Budding U.S.-based automaker Slate Auto made quite some ripples last summer by promising to introduce North America to cheap, reliable and highly customizable electric pickups. CEO Chris Barman went as far as to promise a sub-$20,000 entry spec; just in case you needed it spelled out, it’s not on the table anymore.
In the latest communication from Slate, the company confirms that its first EV is still due out this summer. In its cheapest and most frugal trim dubbed Blank Slate, it will get rid of expensive fit-and-finish and even such basic features as digital dash and radio, both of which the company suggests replacing with your smartphone.
But while the idea of skipping unneeded equipment sounds just fine, it becomes less attractive when you hear that the price has now jumped to “mid-$20,000s” – and that’s if all goes well, which is a big “if”. According to Barman, Slate is in negotiations with numerous vendors and suppliers right now “to get the lowest price possible,” but “we’re not pencils down just yet.” The unspoken implication is that the final offer might land in a higher USD territory than previously promised.
To address another elephant in the room, Donald Trump’s recent revocation of the $7,500 EV tax benefit hit all would-be EV makers hard. It goes without saying that the promised “sub-$20,000” price of the Blank Slate was quoted with those $7.5k factored in. If the tiny battery truck lands close to $30,000, it will find itself in the same niche as the vastly better equipped Ford Maverick and other EVs, some of which are underway to the market right now.
In other words, having price as your single biggest selling point doesn’t work as soon as your budget planning stops working. For Slate, it remains to be seen how it weathers the coming storm.
