• Slate Auto promises a simple, economical electric pickup truck.
A few weeks ago, we brought you news of a startup called Slate Auto, a company backed in part by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. What caught our attention was the company's goal of offering an all-electric pickup truck for around $25,000 USD.
That truck was unveiled yesterday in Los Angeles. The model is advertised at under $20,000, after the $7,500 electric vehicle incentives that are still in effect in the United States. These are under threat, but even they disappear, if the model comes in at around $25,000 USD, it's still going to be impressive.
Slate Auto says its truck is nothing less than revolutionary. Company CEO Chris Barman says that "the definition of what is affordable is no longer the same. Slate exists to give power back to consumers who have been ignored by the auto industry."
Slate plans to build its truck in the U.S., but has not yet announced where. And how will it be offered at such a price? By offering a single, fairly bare-bones model; a two-door, single-cab configuration, as well as a single colour. On board, no multimedia system, basic air conditioning controls and window cranks.
Yes, you read that right.
A host of options can be added as needed for those who really need certain features, such as speakers to listen to their music via Bluetooth.
Mechanically, simplicity too. A single electric motor placed at the rear wheels, for a very respectable 201 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.
The base battery will be a 52.7-kWh unit, for a range of 241 km. An 84.3-kWh battery will be offered to extend the range to 386 km. The 0-97 km/h time is 8.0 seconds, while the top speed is capped at 145 km/h.
That's all the performance you need. In terms of equipment, many consumers would be willing to sacrifice the many bells and whistles that modern vehicles offer in order to enjoy an affordable vehicle.
Here, at last, is an interesting solution in this area, one that could have a knock-on effect if it proves successful.
In terms of dimensions, Slate's pickup is shorter than a Ford Maverick. Its box is five feet long, and it weighs 3600 lb. Towing capacity is a modest 1,000 lb, but payload capacity is 1,433 lb, which will make it practical.
Slate Auto plans to sell directly to consumers to reduce costs. There will also be service centres.
It's all very interesting, but we'll have to wait and see. The industry has already promised us affordable models like this, but consumers continue to wait for them.
We can only hope that this project works. People need more affordable cars on the market.
