Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 11
Slate Auto Sets $24,950 Electric Pickup Price as Reservations Reach 180,000
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 11

Slate Auto Sets $24,950 Electric Pickup Price as Reservations Reach 180,000

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 11

Summary

  • $24,950 is Slate Auto’s new price for its bare-bones electric pickup, unveiled alongside test rides at its Carson, California, design studio.
  • 180,000 reservations and 10,000 confirmed orders with a nonrefundable $300 deposit suggest early demand for a truck sold only online.
  • Affordability is the pitch: the compact truck has hand-cranked windows, one gray color option and undercuts a new-pickup market where average prices top $64,000.
  • The price marks a shift from Slate’s earlier $20,000-after-credit target after federal EV tax credits disappeared and tariff swings raised pressure on battery and material costs.
  • Big questions remain over whether Slate can scale to its 150,000-a-year sales goal in an EV market where better-funded rivals like Rivian and Lucid still struggle to reach volume and profit.

Insights

With high tariffs and no federal subsidies, how can a startup realistically scale to 150,000 EVs annually?
Can a spartan $25k electric truck without a radio truly succeed in today's feature-driven auto market?