US EditionA $20K Electric Pickup Truck Made by a Jeff Bezos-backed Startup Is Surprising Popular
- Slate Auto, a Michigan-based startup backed by Jeff Bezos, unveiled a minimalist electric pickup truck in April 2025 that received over 100,000 reservations in three weeks.
- The company started in 2022 with a goal to create an affordable, configurable EV truck priced around $25,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit to appeal to budget-conscious buyers.
- The two-seat Slate Truck features a gray molded polypropylene exterior with options for vinyl wraps and over 100 add-ons, including kits to convert it into a five-seat SUV or van.
- Powered by a 201-horsepower rear motor, the truck offers a standard 150-mile range and optional 240-mile battery, includes eight airbags, and aims for a five-star NCAP safety rating.
- Production will start in late 2026 in a repurposed Warsaw, Indiana plant, targeting 150,000 annual units by 2027, which could disrupt the EV market with an affordable, modular vehicle.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Jeff Bezos backs radical $20,000 small electric pickup truck
Jeff Bezos is backing a bold new venture that's positioning itself to disrupt the electric vehicle space: Slate Auto. It's a startup that has unveiled a simple, modular electric pickup truck called the Slate Truck. It's priced at $20,000 after federal EV incentives, a concept some would consider radical and even inconceivable.The Slate Truck's base model defies industry norms by stripping down to essentials, with no power windows, no touchscreen…
Musk vs. Bezos: Already ‘100,000 reservations’ for cheap SUV without paint
Amazon owner Jeff Bezos is one of the biggest investors in the new car brand Slate. The start-up is working on an affordable SUV that is so bare and basic that it doesn't even come with paint.
A $20K Electric Pickup Truck Made by a Jeff Bezos-backed Startup Is Surprising Popular
Slate Auto, an electric vehicle startup based out of Troy, Mich., has garnered the attention of high-profile investors like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. But its product is far from flashy: a no-frills, two-seater pickup truck with a base price under $20,000. The vehicle doesn’t have a touch-screen display or stereo, standard features seen in new cars today. Still, potential customers seem to appreciate the affordable price and retro approach. Slate rece…
The 'anti-Cybertruck' Slate EV appears off to a strong start
The Slate Truck base model starts at $25,000 before tax credits.SlateSlate Auto says more than 100,000 people have reserved one of its low-frills electric trucks.The ultracustomizable EVs are expected to start at about $25,000, with deliveries in late 2026.By comparison, the Cybertruck launch in 2019 nabbed 250,000 reservations in less than a week.It's looking like the utilitarian Slate EV pickup truck has struck a chord.The Michigan-based Slate…
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