A bold new player is entering the electric vehicle market—and it’s backed by none other than Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The Slate EV, a versatile, no-frills electric truck that converts into a compact SUV, is turning heads with its minimalist design, American-made build, and most notably, its shockingly low $20,000 price tag.
What Is the Slate EV?
Built by Slate Auto, the Slate EV is designed in California and Michigan, and assembled in the Midwest using primarily U.S.-sourced parts. The vehicle blends the practicality of a pickup truck with the utility of an SUV, thanks to a modular design that allows users to reconfigure the two-door truck into a five-seat SUV.
Slate calls it a “radically simple” EV built for real-world use—small, efficient, and made for drivers tired of over-engineered vehicles. At under 15 feet in length, it’s closer in size to a 1985 Toyota SR5 than a modern full-size truck. It’s also significantly smaller than Tesla’s Cybertruck and Chevrolet’s Silverado EV, aligning more with the Ford Maverick in form.
Performance and Features
The base model includes a 150kW single rear-mounted motor, a 5-foot truck bed, and a 150-mile range standard battery (with an optional upgrade offering up to 240 miles). Charging times range from 8 hours for a full charge to 30 minutes for 80% capacity.
While it skips luxury touches—no infotainment system, no Bluetooth, and no Android Auto or CarPlay—it includes phone and tablet mounts so drivers can bring their own devices. The trade-off? A highly affordable EV focused on function over flash.
Price and Reservation Details
The Slate EV starts at $20,000, undercutting competitors like the Tesla Model 3 and Rivian R2 by tens of thousands. That price could drop even further after federal EV tax incentives.
Reservations are now open for a refundable $50 deposit, though production models aren’t expected to reach customers until late 2026. Once ready, Slate says the vehicle will be delivered straight to buyers’ doors.
Who’s Behind Slate?
Slate Auto has raised $111 million in funding, with high-profile backers including Jeff Bezos, Mark Walter (principal owner of the LA Dodgers), and investor Thomas Tull. The company is positioning itself as a fresh alternative in a market dominated by tech-heavy giants like Tesla.
The Slate EV isn’t trying to be flashy—it’s trying to be accessible. In an industry where prices are skyrocketing, Slate is betting big that the future of EVs lies in simplicity, affordability, and practicality. And with Bezos and other power players backing it, the Slate EV might just carve out a major spot in the electric vehicle race.