2027 Slate Truck

Slate has appeared as a brand-new automaker, with affordability and customization at the forefront of its personality. The Slate Truck is both America’s most affordable EV and most affordable pickup truck. It’s also one of the simplest new cars on the market, with a bare-bones interior, one rear-wheel-drive (RWD) powertrain option, and subcompact dimensions. It’s also the only new car in the U.S. with crank windows.

Every Slate Truck is an identical gray, single-cab, two-seater pickup by the time it reaches the end of the production line. The idea is that it’s a blank slate on which you can build whatever you want. Two SUV kits, a Squareback and Fastback, are available for an extra $5,000 and $7,000, respectively. The SUVs add three rear seats and rear side airbags. Slate says over 200 customization options will be available at launch, and about 80 percent of them will be priced under $500.

On Sale

Pre-orders are open now, and the first deliveries of the Slate Truck are slated for the fourth quarter of 2026.

The Slate Truck starts at $24,950 for the pickup and $29,950 for the SUV. These pricing figures do not include destination charges, which have yet to be announced.

The Slate Truck has no direct competitors, at least in its pickup truck form. In the realm of affordable subcompact electric SUVs, the next cheapest one is the Chevy Bolt, starting at $28,995. So, a base Bolt is cheaper than the SUV version of the Slate, and the Chevy comes standard with luxuries like power windows, a center console, and a modern infotainment system. As for small trucks, America’s next most affordable truck is the Ford Maverick, which has a standard crew cab and hybrid powertrain, beginning at $29,990 for the 2026 model.

It’s too early to predict the resale value of the Slate Truck, but EVs tend to lose their value faster than their gas or hybrid counterparts.

So far, we’ve only ridden shotgun in an engineering prototype of the Slate Truck. Our first impression is that it’s faster than expected for a single-motor EV with only about 181 horsepower. That’s plenty in a vehicle that weighs about 4,000 pounds. As is typical for an EV, acceleration is brisk, smooth, and quiet. Since we tend to think of the old Chevy S-10 and Ford Ranger from the 90s when we think of a small single-cab truck like this, our expectations for refinement were low. However, we came away pleasantly surprised by the Slate’s compliant ride quality, given how simple and diminutive it is. Affordable little trucks have come a long way in recent decades.

The Slate Truck comes from the factory in one configuration, with crank windows, air conditioning, and knob controls on the center stack. That level of retro would suggest a 4-speed manual, a cassette player, and a pine tree air freshener on the rearview mirror. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Instead of fretting about the cost of an optional in-house nav system or adapting to a new interface, this is a BYON (bring your own nav). The Slate Truck has a universal phone mount and a USB charger. So whatever you have — iPhone, Android, etc. — serves as the interface you already know and use every day. You can even use a tablet with an optional tablet mount accessory. The cabin is clean and simple, yet looks both modern and like a terrific throwback. You can choose seat color, retro stripes, and accents on the climate control knobs. Do you want to bring your own speaker? You can do that, or get speakers from Slate.

As trucks continue to get bigger, that creates space in the market for true compact trucks. The Slate Truck is a throwback in many ways – it’s a 2-seat, regular-cab truck that’s a smidge bigger than the 1985 Toyota SR5 Pickup and smaller than the Ford Maverick.

Not only is this a true compact truck like back in the day, but it can also be made into a small 5-passenger SUV with an accessory kit. You can even choose between a Squareback or a Fasbtack SUV. There is also an extensive choice of exterior wraps. Like IKEA furniture, you can add these options yourself or have a professional do it for you via a national network of RepairPal-certified service centers.

The Truck comes with 17-inch steel wheels and, as it is an EV, a 7-cubic-foot frunk. Slate offers a number of wheel options, including bronze, silver, black, and anthracite, in either 17-inch or 20-inch sizes. All-terrain tires, all-season tires, and low-profile tires are available.

Wide-Ranging Modification Choices
The Slate Truck has more than 100 attachment points. The biggest option is upgrading the truck to an SUV, but you can also choose a wrap, wheels and tires, interior colors and fitments, tech, and more.

Low Starting Price
The idea of a “have it your way” truck that starts at less than $30,000 is something to celebrate. That there are fewer electronics on board, plus an EV powertrain, makes maintenance potentially less expensive as well.

205 Miles of Range
The range rating for the Slate’s sole battery and motor configuration is more than enough for daily commuting and errand-running.

Fast Charging
The truck may be bare-bones, but it has a North American Charging Standard (NACS) port and is set up to charge from 20 to 80% at 120 kW in 30 minutes.

Solid Payload Capacity
Its 1,550-pound payload capacity is comparable to that of some 1/2-ton trucks. It can also tow up to 2,000 pounds.

Vibrant Colors
Black, white, silver, and gray dominate the highways these days. It’s nice to see Slate offer bright colors and fun graphics.

This rear-wheel-drive pickup is powered by a single 135-kW motor (that’s about 181 horsepower) with a 65-kWh LFP battery that offers 205 miles of range. The Slate Truck uses an NACS port and can be fast-charged from 20 to 80% in about 30 minutes. It can get a full charge overnight with Level 2 charging in your garage.

Towing and Payload

In addition to being able to store smaller items up front, the 5-foot cargo bed has a 1,5500-pound payload capacity. Towing capacity is 2,000 pounds.

Safety

Slate expects the Truck to get top safety ratings. The Truck will come with Active Emergency Braking and Forward Collision Warning, as well as up to eight airbags.