Slate Auto prices bare-bones electric pickup at $24,950
The American-made EV truck omits screens, speakers and power windows as it tries to undercut both pickup and electric-car rivals.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
2 min read
Slate Auto has set a $24,950 starting price for its new electric pickup, aiming at buyers priced out of much of the new-vehicle market. The Verge reported that the American-made truck’s price would make it the lowest-priced new pickup and electric vehicle currently available.
The company is pairing that price with an unusually plain cabin. According to The Verge, the Slate Truck does not include a touchscreen, stereo or speakers, and it uses a dashboard mount for a phone instead of a built-in infotainment system.
The truck also uses hand-cranked windows, The Verge reported. It is not being pitched around driver-assistance or automated-driving features; drivers are expected to operate it themselves.
A low price in an expensive market
Slate had previously said it wanted to sell the truck in the mid-$20,000 range, according to The Verge. The announced price puts the vehicle squarely within that target and well below several key benchmarks for new and used vehicles.
Cox Automotive said the average new vehicle sold for $49,220 in May, according to figures cited by The Verge. The same data put the average price for small and midsize pickups at $43,044 and the average new EV at $54,532.
The Slate Truck also comes in below the average used vehicle price. Kelley Blue Book put that figure at $26,918, according to The Verge.
Comparable entry prices in the market remain higher. Car and Driver lists the Ford Maverick, a compact pickup, at around $30,000 to start, while Cars.com lists the Chevrolet Bolt EV at roughly $29,000, according to The Verge.
A test of buyers’ priorities
Slate’s approach runs against a long-running pattern in the auto industry, where automakers have added larger displays, more software and more convenience features across many model lines. The Verge described the truck as a bet that some American buyers will give up equipment they have grown used to if the purchase price falls far enough.
The trade-off is central to the vehicle’s pitch. Buyers would get a new electric pickup at a price below many used vehicles, but they would also accept a cabin without several standard comforts found in modern cars.
That makes Slate’s truck a test of whether affordability can outweigh feature lists in the EV market. For shoppers comparing monthly payments and total purchase price, the company is offering a new vehicle built around cost first.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.