2027 Slate Truck

The 2027 Slate Truck is a new vehicle from a new manufacturer, and it bucks pretty much every automotive trend of the last few decades. Not only is the Slate a bite-sized, single-cab electric pickup, but its $24,950 starting price (which doesn't include a destination charge) will also make it one of the most affordable vehicles on the market when it goes on sale later this year. In a world where vehicles are becoming ever-more expensive, larger and complex, the Slate Truck promises a refreshing back-to-basics approach to modern motoring — and one that gives buyers a surprising breadth of customization.

One motor, one battery

Every Slate Truck will be powered by a 181-horsepower electric motor driving the rear wheels and a 64-kWh battery pack. Slate estimates the Truck will deliver 205 miles of driving range, but an official EPA rating is still a few months away. If that figure seems underwhelming ... it is. Among affordable EVs, the revitalized 2027 Chevrolet Bolt can go 262 miles on a single charge and the Nissan Leaf is capable of more than 300 miles. But as long as you view the Slate Truck as an EV used primarily for local trips and not road trips, the range estimate seems decent to us.

With the Telsa-style NACS charging port out back, buyers will get access to the Supercharger network, and the Slate's peak charge rate is 120 kW. At a Level 3 DC fast charger, the Slate will be able to juice up its battery from 20% to 80% in 30 minutes. On a Level 2 charger — like the one you can install at home — Slate says you can get a full charge in just four hours. 

The last key piece of info — at least for truck users who plan on using this as, well, a truck — are payload and towing numbers. Payload (how much you can haul in the bed) is rated at 1,550 pounds, which actually bests the slightly larger, gas-powered Ford Maverick (1,500 pounds). Max towing is 2,000 pounds for the Slate. For comparison, the Maverick is rated to tow 2,000 pounds out of the box, but you can option a tow package that ups that number to 4,000 pounds. One thing that the Maverick doesn't have? A frunk. Under the Slate's hood is a cubby that offers 7 cubic feet of storage — perfect for keeping your valuables secured and out of sight.

Shockingly low-fi

The Slate Truck is cute and has real charm in person. The panels are made of a glass-injected polypropylene composite (try saying that five times fast) and are super dent-resistant. But if you do find yourself in a fender bender, you can just buy a new panel, pop off a few screws and put a new one on. There's no paint matching to do and no body shop to fuss with. Most of the panels (except the doors) can be swapped out this way. I like that.

When you open the door, you won’t find a typical modern car interior. No center touchscreen, no audio system and no power windows. The standard truck is seriously bare-bones, but it was all done deliberately to keep the price as low as possible. The highlight features inside include a teeny driver's display that shows how fast you're going, how much range you have, and that's about it. It also has air conditioning and cruise control. 

The biggest takeaway is how airy the cabin feels. Even though it looks super small from the outside, the Slate's cabin has more than enough room for two large adults to sprawl out. The seating position is just right for both the driver and passenger, and there's plenty of head- and legroom for my 6-foot frame.

Riding shotgun

Would you be surprised to hear the Slate feels like a small truck on the road? It doesn't ride as firmly as a body-on-frame vehicle like a Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma because it isn't. Slate's engineers initially considered that body style before quickly realizing it made more sense to integrate the battery pack into the body itself, ditching a traditional frame. The Slate isn't exactly plush, but it's compliant over bumps and stays relatively settled on LA's terribly maintained roads.

Even though 181 hp doesn't read like all that much on paper, Slate's engineers tell me the electric motor is tuned for low-end torque. That comes through pretty much immediately; you'll feel a deep shove into the seat when you mash the throttle. The Slate might have less power than a Volkswagen Golf GTI, but there is zero doubt in my mind that this electric truck is a heck of a lot quicker from 0 to 30 mph, and perhaps beyond. I can't wait to find out for sure at our test track.

If there's one knock, it's the noise. Even at relatively low speed (around 45 mph), wind noise is obvious if not deafening — highway speeds will likely be worse. This could come down to the fact that I'm riding in what is still technically a prototype. Maybe Slate will tighten up those panel gaps and better insulate the cabin before it starts delivering trucks to customers. 

An EV your way

Each and every Slate Truck will roll off the factory floor in plain gray; the company refers to this as "the blank slate," providing customers a bare-bones truck that they can do just about anything to. Wrap it purple? Sure. Add in a holder for your tablet and some speakers? No problem. There's even a kit available to convert the truck into a five-passenger two-row SUV. Slate says that there will be over 100 options available in the configurator when the truck launches, with many more to follow down the line.

Because all of the trucks will be built as "blank slates" when they leave the production facility, installing the options looks a little different than usual. You can have your accessories delivered to your home for a DIY installation to save a little money, or you can pay to have your truck shipped to a facility prior to delivery where a professional will install everything for you.

Not really any alternatives — yet

There are other trucks that you can get for similar money. Both the Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz have starting prices right at the $30,000 mark. For that, you get more typical in-car goodies like screens, sound systems (albeit not the highest-quality systems), and, at least with the Ford, the option of a hybrid. 

If fuel economy is a priority, the hybrid Maverick does quite well at 38 mpg combined; in Edmunds' testing, the Maverick with the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine got 25 mpg. With the optional turbocharged 2.5-liter engine and all-wheel drive, the Santa Cruz gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg combined. 

These trucks also come with way more of what you'd expect from a modern car — smartphone projection, an actual infotainment system, speakers you don't need to install yourself, and even heated seats if you spring for fancier models are all here. But the more you wish for, the more you pay, and both of these trucks can top out at over $40,000 for their most feature-laden models.

The intriguing option could be an all-new electric truck that Ford is developing. It's still a ways off (we don't even have an official name or launch timing yet), but it's said to be a midsize like the current Ford Ranger. That means it'll be significantly larger than the Slate and Maverick. But it's the estimated starting price of around $30,000 that could have you waiting to fully commit to ordering a Slate Truck.