by Slate Electric Pickup: Privacy Above All
Modern cars know too much about their owners. They track where you drive, how you drive, when you drive, and sometimes even who you call during the trip. The new electric pickup from Slate Auto offers a radically different approach, and this could become one of its most appealing features.
A Minimalist, Offline Philosophy
This startup has already attracted attention with its Spartan pickup due to a minimalist philosophy. The car features manual window cranks, a low part count, and no built-in infotainment system. However, behind these headline-grabbing cost-cutting measures lies something far more unusual for the modern automotive world: the pickup will not be constantly connected to the internet.
Unlike almost all new cars on the market, the Slate Truck has no built-in cellular modem. This means no constant cloud connection, no remote monitoring, and no mobile app that can track your vehicle from across the country.
Local App Instead of Cloud Services
This does not mean technology is banished entirely. Owners will be able to connect to the pickup via a specialized mobile app that manages functions such as vehicle settings, charging information, range monitoring, and drive mode selection. The key difference is that the connection only works when the phone is physically near the EV.
Data Collection with the Right Purpose
According to Slate, customer information will not become another source of profit. The company states that any data collected through the app is intended to improve the ownership experience and service support, not for advertising or generating additional revenue.
“Slate is not building an app around data extraction. We are building it around the value of ownership. We collect data to make ownership better, not to turn the owner into a product. The app will only collect data when it directly contributes to improving the customer experience,” the company told SAE Media.
A Different Approach Compared to Competitors
This philosophy stands in stark contrast to the approach of most of the modern automotive industry. Over the past decade, connected services have become a major advantage, and manufacturers increasingly use vehicle data for subscriptions, remote features, and software ecosystems. Some automakers have also faced harsh criticism over how customer information is collected, shared, and stored.
Of course, eliminating the modem means forgoing some conveniences. Remote climate control, vehicle tracking, and other connected technologies are simply unavailable. Whether buyers will see this as a drawback or an advantage remains to be seen. But for drivers who long for the days when a car was just a car and do not want to buy a 20-year-old pickup to protect their privacy, the Slate Truck looks even more appealing.
Sales Launch Date and Price
Slate opens its order book on June 24, when reservation holders can convert their spot by paying a $300 deposit (minus the $50 reservation fee if already made). On the same day, the company is expected to finally announce the pickup’s starting price. With over 160,000 reservations and deliveries scheduled no earlier than mid-2027, privacy-conscious buyers have plenty of time to decide if a mind-your-own-business vehicle is worth the wait.
Slate Auto’s approach could send a powerful signal to the entire automotive industry. In a world where every driver’s move is tracked and monetized, the emergence of a car that consciously rejects this practice creates an interesting precedent. It is not just a technical decision, but a statement of values that could resonate with a significant number of consumers tired of constant digital surveillance. Whether this trend becomes mainstream remains to be seen, but it is already clear that Slate has found its unique niche, offering not just a cheap EV, but an alternative vision of what a modern car should be.
