- The 2027 Slate Truck EV starts at $24,950, before destination charges.
- A 5-seat SUV version is available, starting at $29,950.
- Deliveries begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The Slate Truck is entering the market in late 2026 as both America’s cheapest electric vehicle (EV) and America’s cheapest pickup truck. It comes with no frills from the factory, but many frills can be added with its myriad customization options. The Slate is a simple truck that promises a simple ownership experience, with affordability and customizability at the forefront of its personality.
What Is the Slate Truck?
Slate is an American startup that makes one model that’s infinitely customizable. We’re hardly exaggerating when we say “infinitely”; the configuration options are countless when you consider all the options for wraps, interior trim pieces, exterior accessories, and even body styles. Every Slate Truck built at the company’s Indiana factory is an identical single-cab, 2-seat, gray pickup truck with a 5-foot bed. From there, the idea is that it’s a blank slate that the buyer can customize to their liking.
How Fast, How Far, How Much?
These are the three questions on everyone’s mind when a new EV comes out. The Slate weighs roughly 4,000 pounds in its standard form, and its single, rear-mounted motor generates about 180 horsepower. That’s plenty in a vehicle this size. In our experience riding shotgun in engineering test mules of the Slate, we were impressed by its swift acceleration and better-than-expected ride quality.
The Slate Truck was originally supposed to have two battery options, but now there’s only one, with a range estimate of 205 miles on a full charge. Every Slate is rear-wheel drive (RWD); all-wheel drive (AWD) is unavailable. It has a Tesla-style NACS charge port and can charge its battery from 20% to 80% at a DC fast charger in about a half hour, according to Slate. It reliably gets a full charge overnight with Level 2 charging in your garage.
Pricing starts at $24,950 for the 2-seater pickup. Adding either the Squareback or Fastback SUV body brings the starting price up to $29,950. Both those prices are before the destination fee, which Slate has yet to announce. When you add the SUV kit, you also get back seats (which we found surprisingly roomy when we sat back there) and rear side airbags.
Slate says over 200 accessories will be available at launch, and more than 80% of those accessories will cost under $500. The only way to get a Slate in a color other than gray is with a wrap, which costs just under $500, and you can install it yourself. If you want professional installation, that’ll add about another $500 to the price tag.
How Do I Get One?
Details are still a little fuzzy on how you actually obtain your Slate Truck after you order one. Slate has told us it can be delivered to you, but the company’s plan for how that will happen logistically hasn’t been announced as of this writing. Slate won’t have brick-and-mortar dealerships, and service will happen via a network of over 3,000 RepairPal-certified shops across the country, over 100 of which can service the motor and battery.
Preorders are open now on Slate.auto. If you already made a $50 deposit, the preorder cost is $250. For everyone else, it’s $300. Preorder customers will be able to customize their Slate before taking delivery. Slate says the first deliveries will take place in the fourth quarter of 2026.
The Slate Truck arguably has no direct rivals, but in the realm of affordable EVs, a few that start at around the $30K mark include the Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf, and Fiat 500e. As for small, wallet-friendly pickups, there’s the Ford Maverick, which has a crew cab, a 4.5-foot bed, and a hybrid option. The 2026 Maverick starts at $29,990.
While it’s safe to say there’s nothing on the market quite like the Slate, it’s up against increasingly tough competition in the affordable EV landscape.
