Slate Truck: Specs, Price, and Release Date for the $24,950 EV Pickup

Slate Auto, the bare-bones electric vehicle startup backed by Jeff Bezos, opened preorders on June 24, 2026, and finally confirmed the headline number everyone was waiting for: the Slate Truck starts at $24,950. It’s a radically stripped-down, endlessly customizable compact electric pickup with one goal — to be the cheapest new EV in America at a time when almost nothing starts under $30,000. Here’s everything confirmed about the Slate Truck, including its specs, price, and release date, along with an honest look at the catches. (This is a preview based on confirmed details, not a test drive — though early prototype drives by reviewers have been cautiously positive.)

How much does the Slate Truck cost?

The Slate Truck starts at $24,950 for the base pickup, a price Slate confirmed when preorders opened.

There are two important caveats. First, that figure excludes taxes, title, registration, destination, and documentation fees, so the actual out-the-door price will be higher — though even with those added, it sits at roughly half the average price of a new car in the US. Second, the truck was originally pitched as costing “under $20,000,” but that assumed the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which has since been eliminated. The “under $20k” promise is effectively dead, and $24,950 is the new reality. If you want the five-seat SUV configuration rather than the two-seat pickup, that starts at $29,950.

What are the Slate Truck’s specs?

For all its simplicity, the Slate Truck has respectable numbers for a compact, light-duty EV. It uses a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 181 horsepower, fed by a 65 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack with around 63 kWh usable. Slate boosted the estimated range of the base model from an earlier 150 miles to roughly 205 miles, achieved partly by switching to the cheaper LFP chemistry to help hold the price down. On the practical side, the truck can tow around 1,000 pounds and carry a maximum payload of about 1,400 pounds. That payload is roughly on par with a Ford Maverick, though its towing capacity is much lower, underlining that this is a light-duty vehicle rather than a workhorse. It also uses the increasingly standard NACS charging port.

What makes the Slate Truck different?

The Slate Truck’s entire philosophy is to do the opposite of nearly every other modern car: instead of cramming in screens and sensors, it strips everything back and lets you add what you want.

There is no central touchscreen — a phone holder sits where the infotainment system would be — no speakers, and hand-crank windows instead of power ones. It comes with heating, air conditioning, and a small digital instrument cluster, and that’s about it. The body is a single shade of unpainted gray composite, with no paint options; instead, Slate sells customizable vinyl wraps, which conveniently avoids the cost of a factory paint shop. Owners can personalize and upgrade their truck through a marketplace of more than 200 accessories, installed either themselves or by third-party shops, with how-to guides provided through the company’s “Slate University” platform. The base pickup can even be converted into a five-seat SUV with a squared-off or fastback roof. Slate sells directly to customers with no traditional dealerships, and backs the vehicle with a 10-year, 110,000-mile battery and powertrain warranty.

When is the Slate Truck release date?

Slate opened preorders on June 24, 2026, with a small, refundable deposit rather than a large upfront payment, and the company has reported racking up more than 150,000 reservations to date. Production is scheduled to begin at its Indiana facility by the end of 2026, with first deliveries expected in late 2026. In practice, given the ramp-up time any new automaker needs, many buyers are unlikely to actually receive their trucks until 2027 or later. So while you can reserve one now, this is very much a vehicle to wait for rather than to drive this year.

Is the Slate Truck worth waiting for?

That depends on your appetite for both simplicity and risk. On the positive side, a genuinely new EV at around $25,000 is rare territory in today’s market, the stripped-down design could mean cheaper and simpler long-term ownership, and the compact size suits people for whom a full-size truck is overkill. The honest counterweight is that this is a brand-new company’s very first product. Startup timelines can slip, prices can creep upward before launch, and early-production vehicles often have bugs to iron out — and several other EV startups have struggled or failed entirely. The late-2026 production ramp means patience is required, the truck is strictly light-duty, and the rock-bottom price buys a genuinely basic vehicle, with much of the equipment people expect costing extra as add-ons. Early prototype drives by professional reviewers have been encouraging, suggesting the concept delivers on its promise, but the real test will come once production trucks reach customers. Whether it’s worth waiting for comes down to how much you value a cheap, simple EV against the uncertainty of backing a first-time automaker.

The bottom line

The Slate Truck is one of the most interesting vehicles to arrive in years simply because of its price: $24,950 for a brand-new, American-made electric pickup, with preorders open now and deliveries targeted for late 2026. It won’t suit everyone — it’s basic, light-duty, and carries the inherent risk of any startup’s debut — but as an attempt to make EVs genuinely affordable again, it’s a refreshing change of direction. If a cheap, simple, customizable electric truck is what you’ve been waiting for, the Slate is worth keeping a close eye on.

For more tech, see our coverage of Apple’s price hikes from the memory shortage and the Steam Machine pre-order details.

This article is a preview based on information confirmed as of late June 2026, not a road test. Specifications, pricing, and timing for a pre-production vehicle can change before launch; check Slate Auto directly for the latest.