As most of you may agree, cars these days, especially electric vehicles (EVs), are nothing more than computers on wheels with an excessive number of displays and complicated AI/automation tech. Amidst this ongoing chaos, there’s a significant percentage of the population that just wants a simple, old-school vehicle; not necessarily a gas-guzzler, but maybe an EV with simple, old-school functionalities. These people don’t care much about crabwalk, rear-wheel steering, K-turn, G-turn, give-a-bang-on-your-bum-turn, and all that non-essential stuff. If you are one of those, well, there’s a new player in the industry, and it’s called SLATE. The idea of this Slate EV is to give the buyer a metaphorical blank slate, so that the buyer can visualize their vehicle the way they want.
As these official photos/renderings suggest, the Slate EV can be ordered as a pickup truck or an SUV, depending on your requirements. The official website lists 29 different personalization options, just to give you an idea. Needless to say, the truck has a simple, boxy styling to make the best use of its small footprint. It is only slightly larger than a 1985 Toyota SR5 pickup, measuring 4,435 mm long (174.6-inch), 1,793 mm wide (70.6-inch) (excluding mirrors), and 1,760 mm tall (69.3-inch), with a wheelbase of 2,766 mm (108.9-inch).
The Slate EV is available only with a single-motor RWD configuration. Meaning, you can’t go adventuring into the woods. There may be a plan to offer dual-motor AWD in the future, but for now, you’ll have to stick to urban adventures. The motor develops peak outputs of 150 kW (204 metric hp) and 264 Nm (195 lb-ft), and can do a top speed of 145 km/h (90 mph). The standard 52.7 kWh battery pack is estimated to offer a range of up to 241 km (150 mi). However, an 84.3 kWh accessory battery pack will also be available, offering a total range of up to 386 km (240 mi). The battery pack can be DC fast-charged with up to 120 kW.
Certain parts of the truck are 3D-printed, such as those customizable mesh guards on the taillights. But anyway, the max bed length and width measures 1,524 mm (60-inch) and 1,270 mm (50-inch), respectively. Max payload is 650 kg (1,433 lbs) and max towing is 454 kg (1,000 lbs). Kerb weight is 1,634 kg (3,602 lbs).
Inside too, simplicity is the name of the game. Forget the lack of an infotainment system, but you don’t even get electric windows. But don’t worry, as you may know, the aftermarket industry will have solutions for everything. Safety systems include Active Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and up to 8 airbags.
Slate Auto’s investors include Jeff Bezos. He has invested in his personal capacity and not via Amazon. The start-up is currently accepting reservations for $50, and expects the base price to be under $20,000 after federal incentives.
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