

 

[Skippy]

One of my use cases is actually to haul a small 4x8 dump trailer to the landfill after I trim my trees.

 

[kvermeer]

Do we think it could work well as a yard shunter to, say, move an RV from one side of a lot to another, even if towing that same RV long-distance isn't practical?

By RV do you mean a 5th wheel, a travel trailer, or either? There's no factory provision for a 5th wheel hitch in the bed, and I doubt it will come stock with the 7 way required to run the RV's brake axles.

A big travel trailer with a full tank of fresh water and empty gray/black tanks has a tongue weight that might exceed 1000 lbs. That's not enough to collapse a suspension rated for 1550 lbs, but it's a lot of torque on that receiver.

I wouldn't be even a little concerned of being unable to accelerate or lacking traction. I'd be slightly concerned about braking on hills. I'd be very concerned about overstressing the frame if done repeatedly, or worst-case peeling the hitch off the underside of the truck like this:



Yes, the much-maligned Cybertruck has a much higher tow rating of 11,000 lbs, but it began to fail at 6000 lbs of tongue weight. And yes, they had to use a forklift to hold the front axle down so the truck didn't just wheelie. Slate is rated for less than 1/5th of that, but if it's proportional, my perfectly ordinary travel trailer could break it.

 

[Rocks]

There's SAE-J2807 that covers towing certification. It's funny that the "test track" portion goes right by my house. We just call it "going to Kingman."

So we know that the 2000lb tow rating is good for going over Davis Dam in 100F minimum weather.

 

[livehappy42]

By RV do you mean a 5th wheel, a travel trailer, or either? There's no factory provision for a 5th wheel hitch in the bed, and I doubt it will come stock with the 7 way required to run the RV's brake axles.

A big travel trailer with a full tank of fresh water and empty gray/black tanks has a tongue weight that might exceed 1000 lbs. That's not enough to collapse a suspension rated for 1550 lbs, but it's a lot of torque on that receiver.

I wouldn't be even a little concerned of being unable to accelerate or lacking traction. I'd be slightly concerned about braking on hills. I'd be very concerned about overstressing the frame if done repeatedly, or worst-case peeling the hitch off the underside of the truck like this:



Yes, the much-maligned Cybertruck has a much higher tow rating of 11,000 lbs, but it began to fail at 6000 lbs of tongue weight. And yes, they had to use a forklift to hold the front axle down so the truck didn't just wheelie. Slate is rated for less than 1/5th of that, but if it's proportional, my perfectly ordinary travel trailer could break it.

Thanks for the great info!!

 

[Johnologue]

Yes, the much-maligned Cybertruck has a much higher tow rating of 11,000 lbs, but it began to fail at 6000 lbs of tongue weight. And yes, they had to use a forklift to hold the front axle down so the truck didn't just wheelie. Slate is rated for less than 1/5th of that, but if it's proportional, my perfectly ordinary travel trailer could break it.

The Slate and Cybertruck have very different structures. I think the Cybertruck's exterior is supposed to be a load-bearing exoskeleton...so, I guess the tow mount is just on the external structure of the bumper. I don't know how it's constructed (the video thumbnail implies "GLUE?").

The Slate has a more conventional internal frame.

I think any tow connector would be attached to that internal structure, rather than a bumper that's sort of on the surface of it.

I see no reason to think the tow rating would be "proportional" (just over half of the claimed rating) to the Cybertruck.
Aside from their structural differences and the relative difficulty of 6000 pounds and a bit over 1000 pounds, the point of the CT is to be a very bold, superlative vehicle with big numbers.
They're going to claim the biggest possible number they can, and I'm not even criticizing that, because it makes sense for what it is, and 6000 pounds is still a lot more than the Slate can support.

The Slate is marketed and designed around affordability and practicality. You know Slate Auto isn't targeting impressive numbers, they announced an electric vehicle in 2025 with 150 miles of range (since increased to 205 on the new LFP cells).

I think when Slate gives a number, they're erring on the side of caution/underpromising and expecting people will use (and sometimes exceed) all of the capacity they claim to support.

 

[dmon4u]

I would rather put my Zero Turn Mower in the back rather than Tow it around. They need to offer a ramp of some kind to help us get those in.

 

[Nivek]

I would rather put my Zero Turn Mower in the back rather than Tow it around. They need to offer a ramp of some kind to help us get those in.

The good thing is the truck has a relatively low bed height stock... which would make this easier. Curious if a zero turn would fit between wheel wells with the deck on.

 

[dmon4u]

Curious if a zero turn would fit between wheel wells with the deck on.

I will check this when I get home today !

 

[kvermeer]

I would rather put my Zero Turn Mower in the back rather than Tow it around. They need to offer a ramp of some kind to help us get those in.

Unless you've got a loading dock to back up to, that will need to be a long and steep ramp, and attaching it to the tailgate will be tough.

I would generally recommend that you tow a zero turn on a trailer. They come with an integrated ramp or at least good welded U-channels to hook a ramp on, the deck height is just 14-16", it's trivial to load.

With the monstrosities that modern lifted trucks have become, this might be 36" or more. Getting a safe loading angle of around 15 degrees means an 11 foot long ramp, and no one does that, so you end up with guys pointing up a 45 degree angle. The one good thing about driving stuff into the bed of the Slate is that the loading height is just 24 inches, so this can be a standard 7' ramp. It'll still be steep, but you're not going to tip over backwards like some of the videos you'll see of guys loading things into trucks that are too tall.

And the Slate bed is only 42" wide between the wheel wells. You're not going to fit most zero-turns in that space.

 

[tubes]

The internet is full of people trying to use ramps and riding their mower on them with it ending in comic disaster.