American EV truck/SUV under $20k

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asicer

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asicer
OK, so it's actually $27k-ish before the federal credit and there's a bit of DIY to it, but still...

 
OK, after watching the videos, I really like the concept: A bare-bones vehicle where practically nothing is included, with a gazillion individual options/accessories that you can order and either have installed or install yourself. The possibilities are endless... And I think you can probably make it a little better looking.

In any case, could be a useful/nifty vehicle for the right buyer. I don't think they'll sell a ton of them, but I do hope they make it.
 
Owned by former Amazon execs with a healthy backing by Bezos.
 
Love the concept and I think it probably has a lot of utility for local tradesmen in a reasonably metro area (given the ~150 mile range), replacing the increasingly worn-out small trucks they've been using. With 1000lb towing, it's good enough for lawnmowers and maybe a motorcycle. Certainly not aimed at the folks who live in the countryside, towing boats and horse-trailers. An awesome little truck for the Home Depot crowd who just need a couple bags of mulch or some plywood.

I would have preferred to see this done as a gas or hybrid model as I think a full electric model is going to be hampered by infrastructure and inevitable range anxiety (mitigated somewhat, I understand, by an optional additional battery). There's still a strong appetite for small trucks, as evidenced by the continuing popularity of the Ford Maverick despite an ever-increasing price-tag. In a gas or hybrid model, I'd buy this in a heartbeat. Pure electric gives me pause, but I absolutely love how they're giving the middle-finger to every car company trying to jam more and more mandatory (and subscription, in the most egregious cases) crap into their models.

Backing by one of the richest men on the planet probably doesn't hurt. I'll be interested to see how this develops. I genuinely hope it succeeds and starts a more minimalist, small truck movement.
 
I'd be curious to see what the price tag is after the amount of upgrades the normal person would require.

I think Americans are way more likely to finance a 75k car that has everything on it already.

Also he looked a little cramped sitting in that front seat.
 
I like the concept but plain looking, no extended cab and limited towing, it’s a no go for me. If I just needed a simple truck, I could just buy an old Ford Ranger for half the cost and more utility. For the SUV, by the time you add all that stuff, you won’t be at $27K anymore. It’ll be mid $30K. Now you’re Equinox EV territory but yet far less comfortable / capable. Charging speeds are less than my 8 yr old Tesla and half the range. Oh and not everyone qualifies for EV tax incentives.
 
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The fit and finish is pretty sad. The concept has merit but without a subsidy I'm not sure they would do very well ...
 
FastEddieB said:
We just put a $50 deposit down on one! It will be Karen’s - she says it reminds her of a Chevy Luv pickup she had back in the day!
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Sac Arrow said:
I had one of those!

I kind of wish I still had it.
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had one too, a 1979 model I believe...and I agree...sort of

after my experience with it...and after it one of those original Datsun King Cab truck, I swore to myself I'd never have another small compact pickup. Not quite so bad with the king cab, but nearly....With the Luv, If I wanted to bring along anything with me that needed to ride in the cab... a backpack for school, a shotgun to go hunting, or even winter coat that I wanted to keep dry.... Anything at all would turn it into a one person vehicle.

I do remember liking the simplicity of that chevy luv... and that little 2WD Isuzu truck had a limited slip rear diff, and was light enough that I could take it nearly anywhere. I went places that would stick a 4x4

I do think that there could be a market for a very basic simple truck. I'm not sure about 150 mile range though. I recon that a small gasser with manual tranny, manual windows, etc. might be a bit better
 
how many people bought a Yugo? A cheap bare-bones vehicle for the masses.

I thought we were all supposed to have EV VTOL aircraft in the next 5 years, you saying I still need a truck? that doesn't look like it will carry a sheet of plywood?
 
pfarber said:
you saying I still need a truck? that doesn't look like it will carry a sheet of plywood?
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With a minimum bed width of 50 inches and a tailgate-down length of 82 inches, it should haul sheets of plywood just fine.

I genuinely believe there is a market for a smaller, more basic truck. I think the popularity of the Ford Maverick bears this out, even with the inevitable price increases. The trend of massive pick-ups with a 6ft hood height topping a massively oversized grille, seating for six, every possible creature comfort, and a truck bed that is an afterthought (way too high to easily access, small compared to the massive overall truck size) has surely reached its zenith.

I owned a couple of the 90's era Ford Rangers back in the day, and I'd buy a new version of one of those in a heartbeat. Somehow Ford did bring back the Ranger, but made the damned thing the size of what the F-150 was before it was turned into the current emotional support truck behemoth. I'm not sure who or why it was felt to be a good idea to have truck bed sides be five feet in the air, and the tail-gate to get its own step, but it's not conducive to grabbing stuff out of the truck (all that "hard-working all-American construction-rancher-cowboy worker advertising notwithstanding).

As I said, I'd prefer it to be an ICE engine, or at least a hybrid. Not a fan of EV right now and won't be until we do better with battery chemistry, but I'll cheer on any effort to bring smaller, more reasonable vehicles back to our roads. Or at least legalize kei-cars!
 
AvNavCom said:
The trend of massive pick-ups with a 6ft hood height topping a massively oversized grille, seating for six, every possible creature comfort, and a truck bed that is an afterthought (way too high to easily access, small compared to the massive overall truck size) has surely reached its zenith.
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You guys may recall that Karen and I bought a used Toyota Tundra in January of last year. It replaced the 2011 Ford Flex in the background primarily to tow our 21’ travel trailer after the Flex started developing major transmission problems and other minor maintenance issues.

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We went with the Tundra due to Toyota reliability* and to future-proof in case we later end up towing something heavier. Ours is an SR5, which is pretty much the base model and we suspect it was a fleet vehicle. No regrets, but damn if it isn’t HUGE! I think if we had it to do over again, we might have downsized just a bit to a Tacoma, which is now about as big and powerful as Tundras were not so long ago.

The Slate, of course, will fill a completely different niche, primarily as an in-town knockabout. And maybe just a fun, customizable “toy”. Fourth quarter 2026 is a long way off, and a lot can change between now and then. Still enamored by the concept, however.


*So far, the Tundra has been quite reliable, and has only needed a brake job as unscheduled maintenance. As a bonus, a few months ago, at 59,000 miles, we got a brand new “crate motor”. Not because anything was wrong, but as part of a huge Tundra recall due to machining debris in the manufacturing process possibly finding its way to the main bearings and causing a catastrophic failure. Plan right now is to keep it for at least a few years, until the EV truck market matures enough to make towing cross county more practicable than it is right now.
 
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FastEddieB said:
We went with the Tundra due to Toyota reliability* and to future-proof in case we later end up towing something heavier.
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Absolutely. Horses for courses, and all that. If you're towing big stuff, you need more power than a little truck can provide. Absolutely no intent to rain on anyone else's parade. I'd just prefer to not have ONLY giant, crew-cab trucks available. I've been eyeing a Maverick and may end up pulling the trigger on one of those. I have certainly looked at the Tacoma; I just wish Toyota would do a little better job with the gas mileage somehow.
 
Brad W said:
had one too, a 1979 model I believe...and I agree...sort of

after my experience with it...and after it one of those original Datsun King Cab truck, I swore to myself I'd never have another small compact pickup. Not quite so bad with the king cab, but nearly....With the Luv, If I wanted to bring along anything with me that needed to ride in the cab... a backpack for school, a shotgun to go hunting, or even winter coat that I wanted to keep dry.... Anything at all would turn it into a one person vehicle.

I do remember liking the simplicity of that chevy luv... and that little 2WD Isuzu truck had a limited slip rear diff, and was light enough that I could take it nearly anywhere. I went places that would stick a 4x4

I do think that there could be a market for a very basic simple truck. I'm not sure about 150 mile range though. I recon that a small gasser with manual tranny, manual windows, etc. might be a bit better
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I had a '77 model with a manual transmission. It was pretty much all of that. I had it when I lived in the Mojave Desert, and I spent a lot of time out on dirt desert and mountain roads where it shined. It could pretty much go anywhere despite being 2WD. But you're right. It was a short range vehicle. It was geared low, and it didn't like freeway speeds. I took a road trip to San Diego with it once, and it really was not very happy.
 
pfarber said:
how many people bought a Yugo? A cheap bare-bones vehicle for the masses.

I thought we were all supposed to have EV VTOL aircraft in the next 5 years, you saying I still need a truck? that doesn't look like it will carry a sheet of plywood?
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We had a Yugo. My parents considered it the backup vehicle when others were in the shop, this was in the late 80s when cars were not as reliable as today. It was the fifth vehicle with four drivers. When I was in HS, we had the perfect storm and for one week, the Yugo was the only working car. :D

I also got out of a speeding ticket doing 90 MPH with four of us in the Yugo. The judge did not believe the cop that the Yugo could go that fast, and suspected the radar gun was out of calibration. So the judge not only threw out my ticket, but all tickets from that cop in court that day.

Tim
 
It keeps getting compared to the Maverick but don’t think it’s even close. You can save some money if you fall into the tax credit category but I’ll still take the extra features of the Maverick. Excellent MPG, extended cab, better acceleration, better towing and way more interior features like an actual infotainment screen. Using my phone or iPad for an infotainment display is ghetto. Even my Ford Sync on my Lincoln would be better than that. I’d have to bring my own speakers as well.

 
Velocity173 said:
It keeps getting compared to the Maverick but don’t think it’s even close. You can save some money if you fall into the tax credit category but I’ll still take the extra features of the Maverick. Excellent MPG, extended cab, better acceleration, better towing and way more interior features like an actual infotainment screen. Using my phone or iPad for an infotainment display is ghetto. Even my Ford Sync on my Lincoln would be better than that. I’d have to bring my own speakers as well.

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Can you get Mavericks now? I thought they had a hit with it until the dealer effed everyone and they were suddenly all 40k trucks again vs mid 20's.

Just checked and there are some available for 25k now. Good to see.
 
Velocity173 said:
Using my phone or iPad for an infotainment display is ghetto.
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Amusingly, my reaction was exactly the opposite. I was surprised at first. Then I realized that all I use the system in my car for is to display information piped from my phone. Give me a proper mount for my phone and a few grand off the sticker price and I think I'm fine with getting rid of the built in.
 
MIFlyer said:
Can you get Mavericks now? I thought they had a hit with it until the dealer effed everyone and they were suddenly all 40k trucks again vs mid 20's.

Just checked and there are some available for 25k now. Good to see.
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Yep I’ve got several at my local dealer. Anywhere from a bare bones $28K truck to mid 30s.
 
172andyou said:
Amusingly, my reaction was exactly the opposite. I was surprised at first. Then I realized that all I use the system in my car for is to display information piped from my phone. Give me a proper mount for my phone and a few grand off the sticker price and I think I'm fine with getting rid of the built in.
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To each his own but just like aviation, I’m one who likes things built into the panel. Don’t like iPads on my leg or suctioned to the window. It’s like trying to make up for a poorly equipped aircraft / vehicle.
 
I like the concept, but I don't think it would make much of a dent in the American truck market. First, very few people want a regular cab anymore. It needs to be more of an extended cab design so you can at least toss some groceries/tools/pets in the back on a trip into town. Second, 1,000lbs towing is absurdly low. Need to at least double it, but 3,000 would be a better spec. At least be able to tow a double jet-ski trailer or a typical 5x8 trailer with a 2K load. Finally, I can appreciate a minimum spec build, but most people will at least want power windows/locks and a simple AM/FM stereo that does CarPlay/Android Auto. Right now, a Ford Maverick or Ford Ranger hits that low-mid-$30K price point and has infinitely more utility and value/quality.
 
Velocity173 said:
To each his own but just like aviation, I’m one who likes things built into the panel. Don’t like iPads on my leg or suctioned to the window. It’s like trying to make up for a poorly equipped aircraft / vehicle.
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Yep, different strokes. I'm all for diversity in the market. If you want built ins, you can by a Ford Lightning. I absolutely hate spending big money on depreciating assets, so would be very happy if it turns out Slate proves there is a market for cheaper vehicles.
 
Why must it look so cheap? Is style really that expensive? Even Hyundai and Kia have learned how to make their cheap cars at least not look it.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
I really like the concept: A bare-bones vehicle where practically nothing is included, with a gazillion individual options/accessories that you can order and either have installed or install yourself.
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Jeep did well with that model.
pfarber said:
how many people bought a Yugo? A cheap bare-bones vehicle for the masses.
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I think the Yugo's big problem was the poor quality. We tried to take one for a test drive once back in the day. The brand new cars on the dealer's lot were already rusting, and the one the salesman got for us to drive broke down before we even left the lot. We told him not to bother getting us another one.
 
midwestpa24 said:
Why must it look so cheap? Is style really that expensive? Even Hyundai and Kia have learned how to make their cheap cars at least not look it.
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The cheap hyundai pickup truck seems to start in the mid 30's on an ICE. So it would be more than that as an EV.

Slate seems to be taking the "squeeze every penny" approach. Maybe there is a market for it, maybe there isn't. But it seems like it's similar to the hiking community "ounces make pounds" philosophy. "Pennies make dollars".
 
Looks like the interior is about a little bigger than my 150. Not enough range would prefer it if it was a hybrid.
 
frfly172 said:
Not enough range would prefer it if it was a hybrid.
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We could make the 240 mile version work. We wouldn't be using it for cross countries as a rule, but it's about 100 miles between our 2 homes and making that trip with a good reserve is essential.
 
midwestpa24 said:
Why must it look so cheap? Is style really that expensive? Even Hyundai and Kia have learned how to make their cheap cars at least not look it.
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I haven't seen too much about it yet but my understanding is that the body panels are all injection molded parts and can be customized with wraps. Supposed to be a lot of customization options.
 
AvNavCom said:
tailgate-down length of 82 inches
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LOL NO. If you use that new math then you can strap a 12ft sheet to the roof and it 'fits'.

My Grand Caravan and hold 4x8s with the rear gate closed.

The definition on 'truck' has lost all meaning w/r/t utility. To lower the price they had to use 5.5 and 6.5 beds... most 8ft beds are special order.

As for the Slate not even having power windows or a radio.... that's complete BS. A window motor is a few dollars. At the OEM level if two power windows costs more than $30 total I would not believe it. Since there is no pricing (I didn't create an account) on the web site, only options, how can anyone make and informed decision about the value of the vehicle.

If anything this looks like a VC pump and dump.
 
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Velocity173 said:
To each his own but just like aviation, I’m one who likes things built into the panel.
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Don't fly pure-VFR machines very much? :)
frfly172 said:
Looks like the interior is about a little bigger than my 150.
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It's supposedly bigger than a 1985 Toyota Pickup.
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midwestpa24 said:
Why must it look so cheap?
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By using injection molded plastic, they save a bunch of factory floor space on steel stamping equipment. By dyeing the plastic, they claim to save hundreds of $millions on building out a paint shop. The wraps are supposed to be in the $500 range, which is half what you'd pay to get a Tesla that isn't gray and a quarter if the Tesla isn't blue or white.
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pfarber said:
As for the Slate not even having power windows or a radio.... that's complete BS. A window motor is a few dollars. At the OEM level if two power windows costs more than $30 total I would not believe it.
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Actually, they're not "options". They're "accessories". Apparently, they're also taking an open-source approach to the accessories by publishing dimensions and specifications to allow you to get that $3 motor and fabricate your own power windows. Or radio.
 
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asicer said:
By using injection molded plastic, they save a bunch of factory floor space on steel stamping equipment. By dyeing the plastic, they claim to save hundreds of $millions on building out a paint shop.
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My 2003 Buell has Injection molded plastic body pieces. They look as good now as they did 22 years ago.

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As an added benefit, when they do get scuffed, the color goes all the way through. If nothing else, in the Slate it should make body repairs quite simple - just replace one damaged plastic body panel with a new one.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I like the concept, but I don't think it would make much of a dent in the American truck market. First, very few people want a regular cab anymore. It needs to be more of an extended cab design so you can at least toss some groceries/tools/pets in the back on a trip into town. Second, 1,000lbs towing is absurdly low. Need to at least double it, but 3,000 would be a better spec. At least be able to tow a double jet-ski trailer or a typical 5x8 trailer with a 2K load. Finally, I can appreciate a minimum spec build, but most people will at least want power windows/locks and a simple AM/FM stereo that does CarPlay/Android Auto. Right now, a Ford Maverick or Ford Ranger hits that low-mid-$30K price point and has infinitely more utility and value/quality.
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Maverick EV comes out in 2027 as well. If they can get cost sub $40K, AWD, extended cab, 4K towing and mid 200s in range, that would be on my short list.
 
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SoonerAviator said:
I like the concept, but I don't think it would make much of a dent in the American truck market. First, very few people want a regular cab anymore. It needs to be more of an extended cab design so you can at least toss some groceries/tools/pets in the back on a trip into town.
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Isn't that what the frunk is for? (ok, the pet is a solid "maybe")
 
wait if you need extended cab to hold the critters and the food what's the point of the actual bed on the truck? Just buy an SUV and stop lying to yourself. A $200 hitch and an $800 trailer solves everything a truck can for $49,000 less
 
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