The new Slate Truck and SUV are here. This is an introduction of a new start-up automotive company and a new vehicle with a sole goal of being affordable and simple. What a concept! The company is promising a lot. The starting price is said to be “under $20,000 after federal incentives”. What are the specs? What does it look like? Let’s dig ing!
The rumors are true. The Slate truck is small. It’s a mini truck that is similar in size to the small pickup trucks of the 1980s. Its overall length is 174.6 inches. This is 6.3 inches shorter than the 2025 Toyota RAV4. The Slate truck’s wheelbase is 108.9 inches long, which is a whole foot (12.2 inches) shorter than that of the Ford Maverick.
The Slate truck is a two-door regular cab pickup truck with seating for two. It has a 5-foot cargo bed. The bed volume is 37 cu-ft. This is 3.7 cu-ft more than the Ford Maverick’s bed volume. The cab and bed can be converted into a five-person SUV that looks like a mini Jeep Wrangler or a mini Ford Bronco.
It comes only with rear-whee-drive. There is a 201 horsepower electric motor in the rear that is incorporated into a De Dion axle rear suspension. It weighs just over 3,600 lbs and has a maximum payload capacity of 1,433 lbs. This is a very good payload number that is very similar to that of the new Ford Maverick pickup truck. The Slate truck is rated to tow up to 1,000 lbs. In short, do not plan to tow many trailers with it.
It comes with two battery size options: a 52.7 kWh or an optional accessory 84.3 kWh. It’s not clear yet, but the battery may be easily swappable. The company is estimating a 2.85 mi/kWh driving efficiency. In other words, the Slate truck can have a range of 150 miles or 240 miles, depending on the battery size. It will support level 1, 2, or 3 fast charging via a NACS plug. Level 3 DC fast charging rate is up to 120 kW. This is a relatively slow rate, but Slate says 20-80% of the battery can be replenished in around 30 minutes at this charging speed. This is not a vehicle for cross-country road trips. This is focused on city commuting and working.
The Slate Auto company says they will produce the Blank Slate truck in the United States. Some reports suggest that production is planned to begin in late 2026 or early 2027.
Here is a look at several variations of the Slate truck.
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Here is Nathan’s and MotoMan’s video from the debut event in California.
