Slate Auto debuts first modular pickup EV that will cost under $20,000
Slate Auto, a fairly new EV car company backed by Jeff Bezos, has debuted its first pickup truck that its calling ‘The Blank Slate,’ an appropriate name for a barebones EV that can be customized and transformed into an SUV. The company states that the pickup will cost under $20,000 in the US with the federal EV tax credit when it releases by the end of 2026. This would make it cheaper than any Tesla and significantly more customizable.
The vehicle was showcased at an event on April 24 in Long Beach, California and the company said that the first trucks will arrive by the then of next year. The idea behind Slate Auto's The Blank Slate is to give customers only the essentials and reduce the cost of the vehicle, but also allow them to personalize thereafter. For this, The Blank State is a starter pack that is a pickup truck with a 108.9 inch wheelbase, a 5 foot bed that has 35.1 cu. ft capacity, a 7 cu. ft front trunk, and a 52.7kWh battery pack powering a single motor. It can deliver around 150 miles of range but there is a longer-range battery pack as well that extends the range to a around 240 miles.
What it doesn’t have is any kind of infotainment system, automatic windows, speakers, and some other components that would normally be considered ‘basic’ in traditional cars. It does come with a mounting and charging bracket for a phone, by default.
That’s where the personalization comes in. Slate Auto offers over 45 accessories with more coming. There are a lot of color options and these will be wraps not paint jobs. Most interestingly, The Blank Slate can be transformed into a standard SUV, an open-air SUV, or a fastback SUV with five seats. It still remains a two door vehicle, but with an option to remove the doors as well. An infotainment screen can be added, as well as speakers, decals, spare tire, tower racks, and a lot more.
Slate Auto vehicles are designed in California and Michigan, and assembled in the Midwest.
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