INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
deeply customizable, and very analog
It can also transform from a two-seater pickup to a five-seater SUV.The three-year-old startup revealed its vehicle during an event Thursday
night in Long Beach, California, and promised the first trucks would be available to customers for under $20,000 with the federal EV tax
credit by the end of 2026
officer Jeremy Snyder said during the event, which Inside EVs livestreamed
Technology NewsRoom over the last few weeks the company has gone back and forth on the number
And so much can change between now and a late 2026 release date.The company issaying it will start under $20,000 after the federal tax
credit (providing that still exists next year)
out of a 52.7kWh battery pack, which will power a single 150kW motor on the rear axle
For folks who get a little spooked at that number, Slate is offering a larger battery pack that it says will have about 240 miles of range
It will charge using a North American Charging Standard port, the standard Tesla established that almost all major automakers now use.The
truck comes with 17-inch wheels and a five-foot bed, and has a projected 1,400-pound payload capacity with a 1,000-pound towing capacity
fill it with ice for that tailgate party.That towing capacity is lower than a more capable Ford F-150, and is even less than the smaller
Ford Maverick, which can tow around 1,500 pounds
The Slate EV has a wheelbase of 108.9 inches, and an overall length of 174.6 inches
The Maverick has a 121.1-inch wheelbase and overall length of 199.7 inches.Everything else about the base version of the truck is awfully
Slate is really maximizing the idea of a base model, and setting customers up for paying to customize the EV to their liking
other EV startup (or traditional automaker).The company said Thursday it will launch with more than 100 different accessories that buyers
can use to personalize the truck to their liking
Slate is instead playing up the idea of wrapping its vehicles, something executives said they will sell in kits
Buyers can either have Slate do that work for them, or put the wraps on themselves.This not only adds to the idea of a buyer being able to
personalize their vehicle, but it also cuts out a huge cost center for the company
heavily regulated parts of vehicle manufacturing
Slate is telling customers that they can name the car whatever they want, offering the ability to purchase an embossed wrap for the tailgate
pitch Slate is making to customers
website range from functional to cosmetic
Buyers can add infotainment screens, speakers, roof racks, light covers, and much more.The most significant are the options that let buyers
backup camera.Buckle upThe road to making a successful American automotive startup is littered with failures
In the last few years, Canoo, Fisker, and Lordstown Motors have all filed for bankruptcy
Those companies that are still around, like Rivian and Lucid Motors, are hemorrhaging money in an attempt to get high-volume, more
affordable models to market.Slate is a total inversion of that approach
But, much like Rivian and Lucid Motors, it also has deep-pocketed backers
It has raised more than $111 million so far (the exact figure is still not public)
And, aside from Bezos, has taken money from Mark Walter, Guggenheim Partners CEO and controlling owner of the LA Dodgers, as A Technology
NewsRoom reported this month.The company has hired nearly 400 employees in service of accomplishing all of its ambitious goals, and is
currently trying to hire more
insulated from some of the turmoil facing other startups and established automakers
