A pick-up that can morph into an SUV? Slate Truck debuts in USA for just £15k
If Lego was to build a pick-up that focused on personalisation and configurability, it might look something like this
A new American start-up called Slate has revealed its first production model in the form of a compact, back-to-basics, all-electric pick-up truck.
The Slate Truck, as it’s known, has been designed from the ground up to be low-cost and infinitely configurable thanks to myriad accessories that can be purchased at the point of sale, or thereafter, completely changing its form, function and appeal.
The idea is so compelling that it’s attracted one of the world’s richest men as a key backer, with Amazon’s Jeff Bezos putting his vast wealth behind the project.
The basic Slate Truck is compact, even by European standards, at around 4.4 metres long. This is equivalent to the likes of the Volvo XC40, and means it will be positively dwarfed by the full-sized American pick ups that it’ll share the roads with.
As standard, the simple two-seater cabin has almost no standard equipment, eschewing even electric windows and mirrors or an infotainment system. The idea instead is to customise it from this point to have as many – or as few – features as you want, or need.
In terms of the body, there are two canopy options – one boxy, and one with a sloped roof – both of which are claimed to be easy to fit. Once either is in place, it’s then possible to fit a second row of seating that will essentially turn the Slate Truck into a small two-door SUV.
Its underlying structure is steel, but the body panels are made of relatively lightweight and inexpensive polycarbonate in just one grey finish. This makes them easy to replace, but they can also be personalised with factory options including various wraps and graphics which change the exterior colour.
There are multiple front and rear bumpers, lights, side-steps and other accessories to customise the truck to your taste. A set of black 17-inch steel wheels is standard, but a range of alloy wheels and off-road tyres can be swapped in if so desired.
However, while it may look like a miniature off-roader – with the right accessories – this is a resolutely rear-wheel-drive truck, with no option for a secondary motor or four-wheel drive. The single motor is rated at 200bhp, and draws power from either a standard 52.7kWh battery or an optional 84.3kWh pack. Slate is aiming for an EPA range figure of around 150 miles for the former, and 240 miles for the latter.
Official performance figures are yet to be finalised, but Slate says the standard battery version should go from 0-62mph in around eight seconds and top out at 90mph. The payload maximum is rated at 635kg, with towing capped at just over 450kg, so it won’t be taking over from the Ford Super Duty in the Midwest any time soon…
However, the team at Slate clearly see an opening for this type of low-cost option as an urban or suburban workhorse, and that could easily resonate with all sorts of buyers looking for something rugged, relatively low cost and environmentally conscious.
And that’s exactly what the brand is hoping to achieve with a likely starting price of around $20,000 (broadly the equivalent of £15,000) before federal government incentives.
Even without those incentives – entirely possible given the tumultuous nature of the current federal government – the sale price of around $28,000 still makes it tens of thousands less to buy than even the smallest and most basic of electric cars in the USA. And something tells us that if it was to arrive on European shores, it would be warmly welcomed here, too.
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