American startup Slate is still on track to disrupt the pickup truck segment with the most affordable model in the market. The promised mid-$20,000 price point would make the Slate EV the cheapest pickup truck in the country, and by far the cheapest fully electric pickup. But we’ve seen how pricing promises in the development stage can crumble by the time vehicles roll off the production line—just look at the TeslaCybertruck, which never came close to its promised sub-$30,000 price—but an update from Slate’s CEO has renewed hopes that the budget pickup will meet its pricing ambitions.
Related: Jay Leno Just Showed Off a $25,000 Electric Pickup That Breaks All the Usual EV Rules
New Pricing Info Coming In June
Slate Auto
In a video shared on social media, Slate Auto CEO Chris Barman made a statement on pricing, clearly aware that consumers are eagerly awaiting confirmation.
“We’ve been working tirelessly to get the lowest price possible,” said Barman. “While we’re not pencils down just yet, we’re wrapping negotiations on final parts with suppliers. We’re on track to share new info on the price in June. We think it’ll be worth the wait. And yes, the blank Slate will be in the mid-20s.”
That statement may keep any skeptics at bay for a little while longer, but also puts increased pressure on Slate to get the pricing right. Originally, the pickup was meant to start at below $20,000, but that relied on the continued existence of the federal tax credit for EVs, which was eliminated last year.
Currently, the cheapest new pickup in the U.S. is the Ford Maverick, which starts at $27,145 with the turbocharged non-hybrid engine. If you want an electric truck, the most affordable model is the Chevy Silverado EV at $52,800.
What It Means
Slate
If all goes according to plan, the base Slate pickup will finally be the stripped-down pickup Americans have been begging for. Already, many consumers are abandoning flashy trims for simpler base models as vehicle prices continue to rise. But the $25k Slate pushes the idea of an entry-level model much further. It will have manual windows, no touchscreen, and even composite plastic instead of paint. It’s designed to be functional, easily repairable, and customizable based on each consumer’s needs.
Without a low price to match its utilitarian specification, the Slate pickup truck will be a hard sell. The company’s entire differentiator in the market simply evaporates if it costs Ford Maverick money. But, if Slate meets its pricing targets, it could initiate a new price war in the $25k pickup segment—along with a revived focus on back-to-basics vehicles in an era dominated by expensive, tech-heavy, and unnecessarily complex trucks.
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