Slate Truck Options and Price (2026): How Expensive the Cheapest EV Gets When You Check the Boxes
Slate Auto’s electric pickup is the cheapest new EV in America at $24,950, but that headline number buys a deliberately bare truck — crank windows, no stereo, no touchscreen, and no paint. Because almost everything else is an optional add-on, the price climbs quickly once you start ticking boxes. A nicely kitted-out Slate runs around $37,000, and a genuinely fully-loaded one lands near $40,600 — close to double where it starts. Here’s exactly what the base price gets you, what the popular options cost, and how high the total can climb.
How much does the Slate Truck cost?
The base Slate Truck starts at $24,950, a price the company confirmed when preorders opened in late June 2026. Two things to know before you get excited about that figure. First, it’s before destination, taxes, title, registration and documentation fees, so the real out-the-door price is realistically closer to $27,000. Second, the federal EV tax credit no longer applies — the $7,500 credit was eliminated as of September 30, 2025, which is why the truck that was once teased as a “sub-$20,000 EV” now starts in the mid-$20,000s. Some state-level incentives may still apply depending on where you live.
If you want the SUV instead of the pickup, the factory body styles bump the starting price: the Squareback SUV is $29,950 and the Fastback SUV is $31,950. For the full specs, range and delivery timing, see our companion guide to the Slate Truck’s specs, price and release date.
What do you actually get for $24,950?
In a word: a truck, and not much else. Slate calls the base configuration the “Blank Slate,” and it lives up to the name. You get a two-door, two-seat pickup with crank windows, no infotainment screen (you’re expected to mount your own phone or tablet for music and navigation), no stereo, and an unpainted gray composite body on 17-inch steel wheels. There’s a small digital instrument cluster that doubles as the backup-camera display, physical climate knobs, and fabric armrests.
Under the skin it’s genuinely usable: a single 65 kWh LFP battery good for about 205 miles, a rear motor making 181 horsepower (rear-wheel drive only, 0–60 mph in around 8 seconds), 2,000 lb of towing, and 1,550 lb of payload in the 5-foot bed, plus a 7 cu ft frunk. Notably, Slate simplified its plan down to this one battery — there’s no longer a bigger long-range pack to upgrade to. The whole thing follows one design question the company applied to every part: does it need to be there? Power windows didn’t make the cut. Neither did a sound system. That’s the trade for the price.
How expensive can the Slate Truck get with options?
This is where the “cheapest EV” story gets complicated. Because Slate sells personalization rather than trim levels, the base truck is a starting point you build up from — and the published “loaded” builds tell the story. A well-equipped Fastback build with a wrap, upgraded wheels and tires, audio, a lift and assorted extras comes to about $37,000. Go all-in on every cosmetic option and upgrade and you reach roughly $40,600. Here’s how a maxed-out build climbs from the base price:
The jump is real: a maxed-out Slate costs roughly $15,000 more than the base truck, and about double the sub-$20,000 figure the truck was first teased at. The good news is that this is a ceiling, not a floor — you reach it only by choosing nearly everything, and most buyers won’t.
What do Slate’s options and accessories cost?
Slate launched with more than 200 accessories, and more than 80% of them cost under $500. There are no packages — it’s all à la carte, installed yourself with the company’s DIY guides or by a third-party shop. Here’s what the headline options run:
| Option | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Squareback SUV kit | $5,000 | Roll cage, rear bench, airbags, SUV top → $29,950 total |
| Fastback SUV kit | $7,000 | Same, fastback roof → $31,950 total |
| Vinyl wrap (basic color) | from ~$500 | 100+ colors; pro install adds ~$500 |
| Vinyl wrap (full custom) | up to ~$2,000 | Custom designs, business graphics, etc. |
| Alloy wheels (17" or 20") | ~$1,400 / set of 4 | Steel wheels are standard |
| All-terrain tires | ~$1,100 | Larger diameter for the lifted look |
| Dash speakers (left + right) | ~$150 | No stereo is standard |
| Add center speaker | +~$250 | Or a 3-piece 400W system ~$400 |
| Bluetooth speaker + mount | ~$250 | Tuned to the cabin |
| 2-inch lift kit | ~$500 (est.) | Lowering kit also offered |
| Small extras (each) | $50–60 | Frunk carpet, armrests, dash color, etc. |
The pattern is clear: the big-ticket items are the SUV conversion, a custom wrap, and wheels and tires. Everything else — lights, racks, molle panels, a locking glovebox, carpets, a tonneau cover — tends to be inexpensive on its own but adds up fast if you can’t stop clicking.
Is it worth adding the options, or staying bare?
Honestly, that depends on what you want the truck to be, because almost none of the options change how it drives. A loaded Slate and a bare one have the same motor, battery, range and performance — so “fully loaded” here means a truck that looks the way you want and carries the gear you need, not a faster or longer-range version. There’s no performance package to buy.
That reframes the value question. If you want a cheap, simple, genuinely affordable EV, the appeal is the base truck — add only the few things you’ll actually use, like a wrap so it isn’t gray, a speaker, and maybe the SUV kit if you need rear seats. It’s worth keeping an eye on the total, though: once a build creeps toward $37,000–$40,600, you’re in the price range of other electric vehicles that come with paint, power windows, a stereo and more range as standard, which undercuts the “cheapest EV” reason for buying in the first place. The smart move is to treat the options as personalization you add over time, not a checklist to max out on day one.
| Build | Price (before fees) | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Base “Blank Slate” truck | $24,950 | Cheapest new EV in America; bare-bones |
| Well-equipped build | ~$37,000 | Wrap, wheels/tires, audio, lift, SUV kit, extras |
| Fully loaded | ~$40,600 | Nearly every cosmetic option and upgrade |
The bottom line
The Slate Truck is exactly what it claims to be at $24,950 — America’s cheapest new EV — but it’s also a build-your-own platform where the sticker is a starting line. Tick enough boxes and it climbs to about $37,000 well-equipped and $40,600 fully loaded, roughly double its original sub-$20,000 billing, with no federal tax credit to soften the blow anymore. None of those options make it quicker or longer-range; they make it yours. So the cheapest way to enjoy the cheapest EV is to keep it close to bare and add only what you’ll use — and to remember that a maxed-out Slate is competing with EVs that include far more as standard. For the full specs, range and delivery timing, see our Slate Truck specs and release date guide.
Pricing reflects figures confirmed when preorders opened in June 2026 and excludes destination and other fees; accessory prices are approximate and some were still being finalized. This is not financial advice — run your own numbers before ordering, and check Slate Auto directly for the latest.