I drove the Slate Truck – there’s more to it than EV minimalism

With its new image, Slate Auto is making a simple bet: price is more important than anything else. The company announced today that the American-made electric car will start at $24,950, putting it in the mid-$20,000 range. promised in the beginning making it the most affordable car and EV available today. At a time when new cars cost nearly twice as much, the Slate is creating something that’s been sorely lacking in today’s car market: a compelling new car that doesn’t look like it.

To achieve that price, Slate removed the features that most drivers take for granted. The car doesn’t come with a touchscreen, stereo, or even speakers. In fact, it also includes the rise of your phone. Windows use hand cranks. And unlike many of the new cars that are marketed around the trend, the Slate wants you to drive it yourself.

The timing may be right. The average new car sold for $49,220 in May, according to data from Cox Automotive – a price that has been going up a lot. Small and midsize models were $43,044, while new EVs cost $54,532. A Slate car is cheaper than a used one, which runs $26,918. Its closest competitor, the Ford Maverick, starts around the corner $30,000while the Chevrolet Bolt EV starts at approx $29,000.

For years, car manufacturers have been competing to add more features, bigger displays, and more advanced software. Slate is doing the opposite. The company believes that some buyers would rather have an affordable car than an expensive audio system, large infotainment display, or driver assistance technologies. I recently drove in Southern California. While its lack of fenders and roll-up windows draw attention, what’s more surprising is how the car feels on the road.

The car goes against a trend in the car industry that is sometimes called “trimflation” – the push to push the envelope by building cars with more technology and luxury. As infotainment systems have grown and software has become a major selling point, bare-bones cars are becoming increasingly difficult to find.

In some ways, Slate is reviving a market segment that has largely disappeared. For years, iconic icons like the Toyota Pickup, Ford Ranger, and Nissan Hardbody served as affordable, practical vehicles for young buyers, business owners, and anyone who just wanted a car. But as automakers chase luxury cars, pickups got bigger, better, and more expensive. These days, even most entry-level cars come loaded with luxury features. Slate is betting there’s still a need for a car that prioritizes affordability over other features.

This does not mean that buyers cannot change the car. Slate offers over 200 accessories, from speakers and seat covers to roof racks and trailers. Eighty of them cost less than $500. For about $5,000, owners can turn a two-seater SUV into a five-seater SUV. The variety of features makes one Slate very different from another.

Slate wants to sell a simple startup product and let customers decide which upgrades to pay for. The company is also promoting the do-it-yourself option as a cost-saving option. Customers can install coatings, interior accents, lighting upgrades, and more on their own using video clips labeled “Slate U,” or install more through RepairPal’s network of more than 3,000 stores. The car is sold directly to the buyer, with a fixed price set by the manufacturer rather than a negotiated price with the dealer.

For about $500, buyers can add one of the company’s vinyl wraps, changing the look of the car without the cost of a paint job. Some accessories, including light covers, interior pieces, and trailers, are priced closer to what consumers would expect to pay for aftermarket upgrades than factory-installed options.

Nuts and bolts are also available. The Slate’s battery and powertrain warranty runs for 10 years or 110,000 miles, putting it at the top end of the industry. It is designed for a five-star safety rating and a Top Safety Pick. The car also includes air conditioning, power locks, old-school cruise control, and a rearview camera, which shows that not all of the features were seen as cheap in the pursuit of affordability. It also has a frunk with a front drain for extra storage or a cooler because.

Whether the Slate’s strategy is successful depends on a simple question: Have automakers spent years adding features that consumers don’t appreciate as much as they want at lower prices? Signs and incentives.

According to Deloitte’s 2026 Global Automotive Consumer Surveythe most important factors that make Americans choose a new car model are brand (58 percent), performance (51 percent), and price (46 percent). Other objectives, including recognition of color and shape, are significantly lower. When it comes to shopping itself, consumers put a lot of emphasis on value, with nearly two-thirds saying that getting a good deal is the most important factor.

Slate’s opinion is reflected in who he believes his client will be.

Chris Barman, President of Slate Cars, described that buyer to me as the “everyday American” looking for value rather than luxury. Many prospective customers, he said, will continue to drive old cars not because they don’t like new cars, but because they are cheaper in the market. Some already rely on their smartphones for navigation, music, and communication, which makes the absence of a built-in infotainment system less of a sacrifice than it seemed a decade ago. He said: “It’s an environment they already know, so they don’t need to learn anything new. “Why are you paying for the second screen in the car?”

The car itself feels incredibly cohesive when you’re in the loop. Instead of feeling cheap, it’s purposely understated. Throughout the SUV’s design, its boxiness and simple lines evoke the compact cars and utility vehicles that were common on American roads before the boom in size and price.

I drove with Barman while we were sitting in a public car near Gardena, California, near the company’s new studio. On the road, it looked a little more horizontal than a normal car. In other words, it was closer to my new Honda CR-V hybrid than my aging Toyota Tundra.

Some of that comes from the car’s electrical design. Even when driving in the rear, the battery pack helps distribute the weight more evenly than heavy gas cars. The result is a car that feels planted and predictable rather than awkward.

Performance can’t be against Tesla, but it doesn’t have to be. The car accelerates from 0 to 30 mph in about three seconds and reaches 60 mph in about eight. For someone who used to use gas for cars, it sounds like a lot of trouble. Its curved length was tight, sleek, and the short wheelbase made it easy to drive. Parallel parking didn’t feel like the right thing to do in most modern pickups.

The ability to carry also came to the forefront of the company’s previous efforts. The truck has a payload capacity of 1,550 pounds and a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. This is perfect for landscaping, wheelchairs, motorcycles, small trailers, or fishing boats. It won’t replace a heavy-duty truck, but the Slate isn’t trying to compete with those customers.

The car’s range is 205 miles, better than the company’s 150-mile target but less than what consumers can find in most high-end EVs. Charging can be done via a standard home, Level 2 charger, or a DC fast charger that can add up to 30 minutes of charge.

So far, consumers seem to be interested in the experiment. Slate says it has taken 180,000 pre-orders for work, which is expected to begin at the Warsaw, Indiana, plant before customers begin the fourth quarter. The company expects annual production to reach 150,000 vehicles by the end of 2027.

It is not known if the reservation will turn into a sale. But with new car prices approaching nearly $50,000 and automakers continuing to upgrade cars with displays, sensors, apps, and software, Slate is testing a surprisingly simple idea: maybe what most Americans want most isn’t more technology. Maybe it’s a new car they can afford.

Photography by Rani Molla