Slate EV Truck Will Be U.S.-Exclusive, for Now (Article)

https://carbuzz.com/slate-ev-truck-united-states-only/

Summary:

Slate's First Priority Is To Make American Truck Buyers Happy

The recently unveiled Slate electric pickup from American startup Slate Auto, is generating significant buzz with its minimalist design and sub-$27,000 target price point. If it does launch at that price, it would be at least $36,000 less than the Ford F-150 Lightning, the cheapest EV truck currently on sale in the United States. However, international enthusiasts will need to exercise patience. Speaking on the Autocar: My Week In Cars podcast from the Car Design Event in Munich, design lead Tisha Johnson stated, "At Slate, we are focused on an American truck that we can deliver in the U.S.; that is fully our focus."

This commitment means the vehicle has been engineered specifically to appeal to American consumers and meet U.S. light commercial vehicle homologation standards. While an official international launch is not on the immediate horizon, the core philosophy driving Slate Auto, which is backed by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, resonates across the globe.

Johnson, with a background that includes Volvo and Whirlpool, passionately believes in making desirable vehicles accessible. "People deserve to have a car that they can afford," she stressed, a principle that became a cornerstone of the Slate Truck's development. She said she feels that affordability and desirability should be inseparable concepts in the automotive world.

Affordable By Design, Desirable Through Customization

Achieving its aggressive price target involves a deliberately spartan approach to the Slate Truck's cabin. It forgoes many common features like large built-in infotainment systems and power seats. Instead, it offers manual windows, seats, no standard stereo, and a mount for drivers to use their own smartphones or tablets. Johnson explained this choice, saying, "We're not showing up with a bunch of fancy screens... [we] respect that people know what they want in their own tech."

Slate's philosophy is intended to reduce manufacturing complexity and cost, allowing it to pass savings to customers.

While this minimalist ethos might draw comparisons to some value-focused electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf or the hibernating Chevrolet Bolt, Johnson indicated Slate charted its own course. To increase the desirability of the simplest truck, the fledgling automaker has unveiled an extensive array of personalization options. These include, but are not limited to, vibrantly colored accents and wraps, rugged cladding, and a wide selection of wheel designs.

Harkening back to the modular Nissan Pulsar NX, Slate intends to offer DIY kits enabling owners to transform the basic pickup into a compact SUV or a fastback crossover. This strategy relies on a streamlined manufacturing process. "We kept it simple: one vehicle type that is manufactured off the line and then tons of possibilities from there," Johnson explained. This approach allows for cost-effective production of a single base platform while still appealing to a wide demographic through customization.

Positive Reception and Future Focus

The public reaction to the Slate Truck's unveiling last month was described by Johnson as outstanding and somewhat surprising, indicating a strong public appetite for its blend of affordability, practicality, and style. Already, more than 100,000 people have put down a $50 deposit for a reservation. For Johnson, the project is a chance to have a societal impact, fulfilling a long-held goal of providing genuinely affordable transportation.

As Slate Auto works towards its planned 2027 launch, that impact and its innovative electric truck are, for the foreseeable future, aimed squarely at American buyers.

Sources: Autocar (1, 2)

After the article, someone commented that a truck isn’t a truck unless it has a six foot bed. I have to ask since I’ve never owned a pickup truck, what is so magical about the six foot dimension? It won’t hold 8’ lumber inside the bed. Drop the gate and both sizes hold 8’ items flat. If you put a 12” deep storage cabinet at the front end of a six foot bed, you are still left with a five foot bed. So is it just to hold 20% more cubic feet of something?

Personally, I think the Slate bed size is fine. It fits the wheelbase well and for most light hauling duties, it seems to be just enough. It also fits the Slate mission of delivering just what you need and nothing you don’t. Remember, there is the frunk for additional carrying capacity.

cvollers said:

After the article, someone commented that a truck isn’t a truck unless it has a six foot bed. I have to ask since I’ve never owned a pickup truck, what is so magical about the six foot dimension?

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I think that is a dig that started with all of the four door SUV-pickups in the early 00s that are all 5.5ft beds and shorter. People using them as family cars and not trucks. However the Slate is nothing BUT a little truck, so maybe they want a long bed.

cvollers said:

After the article, someone commented that a truck isn’t a truck unless it has a six foot bed. I have to ask since I’ve never owned a pickup truck, what is so magical about the six foot dimension? It won’t hold 8’ lumber inside the bed. Drop the gate and both sizes hold 8’ items flat. If you put a 12” deep storage cabinet at the front end of a six foot bed, you are still left with a five foot bed. So is it just to hold 20% more cubic feet of something?

Personally, I think the Slate bed size is fine. It fits the wheelbase well and for most light hauling duties, it seems to be just enough. It also fits the Slate mission of delivering just what you need and nothing you don’t. Remember, there is the frunk for additional carrying capacity.

Click to expand...

5' foot bed works just fine for the vast majority of midsize and compact pickup truck owners.

The Maverick sells great with less than 5-foot length bed.

The Tacoma with 5-foot bed sells in much larger numbers than the 6-foot bed version.

I can see the Slate eventually expanding to Europe due to the vehicle size and Australia as the pickup (Ute) market is big there.

cvollers said:

After the article, someone commented that a truck isn’t a truck unless it has a six foot bed.

Click to expand...

I always felt a truck isn't a truck unless it has an 8' bed. But, I think it's all in how you are going to use your truck. My Silverado 2500HD is used as a tool for me, and I often haul lumber, drywall, etc, as well as heavy vintage machinery, so I need a heavy duty, 8' bed for my truck needs. Also the large capacity towing is great, no matter what size bed.

I don't see using the bed of this truck much, but as a commuter car, it'll be fine for my around-town needs, especially with a tonneau cover.

Dan

DRugerH said:

I always felt a truck isn't a truck unless it has an 8' bed. But, I think it's all in how you are going to use your truck.

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I would guess that less than 2% of F-150s sold today have an 8' bed.

Searched cars.com for new 2025 F-150s nationwide. Got 42,982 hits. They don't have a filter for bed length, but they do filter by cab type, which is related.

So 39,186 (or 91.2%) of the hits were crew cabs, which means that they have either 5.5' or 6.5' beds (Ford doesn't offer the 8' bed on F-150 crew cabs). Another 2,360 (or 5.5%) were extended cabs, which means they have 6.5' beds (the only option for a 2025 extended cab).

That leaves 1,436 (or 3.3%) of the hits with regular cabs, which means they have either 6.5' or 8' beds. Let's assume that around half of those have the 8' beds. So in that case, only 1-2% of 2025 F-150s have an 8' bed.

So I'm a 1%'er with my 8' Chevy

Dan

While I'd personally like a longer bed option in a Slate (and four doors), people might be surprised what you can haul in a small vehicle, with care. I hauled carfuls of chopped firewood, lumber, closet doors... A varied array of random larger things... all in my 1990 Geo Prizm hatchback. It was astonishing what I ultimately could fit in there. A pickup form factor would be all the more flexible.