As rife with options as the electric vehicle market is becoming, those shopping in the budget-friendly sector of the electric pickup truck market have fewer choices, if only because many of the major brand options may be too pricey for the Average Joe. Thankfully, a relatively new player in the e-truck game is out to fill that market void, with Slate looking to deliver a base model, battery-powered pickup to drivers for under $25,000.
For some, that sticker price might seem too good to be true, assuming a truck at that price point simply won’t deliver the same performance as more expensive, major-brand options. We’re not here to claim that a new Slate pickup truck can match models from Ford or Chevy when it comes to things like towing power and off-road ability. But the modular pickup truck boasts some pretty solid cargo capacity, with a standard Slate coming equipped with a bed that’s 5 feet in length and has a volume of 35.1 cubic feet.
That may not seem like a ton of storage space, but if you don’t have a pickup truck, it should be enough to handle quite a few of your cargo-carrying needs. Per Slate, that bed is large enough to handle a 55-inch television in its box, a pair of lawn mowers with other smaller lawn care tools, and even full-sized sheets of plywood or sheetrock.
What else you should know about the Slate truck
While even a smaller truck bed may be a welcome feature for folks who’ve been moving gear and materials without one, it’ll likely feel limiting for those looking to pack larger items for transport. For instance, while the bed may be sufficient for moving bikes, e-bikes, and mini bikes, it’ll likely be too small to handle even average-sized motorcycles.
If that’s not a deal breaker for you, Slate’s vehicles could prove intriguing in many other ways, as the minds behind the modular brand have designed the trucks to be almost entirely personalized to the needs of individual drivers. The vehicle’s $24,950 MSRP is, of course, for a base model of the truck, which the manufacturer has dubbed the Blank Slate. That model serves as the basis for every permutation of the Slate truck you can conjure, including even the 5-seat SUV, Fastback, and Open Air models.
Apart from the additions of seats and roofs, Slate offers dozens of upgrades through its Accessories Marketplace, which allows shoppers to fully customize their Blank Slate inside and out. As for the truck’s exterior, the Blank Slate comes in a single suitable color variant: slate grey. You can, however, customize the color as well, with Slate offering a wide range of wraps and decals so you can “paint” your truck as you see fit. And yes, it should go without saying that every upgrade raises the overall sticker price of your Slate.