Slate Electric Pickup Truck Might Be Less Than $20,000 With Incentives

Sign up for CleanTechnica’s Weekly Substack for Zach and Scott’s in-depth analyses and high level summaries, sign up for our daily newsletter, and/or follow us on Google News!

The following Slate pickup truck video is about one of the more intriguing and exciting recent EV developments. With incentives, the $25,000 version of the truck might cost less than $20,000. That is, if the $7,500 US federal EV tax incentive is still available when the Slate truck becomes available for purchase. Some states have EV tax credits too. Though, they are less than the federal credit.

The base model is said in the video to have an estimated range of 150 miles with a battery capacity of 52.7 kWh. There is another battery size option as well — 84.3 kWh — with a range of 240 miles. The charging rate is 120 kW. To be clear, the truck is not in production yet.

The Slate truck does not have self-driving or adaptive cruise control. It is designed to have many customizable aspects so that customers can have some DIY control.

One detail I particularly like is the option for windows that have manual cranks to roll up and down instead of only using electric motors. There are moments in accidents or mechanical failure that could be dangerous if windows are all the way up and cannot be lowered because electricity is not available or the electric rollers fail.

For a small truck, the frunk has a reasonable storage capacity.

Years ago, I was a research subject for a customizable DIY smartphone prototype. The concept was for customers to build their own phones from a slew of parts provided by the manufacturer. This EV looks like it has a similar approach, with various parts that can be changed out: bumpers, trim, lights, colors, speakers, wraps, etc.

Later in the video it gets into different configurations: fleet spec, camping spec, SUV kit, which will have various components arranged for those applications.

The flexibility may appeal to a broad range of customers; the stripped down base model at a low, low price may as well.

There are plenty of EV drivers who do not need 300 miles of range because the core of their driving needs is limited to short trips. The owner of a Slate pickup truck with 150 miles of range who needs to drive a 1,000 miles in one trip could rent a vehicle for that or have a second vehicle.