The vehicle strips away modern staples like integrated navigation, factory paint, and power windows. Instead of a traditional finish, owners select from $500 vinyl wraps, while the cabin relies on hand-crank mechanisms to keep costs low. Despite the minimalist interior, the truck retains essential performance metrics, offering a 205-mile range and compatibility with Tesla’s Supercharger network. Air conditioning remains the sole non-negotiable luxury included in the base model.
Slate Auto Targets Budget Buyers With $24,950 Stripped-Down EV Truck
With the average price of new vehicles climbing beyond the reach of many, Michigan startup Slate Auto is betting on radical simplicity. Backed by Jeff Bezos, the company unveiled a bare-bones electric pickup priced at $24,950, intentionally ditching luxury features to undercut the market's most affordable combustion-engine competitors.
CEO Peter Faricy is bypassing the traditional dealership model entirely to facilitate direct sales, a move aimed at preserving margins while keeping the sticker price below that of the Ford Maverick. The market response suggests a clear appetite for this utilitarian approach, with the startup confirming 180,000 reservations ahead of production. By prioritizing core utility over digital bells and whistles, Slate is attempting to carve out a functional niche in an EV sector currently dominated by premium, high-cost technology.
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