Slate Auto unveils $20,000 electric bakkie with radical minimalism

The Slate Truck is a no-frills EV designed for utility. It accommodates only two occupants but features a truck bed large enough to carry a standard sheet of plywood. Its range is limited to 150 miles on a single charge, it will initially be available only in grey, and in-car entertainment requires bringing your own phone and Bluetooth speaker. This represents the absolute bare essentials of a modern vehicle, a point reached after three years of development.

However, Slate Auto is positioning its truck beyond mere budget transportation. They are emphasizing a minimalist design ethos coupled with a strong DIY purpose, aiming to create a new vehicle category focused on user customization. This design philosophy also enables a low-cost manufacturing process that has reportedly attracted significant investor interest, including potential backing from Jeff Bezos. While engineered and manufactured in the USA, the question remains whether this extreme simplification will resonate with American consumers accustomed to more feature-rich vehicles.

Slate’s lean approach is crucial as they navigate the challenging path to production, avoiding the fate of numerous failed EV startups. This leanness has been instrumental in attracting major investors. While CEO Snyder declined to name them directly, a TechCrunch report suggests that one prominent investor is indeed Jeff Bezos.

“We don’t have a direct connection to Amazon,” Snyder clarified, but he didn’t dismiss potential future collaborations, hinting at possibilities like purchasing through the e-commerce giant.

Addressing the two-seater limitation, Slate plans to offer a bolt-on SUV upgrade kit. This DIY addition will provide extra rollover crash protection and rear seats with matching seat belts, all designed for easy at-home installation.

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In a nod to modern safety standards, a digital rear-view camera is included. However, in keeping with the minimalist theme, the display for this camera will be integrated into the small gauge cluster behind the steering wheel, as the Slate lacks a central infotainment screen. Physical knobs will control in-cabin temperature, and standard turn stalks and switches will be present, but that’s the extent of the interior controls.

The omission of any dedicated media system is stark. Beyond the potential enjoyment of the 201-horsepower, rear-wheel-drive configuration, there is no radio, Bluetooth connectivity, or integrated speakers beyond those necessary for basic warning chimes.

This seemingly extreme exclusion of any entertainment system has a strategic rationale beyond cost savings. Snyder explains that “seventy percent of repeat warranty claims are based on infotainment currently because there’s so much tech in the car that it’s created a very unstable environment in the vehicle.” By eliminating infotainment, Slate aims to significantly enhance the truck’s reliability, a crucial factor as they also embrace a DIY approach to vehicle maintenance.