Slate truck

I reserved a Slate truck on May 11, 2025. Why. I have bought into their story. New vehicles are expensive. And they've become so packed with features; it often seems so they can be on the marketing materials. I don't want ChatGPT in my car or truck. I don't need my truck to feel nicer than my living room. I just want a basic vehicle. Something I can depend on. And I want an BEV. I am done with gas vehicles. The maintenance is almost non-existent with BEVs. It is so nice to have a full "tank" in the morning.

I'm not certain I'm ok with how basic their truck is. Will I be ok with using my phone or tablet for music? Having a standard cab might be too limiting. Although, having a frunk will probably be more useful than an extended cab given it's locked and out of sight. I had a truck for about 4 years until last fall; a 1990 Ford F-150 extended cab with a six-foot bed. Having an open place to transport things is great, but I don't need it all or even most of the time. I didn't need a truck that big most of the time. I do think the right-sized truck is more useful than an SUV.

I do like a lot of the features they are advertising. The body panels are composite and are planned to only be available in the "natural" gray. The truck is designed to be wrapped, and they plan to sell wrap kits. Since they won't offer any color options, they won't have a paint shop. That should simplify manufacturing and lower costs. They plan to offer one model and two battery sizes. They plan to offer kits to turn it into an SUV, closed cargo area, etc. They also plan to allow owners to fix issues themselves. They also have indicated that they want owners to make their own mods. This all sounds great to me. It looks like a well thought out basic vehicle.

Do I expect I'll actually buy one. I'm not sure. When will mine be ready? They say production will start late 2026. Even if they start then, I doubt they'll be ramped up then. I'm guessing prodcution rates will be pretty low at that time. I would guess I wouldn't get one until mid-2027 at the earliest. That is two years from now. A lot can change. How similar will it be to what they are promising now? How much will it cost then? I'm excited to see it.