Why only a short bed?

[Ranb]

I upgraded from my regular cab/bed 2002 Ranger to a 2016 F-150 regular cab/bed. I wish a hybrid was an option back then, but even now it is an extra $10k to get a hybrid motor in the 2026 F-150.

I saw the Slate pickup in a Youtube video an hour ago. But then I saw the specs; 5 foot bed only. That is a deal breaker as I have a 2-seat ATV that requires a 6.5 foot bed to haul around.

The bed is, in my opinion, the most important feature of a pickup. Why limit it with a short bed, instead of regular and long beds? As far I know, all EV pickups have beds shorter than 6 feet. These quad cab pickups with short beds are just big cars with limited utility use.

 

[sodamo]

I upgraded from my regular cab/bed 2002 Ranger to a 2016 F-150 regular cab/bed. I wish a hybrid was an option back then, but even now it is an extra $10k to get a hybrid motor in the 2026 F-150.

I saw the Slate pickup in a Youtube video an hour ago. But then I saw the specs; 5 foot bed only. That is a deal breaker as I have a 2-seat ATV that requires a 6.5 foot bed to haul around.

The bed is, in my opinion, the most important feature of a pickup. Why limit it with a short bed, instead of regular and long beds? As far I know, all EV pickups have beds shorter than 6 feet.

You just need to find something that matches your needs. Skip any that don’t

 

[LevelHeaded]

Slate is focused on a single SKU. Who knows what they’ll offer in the future, but for now they’re making one single truck, all exactly the same during production. No foundational differences like cab or bed options.

And it’s really good that they’re doing this. It’s obvious why they would start with a shorter bed, given how few people opt for the longer bed even a class up (Tacoma/ranger/colorado/etc).

But keep an eye on them in the future if you’re still in the market; who knows what they’ll do next. (But don’t expect anything different for at least a couple years imo)

 

[GrizzlysGhost]

Is it possible to use the open tailgate as an "extension"? The cables on either side seem pretty stout but I've no idea if it's rated to hold weight.

 

[sodamo]

Bought a new 2007, GMC Sierra 3500, double cab, full 8ft bed. Hated going to Walmart and many other places, but oh so handy when needed.

 

[Ranb]

I've been told that tailgates are rated for the same load as the bed, but I would prefer not to have the rear axle of an 800 pound ATV resting on it.

 

[EV Trek]

The 5’ bed on the Slate is longer and has more cu ft capacity 35. 1 cu ft, than the Maverick 4’ 5” with 33cu ft and the Santa Cruz 4’3” with 27cu ft , plus the Slate has a front trunk that holds 7 cu ft.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

This thread seems like somebody asking "why does this size 10 sock not fit my size 12 foot?".

 

[Ranb]

Bought a new 2007, GMC Sierra 3500, double cab, full 8ft bed. Hated going to Walmart and many other places, but oh so handy when needed.

Yes a longer bed is great. I made an extender for my F-150 so I could haul lighter weight stuff like 8 foot lumber/plywood.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I upgraded from my regular cab/bed 2002 Ranger to a 2016 F-150 regular cab/bed. I wish a hybrid was an option back then, but even now it is an extra $10k to get a hybrid motor in the 2026 F-150.

I saw the Slate pickup in a Youtube video an hour ago. But then I saw the specs; 5 foot bed only. That is a deal breaker as I have a 2-seat ATV that requires a 6.5 foot bed to haul around.

The bed is, in my opinion, the most important feature of a pickup. Why limit it with a short bed, instead of regular and long beds? As far I know, all EV pickups have beds shorter than 6 feet. These quad cab pickups with short beds are just big cars with limited utility use.

The Slate Truck is meant to be affordable to purchase and affordable to operate. All their design decisions were made within this context.

Would you consider using a small trailer for hauling your ATV?

 

[FloppaEnjoyer8067]

I've been told that tailgates are rated for the same load as the bed, but I would prefer not to have the rear axle of an 800 pound ATV resting on it.

I’ve had the axle of a 700 lb Harley on it before. Granted, the weight distribution is probably different. A piece of 7/8 OSB under the ATV would also help distribute the weight to the bed. I’d have to do the math to see how thick it would really have to be to help.

 

[GaRailroader]

That would be pretty lame engineering to have a pick-up that has a 1550 pound payload not be able to handle an 800 pound ATV rolling across the tailgate. Certainly they don't expect us to pick up an 800 pound load and place it in the bed.

One of my primary use cases is hauling dirt bikes. The optimal bed length for hauling dirt bikes is 6'9" which you can load the bike in straight and get the tailgate closed. When I had a Ranger with a 6 foot bed I would leave the tailgate down and I had one of those cargo cages that would keep gas cans, bike stands and ramps from sliding out. The Slate bed is 80" long with tailgate down. I wouldn't hesitate to load a 6.5 ft ATV in it.

 

[GrizzlysGhost]

I am lucky that the bike I may need to fit in the bed is 125 C.C. 😅

heh ya, I'm reading through with ya'll throwing your bike into the bed of a pickup, meanwhile sideglancing my 850lb bagger. At least I don't have to struggle with the maybe's when its a solid no! 😅

 

[Susan]

I would actually like a slightly longer bed. Maybe 6 ft. I've had car trouble where I had to do a last minute pickup truck rental for a camping trip. I store my gear in rubbermaid tubs and it was great to just put them in the bed. With less hauling space, I have to be creative in my packing. A lot of older pickups did have 6 ft. beds. I still see them on the road and often wished I could get one - an EV of course!

The Slate has more room than several other vehicles I comparison shopped. Only the Telo might have more, but I really don't like the short front end. Or all the tech. And I really don't want four doors either. So Slate looks to be the winner, for my needs at least

Also, I'm really glad that Slate's hauling capacity has been upped from ~1400 to ~1550 lbs. Happy dance there!!

In any case, I hope Slate succeeds and also opens the floodgates for new models that aren't the same old stuff we've seen for the past while, that will meet different use cases.

 

[TPL]

When we speculate about additional Slate variants, 5 years down the line, a longer bed seems like a relatively straightforward thing to engineer. Slightly more complicated, but no doubt in the Slate-survives-and-thrives future, is a quad cab.