A New Electric Pickup Gets Back to the Basics
Automotive journalists, industry insiders and investors were invited to Long Beach, California, for the world reveal of the all-new, all-electric Slate pickup. There was no driving the prototypes at this flashy event, but that didn’t squash interest in what could be a differentiator in the EV market.
Slate Auto says the company has been “the best kept secret in the auto industry.” With headquarters in Detroit, it has been slowly building a team of automotive veterans while developing a business plan, securing funding, designing its pickup, building a manufacturing plant and, in general, attempting to become the latest all-new automobile company.
What is Slate Auto?
Slate Auto began stealthily, in 2022, putting together everything from scratch, which is what any start-up would do. In its case the founders were attempting to do something no other auto manufacturer has done—launch with a single vehicle costing less than half the average price of a new car in 2025, which sits at about $50,000. To make the point, Slate said the company and car are a “clean slate.”
As can be expected, this is not an inexpensive venture. When an early investor, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, came in for $111 million, things got going seriously. Without his financial role, and other big time investors, Slate’s development might have faltered and it is doubtful the company would have rolled out its pickup this week. JP Morgan is handling the next investment round.
Concepts Revealed
Slate has not named its pickup. Instead, owners get to choose their truck’s name. Specifications are at the end of the story.
Chris Barman, CEO of Slate Auto, threw-down at the auto industry, calling it—“The definition of what is affordable is broken.” The Slate plan is to build and source as many of its components and parts as possible from American companies. It wants consumers to see the Slate pickup as American-built, customizable, affordable, simplified and—the biggie—eliminate everything that isn’t a car.
With a release date about two years from now, the concepts shown could change. Therefore, take what we know so far and assume the final versions will be somewhere close in specifications and capabilities. Clean Fleet Report will do news updates when more is known as well as share our thoughts once we get some seat time.
The exterior design is boxy with a squat stance due to the wide-set wheels and low roof line. It reminds some of a Land Rover and pickup trucks from the 1980s. The composite body panels are held in place with screws, simplifying crash repairs to remove and replace. The exterior has rounded edges to accept easy application of a wrap, which Slate says even an owner could do. Clean Fleet Report recommends having a pro do it.
There are more than 100 accessories, including a conversion kit to take it from a pickup to a SUV. The kit includes a roll bar, rear bench seat with mounting hardware and seat belts, and one of two tops, either an upright square back or a slanted fastback design. Slate says the owner can do the conversion themselves, same as the wrap.
Slate Pickup Specs
- Single electric motor driving the rear wheels (AWD is not an option)
- 201 horsepower
- 195 pound-feet of torque
- 0-60 mph: 8.0 seconds
- Top speed: 90 mph
- Towing: 1,000 pounds
- Payload: 1,433 pounds
- Curb weight: 3,602 pounds
- 174.6-inches long; 63.3-inches high; 70.6-inches wide (w/o mirrors)
- Composite body panels attached to a frame construction
- 245/65 tires mounted on retro steel 17-inch wheels
- 5-foot pickup bed
Charging
- 52.7 kWh battery (standard) delivers 150 all-electric mile range
- 84.3 kWh battery (upgrade) is good for 240 all-electric miles
- Onboard Charger: 11 kW
- Charging: 150 kW capability
- 400-volt system
- North American Charging Standard (NACS)
- Level 1 (120-volt) – 20-100% 11 hours
- Level 2 (240-volt) – 20-100% 5 hours
- Level 3 Fast Charging (120 kW) – 20-80% 30 minutes
Features: Interior
- Seating for two on a bench seat
- No infotainment center screen
- No native navigation, entertainment or apps
- Knobs and wheels to control all vehicle operations
- Durable, sustainable materials
- Hand crank windows
- Front trunk/frunk
Features: Exterior
- Polypropylene-blend, injection-molded body panels
- Unpainted
- Optional body wrap kits
- Accessory conversion kit to become a five-passenger SUV
- Bed width between wheel wells: 42.9 inches
- Bed length tailgate up: 60.0 inches/tailgate down: 81.6 inches
Pricing
Pricing estimate is under $20,000, plus delivery fee and taxes. This pricing assumes the $7,500 federal tax incentive will be extended by the Trump administration. Individual states may have purchase incentive programs that would not be affected by any federal actions.
Pre-orders are being taken here with a $50 refundable deposit.
Direct-to-Consumer Sales and Service Model
The Slate direct-to-consumer sales model, backed with a national service network, is designed to create a “fast, easy and predictable” purchase and ownership experience.
Slate says there will be “transparent pricing” through its direct sales process.
Observations: 2026 Slate Auto EV Pickup
Slate is counting on consumers being fed-up with the price of vehicles and the technology and features that come as standard equipment. If you want those added creature comforts, Slate has a slogan. “We make it. You build it.” The company claims there are more than 100 accessories available for consumers to personalize their trucks.
Do you really need power windows? The Slate pickup doesn’t have them. Do you really need to be entertained with graphics, videos, sounds, ambient lighting and multiple screens? The Slate pickup doesn’t have them.
What it does offer is a base model that will go up to 150 emissions-free miles and, with tax credits, cost under $20,000. You want the windows open or closed, crank the handle. You want entertainment and maps, put your phone in a dash mount and use it as you do every day. You want to go further on a charge, upgrade to the larger battery.
Slate didn’t go into its target customer except to say the beauty of a simplified EV 2-seat pickup is it is “approachable and timeless.” The company also noted that 70 percent of the U.S. population makes less than $100,000 annually, and one of Slate’s goals is to have a monthly payment under $400. That opens this truck to a whole lot of people.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Slate.
[See image gallery at cleanfleetreport.com]
The post News: 2026 Slate Auto – The Big Reveal first appeared on Clean Fleet Report.
