An automotive startup backed by one of the world’s wealthiest individuals has launched an affordable alternative for purchasing new vehicles. Slate Auto, an electric vehicle company partially funded by Jeff Bezos, has unveiled its first customizable electric vehicle (EV).
What does Slate Auto’s new EV look like?
Slate Auto’s new EV features a boxy design that Engadget describes as a “Kei-like truck,” referring to a compact, lightweight vehicle with minimal features. The company offers basic, stripped-down vehicle models that customers can customize. Slate Auto referred to it as a “plug and play.”
The Slate pickup truck has two seats, a truck bed roughly the size of a piece of plywood, a plastic body panel and a single color: grey. In comparison, it measures about two feet shorter than the shortest Ford truck, the Maverick, introduced in 2022.
A promotional video, released by Slate, actually promotes what the Slate Pickup lacks. It boasts no fancy screens, colored seats, cooled seats, self-driving capabilities, self-parking features or even automatic cup holders.
The vehicle does not have a stereo or touchscreen display on the dashboard. Instead, it includes a phone mount and a USB port.
How much does it cost?
Slate Auto listed the EV for sale at $27,500. With a government tax credit for purchasing an electric vehicle, the price drops to an even $20,000, which the company told ABC News is a “radically affordable and customizable vehicle.”
In comparison, Cox Automotive reported that the average price for an electric vehicle in March was slightly more than $59,000.
Can a customer add-on certain features?
While Slate Auto emphasized the EV’s simplicity, the company offers customers a chance to add on amenities. This includes components like screens, open-air kits, speakers and a spare tire holder, all of which can be wrapped in any color. Additionally, customers also have the option to purchase an accessory that converts the vehicle into an SUV.
The added features raise the price by about $10,000.
The company motto is “We built it, you make it.” CEO Chris Barman said in the video that it’s customizable like a toy potato head. In other words, once you have the main body, you can add the parts.
Slate Auto announced that vehicle production will begin in late 2026.
