- Amazon-supported Slate Auto arrives out of the blue with tempting product
- Ultra-Simple Pick-up is designed for daily use
- Expected EV -ranking is up to 240 miles
Apparently out of the blue, an Amazon-supported EV startup has arrived on stage offering an ultra-ankle, low-cost electric pick-up truck to the North American market.
With funding from Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Slate Auto suggests a basic, very configurable pick-up truck that succumb to a gargantu-footprint and lots of spilled space, for a compact and very configurable shell built for hard work.
The size more like a classic Toyota or Nissan truck from the early 1980s, the slate collection has easily wrapped compound panels that are refreshingly free of chrome and other decorative touches.
Instead, Slate says it has made the panels as easy to pack as possible and will sell custom sticker and wrapping sets for as little as $ 500 – no expensive metallic paint options here.
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In addition, Slate aims at a basic price of $ 27,000 (about £ 20,000 / AU $ 42,000), which could see some trucks sold for as little as $ 20,000 or less, depending on local incentives and tax cuts.
The retro-stylish two-seat pick-up truck comes with 1047-liter Load Bay, which is a light height for both loading and transport equipment, while the back can be converted to a five-seat SUV with the relevant set and rear tonneau cover, sold by slate.
In terms of power, this is handled by a single engine mounted on the rear axle. So far, Slate has said that the possibility of a 52.7 kWh or a larger 84.3 kWh battery will be on the table – both of which are mounted under the floor for maximum load space and interior spatiality.
The truck has a relatively reluctant (to an EV, yet) 201BHP and 195 lb FT torque on the tap, with 0-60 mph sprint time tied to eight seconds flat. The top speed is only 90 km / h.
There is a significant ‘frunk’ in front, which is large enough for a few suitcases, while the interior is deliberately basic: there is a phone or tablet holder and the opportunity to add accessory speakers that sit inside the glove compartment.
Analysis: The world’s first practical electrical pickup?
Instead of trying to compete with Elon Musk’s cybertruck, Slate has deliberately taken the polar opposite approach-to keep things cheap and simple and offer a good old-fashioned pick-up truck that can be bought by the masses and worked hard.
While the body style may now be a lifestyle choice, there are still large cuts in North America (and beyond) that require a truck for daily use, whether for work or just draws lots of lifestyle accessories.
Granted, it doesn’t have the load or towing capacity for some of the biggest trucks out there. But Slate’s offer looks good and it proclaimed to be comfortable and, above all, really simple.
The interior is stylish enough not to look completely utilitarian, but it is also refreshingly deprived of massive screens and soft surfaces that are chewed with daily hard use.
It comes as standard with basic cruise control, central locking and a USB charging point because everyone has a smartphone or tablet, right? So let the devices in our pockets take on infotainment tasks.
However, the company has ensured that it has got the EV things right, namely a decent battery and usable daily range, as well as fast charging, as it says, will see a 10-80% top-up take only 30 minutes.
Despite the fact that Slate apparently jumps out of nowhere, it ticks a lot of boxes to me. That’s all Tesla Cybertruck is not.
Small, underrated, nicely styled, practical, well considered and good within reach of most people’s budget. The Michigan-based EV startup starts the production of its utilitarian truck next year and I would not be surprised if it is a huge success.
