Jeff Bezos-Backed Startup Slate Auto is launching the Barebones Electric Truck for just $20,000 as years of stubborn inflation seeks to return to affordable prices after years of stubborn inflation has raised daily prices.
It’s simply called a truck and comes in one spec, two door, two-seater slate grey. Without a crank window and an entertainment system, it’s an explosion into the past. The same goes for that price.
“The definition of affordable things is broken,” Slate CEO Chris Berman said in a statement. “Slate exists to bring the power back to the hands of neglected customers in the automotive industry.”
However, the $20,000 starting price includes federal EV tax incentives opposed by President Trump.
The two-door truck structure can be changed to a five-seat SUV. The truck itself is rather small, less than 15 feet long, comparable to a 1985 Toyota pickup.
Instead of the latest entertainment systems, the truck has smartphone mounts for mobile phones and tablets, as well as optional add-on speakers.
The vehicle also comes with simple HVAC controls and a crank window.
It’s a plain design, but Slate plans to offer huge accessories to allow the truck to be customized, such as wraps and bed caps.
Slate’s new truck ranges up to 150 miles on a single charge and comes with the option of a long-distance battery pack that offers up to 240 miles.
It boasts zero to 60 miles per hour at 8 seconds per hour, allowing it to reach a top speed of 90 miles per hour. The truck produces 201 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.
Slate said it plans to build a truck in the US, but has not yet announced the location of the factory. TechCrunch reported that the factory is in Indiana.
Bezos, along with Dodgers owner Mark Walter in Los Angeles and billionaire investor Thomas Tull, helped Slate raise $111 million for the project.
Trucks are not expected to reach customers until late 2026, but can be booked for a refundable $50 rate.
