by The Slate company, backed by Jeff Bezos, yesterday unveiled its modular electric vehicle for $28,000.
This bare-bones truck features manual windows and a range of 150 miles.
An additional truck top converts the two-seater pickup into a five-seater off-roader.
With so many modern cars resembling one another, featuring identical designs and often the same powertrains, the emergence of something truly different is cause for excitement. However, can the rebelliousness of this new EV lead to a situation akin to the emperor’s new clothes?
If you haven’t yet seen our report on Slate’s debut, we recommend checking out our original story via the link below this paragraph. Here’s a quick summary: Slate is a Michigan-based startup supported by Jeff Bezos’s Amazon, aiming to sell affordable electric utility vehicles.
They start at $27,500 ($20,000 after federal tax credits), and the modular design means you can transform the two-seater pickup into an off-roader with two rows of seats or an off-roader with a coupe-like rear or an open-top configuration using an additional kit.
All these advantages are genuine benefits. Most of the few electric utility vehicles available, like the R1S and R1T or those soon to be released by Scout, cost over $50,000, which is out of reach for many American buyers. It’s refreshing to see an automaker building a simple, no-nonsense pickup that isn’t expensive and doesn’t take up two parking spaces. The ability to switch between pickup and off-roader configurations truly adds to its versatility.
But many compromises were made to achieve a price below $30,000. The most obvious compromise is the standard equipment list, which makes it resemble a Maybach. There’s no touchscreen here, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing since we all have smartphones, and it means you get physical round controls for the air conditioning.
However, there isn’t even a basic stereo/speaker system installed as standard to play music from your phone. These are optional, as is the wrap you’ll need to apply to change the body color, since there are no paint options due to the absence of paint.
The electric vehicle segment also faces these challenges. One expert noted that the limited range might deter buyers. And while it will be possible to add a larger 84.3 kWh battery providing 240 miles (386 km), this will likely push the price above $30,000 (before credits). And once you add the off-roader top, wrap, Bluetooth speakers, and other customization options, your budget-friendly pickup won’t be so budget-friendly anymore.
I really want to support Slate. I dislike how cars have become so heavy and complicated, and this feels like my Suri toothbrush—it doesn’t need over-engineered features you’ll never use, like silly Bluetooth mobile apps, but it’s well-built and lasts long on a charge. Slate’s focus on simplicity, giving us only what we need and nothing extra, is refreshing, and other automakers constantly adding unnecessary gadgets to grab our attention could learn from it.
But, as Toyota discovered with , there’s a big difference between rallying people around the idea of a simple, clean car and actually getting them to buy it. Once the hype around Slate’s launch settles, and the marketing buzz over the window cranks, very bare, very plastic interior, and configurable roof (where will you store it?) fades, and the pickups become available for purchase, will Americans open their wallets?
Or will they decide it’s just too compromised, too basic, and that there are better options for similar money.
And possibly for less money, if the advantage of electric vehicle tax credits disappears (it’s already unavailable to all buyers). Other options, like the $24,000 Ford Maverick with an aftermarket , to give it an SUV feel, aren’t as stylish as Slate’s pickup and aren’t electric, but they are solid products. And is anyone in America really clamoring for an electric pickup right now?
Slate believes they’ll sell 150,000 vehicles annually, and we hope that happens, but how do you rate their chances? Is this a credible pickup and a true game-changer, as some claim, or is it just massively overhyped, still too expensive, and about five years too early? Leave a comment and let us know.
