I Took a Quick Spin in the Slate Truck—Here’s Why It Didn’t Win Me Over

The Slate Auto two-door electric pickup truck has been one of the most buzzed-about new vehicles of the past year, emerging seemingly out of nowhere from a partially Bezos-backed startup.

After its April 2025 reveal, Slate initially teased a starting price “under $20,000” with the federal EV tax credit applied, but the landscape shifted dramatically.

The $7,500 incentive is now gone, and on Wednesday, Slate finally confirmed the truck’s real starting price: $24,950 before destination and delivery fees, pushing the base cost closer to $26,500—or potentially higher.

The automaker also opened pre-orders, with reservation holders able to configure their trucks and receive estimated delivery dates.

Within hours of the configurator going live, Slate announced over 180,000 reservations, including 10,000 pre-orders placed in the first few hours. At a media event in California, I got a brief but revealing first drive in a late-stage prototype.

The truck’s design is bold and customization options are extensive, but the short test revealed several red flags.

The step-in is awkward due to a tall side sill and low floor, though the cabin is spacious and the seating comfortable. Visibility is excellent thanks to a long hood and high seating position.

Under the hood, the rear-axle motor now produces 181 horsepower (down from the initial 201-HP claim) and 195 lb-ft of torque, unchanged. Towing capacity has doubled to 2,000 pounds. Acceleration felt adequate for LA traffic, with Slate claiming a 0–60 mph time of 8 seconds. Regenerative braking is set to one-pedal mode only, which worked smoothly in testing.

However, the battery strategy has shifted: the production truck will only offer a single 63-kWh pack (down from the previously proposed 52.7 kWh and 84.3 kWh options), delivering an estimated 205 miles of range—far below the 240 miles once promised with the larger battery.

There’s no heat pump, and DC fast charging tops out at 150 kW, adding about 125 miles in 30 minutes from 20 to 80%. Level 2 charging takes 4–8 hours.

The suspension uses MacPherson struts up front and a De Dion axle in the rear—a cost-effective choice borrowed from electric G-Wagen architecture. Ride quality was decent on smooth roads but became choppy over rough pavement.

The biggest letdown was noise: wind roar at the A-pillars was intrusive even at 40 mph, and overall cabin acoustics felt unrefined for a modern EV.

While the Slate’s design and customization are strong suits, the prototype’s rough edges—especially in noise, range, and pricing—left a sour taste.

With reservations now flooding in, the real test will be whether Slate can iron out these issues before deliveries begin later this year.