It is electric, compact, essential in the interior and economical: the new model, wanted by the founder of Amazon, should cost around 27 thousand dollars. Its name is Slate Truck. There is also, as easily predictable, a challenge to Elon Musk at stake
Initially it simply seemed like a challenge between “technocapitalists” where Jeff Bezos – founder of Amazon – had decided to face Elon Musk even on the asphalt after the skirmishes over space rockets. And here is the rich financing of a start-up such as Slate with the aim of creating an electric, economical and essential pick-up that seems scientifically designed to annoy the Tesla Cybertruck, for some the coup de grace given the difficulties of Musk’s original model. It may be marketing, but it seems that in addition to the money, the idea for the project came from Bezos himself. It remains to be seen, after three years of development and testing last October, whether the new Slate Truck will become popular but the fact is that the company has announced that it has collected 150 thousand refundable reservations for its EV which is expected to arrive on the US market by the end of 2026. The figure was revealed in a Q&A video published by the company, in which CEO Chris Barman answers questions from reservation holders. Among the topics covered, the absence of plans for autonomous driving (“we don’t have any”) and the possibility of installing a child seat for children on the optional rear seats, with a positive response. Reservations, with a refundable $50 deposit, are an indicator of general interest, but not a guarantee of success. In recent years, several EV startups have boasted high booking numbers only to fail soon after, unable to start production or deliver vehicles.
A FACTORY IN INDIANA
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For Slate, however, the data is encouraging: the number continues to grow, with new bookings exceeding any cancellations. The US company had reached around 100,000 bookings in May 2025, shortly after the first images of the vehicle, and it took seven months to add 50,000 units. For this, Slate is renovating a factory in Warsaw, Indiana, with an expected capacity of 150,000 vehicles per year. These are evidently courageous choices at a time when, in addition to the problems of the Cybertruck, the production of the Ford F-150 Lightning has come to a halt, the first large battery-powered pickup on the American market. The model will be replaced by a version with a long-range petrol engine: Ford justified the decision with the lack of profitability, given that despite having the largest pick-up market in the world, it failed to sell more than a few thousand units per quarter.
bezos pickup: what it looks like
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The vision of Bezos and his followers is radically different. The model which for now does not have a precise name is surprisingly compact: with a total length of 4.43 metres, it is shorter than a Honda Civic Hatchback, not to mention the Ford Maverick, the pick-up par excellence, which exceeds 5 metres. But the rear bed still measures around 1.5 meters in length, a size comparable to that of many larger pick-ups and there is also a 198-litre front load compartment, useful for increasing overall capacity. Slate’s goal is to contain costs by offering a single configuration: single cab with two doors, two seats and only the slate gray color for the bodywork. To counterbalance the essentiality of the model, the company creates a vast range of accessories: ranging from small aesthetic customizations to integral films (wrap), up to a real “flat-pack” kit which includes additional airbags and transforms the pick-up into a five-seater SUV. There is also a rear hardtop that from afar resembles the profile of an old-style Range Rover.
ASSEMBLY kit
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All the Slate Truck accessories can be mounted independently (if you are good) or by professional installers. The cabin also follows the philosophy of “less is more“: there is no classic integrated infotainment system but a universal support for smartphones or tablets, with optional speakers as well. The air conditioning is entrusted to simple physical controls, and – it may make you smile in 2025 – to hinged windows. The range of engines is equally minimalist: there is a single rear electric motor of 201 HP and 400 Nm, with two battery sizes. The basic 52.7 kWh package guarantees 240 km of autonomy, while the “accessory” one of 84.3 kWh pushes the autonomy to 386 km. The acceleration 0-60 miles per hour (0-96 km/h) takes place in 8 seconds flat, and the maximum speed is self-limited to 145 km/h. The chassis part is based on the MacPherson strut front and De Dion type rear suspension, the rims are made of steel (standard), with 245/65 R17 tires on the front safety, automatic emergency braking and collision warning are standard while the SUV kit also includes airbags for rear passengers. The price aims to revolutionize the segment: 27 thousand dollars, approximately 23 thousand euros. It is not certain that in the end it will be enough for the success of Slate’s pick-up but the Bezos effect is working in the meantime.
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