After heavily promoting a $20,000 price tag at its April launch event, Slate revised the projected starting price for its upcoming electric truck.
When we first had the opportunity to check it out a couple months ago, we (and Nathan, as our man on the ground) had plenty to say about Slate Auto’s cure for eye-wateringly expensive modern trucks. Back then, the fledgling company marketed a price tag “under $20,000” for its all-electric truck. Of course, there was always a catch with that price tag, in that it relied on federal credits to actually hit that target. Now, that “all-electric” part of the plan is hitting its first hurdle with the sweeping tax and spending bill President Trump signed into law last week, which scraps the long-running $7,500 EV tax incentive as of September 30.
That change fundamentally changes the game for Slate, as well as every other automaker with skin in the electric vehicle market. It was because of that credit that the Jeff Bezos-backed startup could hype such an affordable electric vehicle. The sub-$20K language was on the company’s website until recently, but now its FAQ page says the Blank Slate “is expected to be priced in the mid-twenties”.
A further asterisk notes this is only for U.S. pricing, that said pricing is subject to change, and oh by the way, there may be state and local tax incentives to help bring the price back down again.
If it sticks to its current roadmap, Slate Auto will actually make this truck available near the end of 2026. With the de facto price hike through doing away with that EV incentive, though, the Blank Slate could land closer in price to the base $29,840 Ford Maverick XL or the $30,245 Hyundai Santa Cruz. Not only do both of those vehicles offer more options on their basic trims, but both companies also have flexibility to adjust pricing to be competitive, potentially pulling buyers away who would have, at the $20K price tag, given the electric Slate a chance.
As ever, time will ultimately tell whether and how well Slate adjusts to the new reality — and what we can actually expect next year as the truck inches closer to market.
