08:26 23-12-2025

Slate Auto’s budget EV pickup draws 150,000 reservations despite price hike

Slate Auto’s budget EV pickup passes 150,000 reservations; price now $26-27K after credits lapse. No autopilot to cut costs. Production from late 2026.

Slate Auto reports strong demand for its budget-friendly electric pickup, with reservations surpassing 150,000. The company notes these reservations are fully refundable and non-transferable, and that the real conversion into purchases will only become clear closer to launch. The roadmap is bold: start production at the end of 2026, then ramp through 2027 to reach the target rate—those same 150,000 pickups per year—by year’s end.

That surge comes even as the EV market cools following cuts to incentives. Slate had aimed to keep the price near $20,000, a figure that relied on the $7,500 federal credit that expired on September 30. Now the company expects a sticker roughly in the $26,000–$27,000 range, which is why it is intentionally trimming complex, costly technology. The math drives the spec sheet.

The top question from would-be buyers was whether the Slate Truck would offer an autopilot or any advanced autonomy. CEO Chris Barman said the answer is no. It’s a pragmatic call: adding autonomous driving systems would sharply raise costs and erode the model’s main advantage—its low price.

People are already joking about the austere spec, noting that manual window winders will look odd in 2026–2027, yet that kind of simplicity keeps the budget in check. The tougher test will come in 2027, when a larger rival from Ford is expected—more expensive, but promising richer equipment.