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Opinion: Slate Auto’s new EV pickup is affordable, customizable, and way cooler than I expected
After spending the better part of a decade covering the automotive industry—I’ve seen countless automakers chase the same formula... (3 min. read)
Anna del Villar
April 29, 2025
My Slate Truck
Three weeks ago, only a very select group of people knew about a secretive electric vehicle startup called Slate Auto. Meanwhile, the rest of the world, including myself, had no idea Slate had spent the last three years quietly building something the U.S. market hasn’t seen: a brand-new EV at $25,000 (or under $20,000 with the federal tax credit).
At an event last week in Long Beach, California, Slate unveiled the Slate Truck, a highly analog, stripped down, DIY-forward, compact electric truck that is decidedly anti-status quo.
And on a recent call, Slate Auto’s Jeffrey Jablansky told me that’s pretty much the whole point.
“No one can afford their cars anymore,” he said. “Slate is all about radically affordable, radically customizable, reliable vehicles.”
What exactly makes it so radical?
The trucks aren’t painted, there’s no power windows, no speakers, no infotainment system, and no touchscreens. Just a “blank slate.” And it’s refreshingly uncomplicated.
“We are taking the complexity out of manufacturing and passing the savings back onto the customer,” said Jablansky. “I mean, we don't have a paint shop, so you're talking about a savings of hundreds of millions of dollars and we're passing right back on.”
“We're going back to basics on how to make a product. We want to get it right every single time,” he added.
But highly simplified doesn’t mean boring. Slate has almost an infinite number of customization options and plans to launch in 2026 with over 100 accessories, including color wraps, body style kits (which can take the two-seater truck to a five-seat SUV), decals, wheel styles, and electronics. Add them individually, or go with a “starter pack.”
All of which you can play around with on Slate’s mega fun personalization tool.
And that’s the crux of why I think this whole thing works.
After spending the better part of a decade covering the automotive industry—I’ve seen countless automakers chase the same formula… pack vehicles with flashy tech, bloated features, and sky-high price tags, all in the name of “innovation.”
But I’ve rarely seen a company so willingly challenge the industry’s sacred cows and obsession with overcomplication.
Sure, it’s not a vehicle for everyone. I’ll be the first to admit that the 150 miles of range on the base model is lower than I was expecting (although Slate is also promising a battery pack capable of 240 miles of range).
But the result is a vehicle that feels like a bold, pragmatic antidote to an industry choking on its own excesses.
Whether Slate can execute on its promises is now the million(billion?)-dollar question.
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