Slate has confirmed new details for its bare-bones electric truck, and the specs are looking a little better than first expected. After earlier pricing details surfaced through Slate’s own website metadata, the company has now made them official. The pickup will start at $24,950, while the Squareback and Fastback SUV versions will start at $29,950.
That price is higher than the sub-$20,000 figure Slate originally talked about, but that earlier number factored in EV incentives that are no longer part of the equation. So yes, it is pricier than first hoped, but not entirely because of inflation.
The good news is that the truck now goes farther. Slate says the pickup will offer 205 miles of range from a 65kWh battery pack, with 63kWh usable. That is a decent jump from the 150 miles originally promised.
It can also tow and haul more than expected. The pickup is now rated to tow 2,000 pounds and carry 1,550 pounds in the bed. That should make it more useful for buyers who want a small electric truck that can still handle some proper work.
There are some trade-offs, though. The pickup is about 450 pounds heavier than Slate’s original target, and power has dropped from 201hp to around 181hp. Slate still expects a 0-60mph time of eight seconds, while top speed is 90mph.
The SUV versions are slightly different because they are heavier from the start. They are rated to tow 1,824 pounds and carry 1,263 pounds of payload.
Slate is keeping things basic, with a truck that skips screens and uses crank windows. That could help it stand apart from more tech-heavy EVs, even as the wider electric car market gets more crowded.
At this point, Slate seems to have people’s attention. Getting 180,000 reservations before fully confirming the final specs and price is not a bad start.