A new American electric car startup called Slate Auto has made its debut.
It’s reasonably priced, deeply customizable, and extremely analog. There is a manual window and the main infotainment screen is not included. Heck, it’s not even painted. It can also convert a two-seater pickup to a five-seater SUV.
The three-year-old startup revealed the vehicle during an event Thursday night in Long Beach, California, and promised by the end of 2026 that the first truck will be available to customers for under $20,000 with a federal EV tax credit.
The event has been weeks since TechCrunch revealed details of plans to enter Slate Auto’s US EV market and build a truck in Indiana, revealing that the company is financially supported by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
The automotive industry is “very focused on vehicle autonomy and technology, driving prices where most Americans simply can’t afford,” said Jeremy Snyder, the top commercial director, at the event, which is live streaming inside EVS. “But we’re here to change that.”
“We’re building affordable vehicles that have been promised for a long time, but never delivered,” added CEO Chris Berman.
specification
Slate doesn’t say exactly how much a truck costs. Several sources have told TechCrunch over the past few weeks that the company has been moving back and forth between the numbers. And there are many changes between now and the second half of 2026 release date.
The company says it will start below $20,000 after the federal tax credit (which stipulates that it will still be there next year). Interested buyers can place a $50 refundable booking on the company’s website.
The base version of the slate truck cuts 150 miles from the 52.7kWh battery pack and powers the 150kW motor on the rear axle. For those a little surprised by the number, Slate offers a larger battery pack that says it ranges around 240 miles. Billed using standard North American charging ports, the standard Tesla has established that almost every major automaker is currently in use.
The truck comes with 17-inch wheels and a 5-foot bed, with a payload capacity of 1,400 pounds with a towing capacity of 1,000 pounds. It’s an EV, so there’s no engine in front. At that location there is a front trunk (or frank) with 7 cubic feet of storage space. This has a drain in case the owner wants to fill it with ice for its tailgate party.
Its towing ability is less than the small Ford Maverick, which is less capable than the Ford F-150 and can tow around 1,500 pounds.
Speaking of Ford Maverick, the slate trucks are smaller. The Slate EV has a wheelbase of 108.9 inches and a total length of 174.6 inches. The Maverick’s wheelbase is 121.1 inches and is 199.7 inches long.
Everything else regarding the base version of the track is very spare. That’s the key. Slate is setting it up to really maximize the idea of the base model and pay for customers to customize the EV to their preferences.
Custom… Everything
Slate is deeply committed to customization ideas, and is different from other EV startups (or traditional car manufacturers).
The company said Thursday it will be launched in over 100 different accessories that buyers can use to personalize their trucks to their preferences. If that’s overwhelming, Slate has curated many different “starter packs” for the interested buyers to choose from.
The truck doesn’t even paint. Instead, the slate is reviving the idea of wrapping the vehicle, and executives said they’ll be selling it in kits. Buyers can either work for themselves on the slate or put a wrap on themselves.
This not only adds the idea that buyers can personalize their vehicles, but also reduces the company’s huge cost center. That means that slates can avoid requiring paint shops in the factory and spend less on getting to the market, while avoiding one of the most strictly regulated parts of vehicle manufacturing.
Slate tells its customers that they can name anything they want, and offers the ability to buy embossed wraps for the tailgate. Otherwise, the track is called a “blank slate.”
As TechCrunch previously reported, customised works are central to how the company compensates for the margins of what is a relatively dirty vehicle.
But it’s also part of the friendly pitch Slate makes for its customers.
Berman said Thursday that people can “make blank slates at the time of purchase, or make sure your needs and finances change over time.” Charging add-ons as “easy DIY” is said to be “non-gaahead” and will launch a suite of how-to resources under Slate University’s billing.
“Buy accessories, quickly deliver them, and install them yourself with a simple how-to video from Slate U, Content Hub,” reads the website. “Don’t you want to go on the DIY route? A certified slate partner can come and do it for you.”
The initial library of customizations on Slate’s website ranges from functional to cosmetics. Buyers can add infotainment screens, speakers, roof racks, light covers, and more.
Most importantly, the options allow buyers to “convert” the truck to a wider SUV form factor. But these are not permanent decisions. Slate says people can turn their vehicle into an SUV if they like it – “No mechanic certification required.”
That said, Slate’s trucks come standard with federally mandatory safety features such as automatic emergency braking, airbags and backup cameras.
Buckle up
Failure is littered with failure on the path to a successful American auto startup. Over the past few years, Canoo, Fisker and Lordstown Motors have all filed for bankruptcy. And that’s just to name a few. Like Libian and clear motors, businesses still around are bleeding money in an attempt to bring a massive amount of, more affordable models to the market.
Slate is a complete inversion of that approach. It is first and foremost chasing low-cost EVs and hopes to make its business viable by making it up with this deep customised play money.
But like Libian and Meid Motors, it also has deep pocket supporters. The procurement so far has raised more than $111 million (the exact figures have not yet been made public). And Bezos aside, he stole the money from Mark Walter, CEO of Guggenheim Partners and owner of LA Dodgers.
The company employs nearly 400 employees to achieve all of its ambitious goals, and is currently looking to hire more. Slate definitely wouldn’t have opted for a more unstable time to debut, but it also focuses on domestic manufacturing, potentially secluded from the chaos facing other startups and established automakers.
“We believe vehicles should be affordable and desirable,” Berman said Thursday, adding that Slate trucks are “a vehicle that people are “prideful to actually love and own.”