Slate expects its no-frills electric truck to start hitting US roads in a few short months.
In emails viewed by Business Insider, the startup asked customers who placed a $300 preorder whether they would be interested in an earlier delivery window. A dropdown menu listed “December 2026” as an option.
It’s the clearest picture yet of when Slate expects to make its first deliveries. It also lines up with the company’s previous guidance, which said the EV trucks would hit US roads in “late 2026,” without naming a month.
It doesn’t mean that all customers who opt for early delivery will get their cars in December. The emails all included a “delivery window” estimating when the cars would ship if they don’t nab the December slots. Emails reviewed by Business Insider had estimated ranges from “coming soon, 2027” to “July-September, 2027.”
The Jeff Bezos-backed startup has attracted attention with its bare-bones, $24,950 electric pickup truck. Its base model is gray, has an estimated 205-mile range, gets two seats and crank windows, and comes without a touchscreen or stereo. From there, customers can add features they want, including everything from exterior color wraps and Bluetooth speaker holders to an SUV kit with a second row.
The entire pitch puts Slate in a unique position in the US auto industry. Car makers have increasingly chased high-budget shoppers, helping push the average transaction price for a new car to $49,855 in July, according to Cox Automotive. Small trucks, especially two-door models, are nearly extinct in the US market, too.
Slate says over 180,000 people paid a refundable $50 deposit to hold their spot in a delivery queue. The company opened $300 nonrefundable preorders in June, and said it received over 10,000 deposits in the first few hours after the price was revealed.
Slate’s forthcoming rival, the $28,350, all-electric Ford Fathom pickup, will be a big test. For a few thousand more dollars, Ford’s new truck will have a native Apple Maps navigation system, four doors, and, likely, power windows. Fathom is expected to reach customers in Fall 2027.
In July, anticipating the coming affordable electric-truck war, I drove a preproduction Slate to see how its bare-bones approach holds up on the road. Watch the video below for my first impressions.
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