Slate Auto’s debut electric pickup promises to be the cheapest EV in America at $24,950, testing whether buyers will trade modern comforts for bare‑bones practicality and lower monthly payments.

Early plans and the battery rethink

The project began with a conventional EV playbook: Slate originally planned to use nickel‑manganese‑cobalt (NMC) batteries to prioritize range and energy density.¹ But as costs for nickel and cobalt stayed high and the U.S. policy landscape shifted, the startup quietly pivoted. By mid‑2026, Slate announced it had switched to cheaper lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) cells, a chemistry that can cut pack costs by about 40% and is now widely supplied by Chinese manufacturers.¹

The move allowed Slate to cancel its optional long‑range pack while boosting the standard battery from 150 to 205 miles of range, preserving its low price target.¹ TechCrunch framed the shift as central to how “Slate changed the battery in its cheap EV truck.”¹

Launch day: radical simplicity and price shock

On June 24, Slate formally unveiled pricing: the American‑made truck would start at $24,950, undercutting every other new pickup and EV on sale.² A related SUV variant was pegged at $29,950.⁴ TechCrunch dubbed it “Slate Auto's Radically Simple Electric Truck,” emphasizing that the Bezos‑backed startup had boosted base range to 205 miles while holding the line on cost.⁴

Reviewers highlighted just how aggressively Slate stripped features to get there. The Verge noted the truck ships with “no touchscreen, stereo, or even speakers,” relying instead on a phone mount, plus manual crank windows and no advanced driver‑assist suite.² The company is betting that in a market where the average new vehicle is around $49,000, “price matters more than almost anything else.”²

Driving impressions and expectations

Hands‑on coverage suggested the low price doesn’t necessarily mean a crude experience. Ars Technica reported that Slate has “pulled a Disneyland,” exceeding its early promises by raising range to 205 miles, doubling tow rating to 2,000 pounds and slightly boosting payload.³ From the passenger seat, the pre‑production truck “doesn’t feel cheap,” with smooth acceleration and composed handling, even if its 0–60 mph time of about eight seconds is modest.³

Competing visions of value

Supporters see Slate as an antidote to “trimflation,” where ever‑larger screens and software bundles push vehicles out of reach.² The minimalist truck is also designed for customization, with a modular ecosystem of add‑ons that could appeal to DIY drivers.³

Skeptics, meanwhile, question whether U.S. buyers will accept manual windows and no stereo in 2026, and whether Slate can scale production and maintain its rock‑bottom price as it ramps up.³ The coming months will test whether radical simplicity is a niche experiment—or a blueprint for more affordable EVs.