Slate Truck: Is This Electric Pickup Under €22,000 Really a Good Idea?

With its broken price and minimalist equipment, the Slate Truck aims to reinvent the electric vehicle. A bet as appealing as it is risky.

While cars are increasingly resembling smartphones on wheels, the Slate Truck takes everyone by surprise. This new American electric pick-up, priced from $24,950, or just under €22,000, almost seems like a UFO: no touchscreen, physical controls, crank windows, equipment limited to the bare essentials, and a design meant to be easily repaired. This philosophy sharply contrasts with current trends.

The concept has its appeal. For several years now, new cars have been becoming ever more expensive, complex, and technological. As they accumulate features, they sometimes stray from their primary function. By returning to basics, Slate Auto puts the driver back at the center of the experience and reminds us that a utility vehicle does not necessarily need to be loaded with electronics to fulfill its mission.

Really that simple?

This minimalist approach also presents real advantages. With fewer parts, a simplified architecture, and repairs largely accessible to individuals, operating costs could be significantly reduced. The manufacturer also bets on evolving customization: more than 200 accessories will allow users to adapt the vehicle as needed, without initially imposing a fully-equipped and more expensive version.

But this strategy also raises some questions. The particularly aggressive starting price relies precisely on this simplification. As the owner adds accessories or turns their pick-up into an SUV, the bill can quickly add up. The risk is that the financial advantage that currently gives strength to the project may disappear.

The Slate Truck will also need to convince technically. Its range of about 330 km remains modest, as do its loading and towing capacities compared to segment benchmarks. The lack of certain features that are now common in electric cars may also come as a surprise.

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There remains a refreshing idea: to offer an affordable electric pick-up that is simple to use, easy to repair, and designed to last. In an automotive industry where sophistication has become a selling point, this return to fundamentals appears almost revolutionary. It will still be necessary that the numerous options do not end up transforming this promise of simplicity… into a vehicle as costly as the others.

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