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Slate Auto’s sub-$30,000 EV pickup is due next year (arstechnica.com)
submitted 1 week ago by artifex@piefed.social to c/electricvehicles@slrpnk.net
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I haven't been excited about a car in quite a while, and I'm definitely not a pickup truck fan. That said, I'm on the waiting list for Slate because:

  1. Minimal electronics and no call-home. Almost every other vehicle on the market today (including all EVs) have OTA telemetry and insane data collection policies. The Slate will use your phone connection (at your option) to download OTAs if needed
  2. Cheap for what you get. Assuming the quality is OK sub-$30K without rebates gets you decent range and NACS charging
  3. Highly customizable - get what you need, and nothing else

That said, it's a Bezos-backed automotive startup who hasn't delivered a product yet, so there is clearly a lot of potential downside here.

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[-] Nougat@fedia.io 2 points 1 week ago

WRT tow/haul capacity, you need to think of it along the same lines as the mini trucks that existed up until the 1990s. Yes, those capacities are still lower than, say, a 1992 Hilux, but the (short bed single cab 2WD) Hilux is ~900 lbs lighter than a base Slate. Payload capacity on the Slate is still just a couple hundred pounds less than that base Hilux. I'd bet that towing is more limited on the Slate because of it's "not really body on frame" construction, where the Hliux was traditional full frame.

[-] bluGill@fedia.io 1 points 1 week ago

The 1992 Hilux has 3x the towing capacity. Other small pickups of the era had even more capacity.

this post was submitted on 03 Sep 2025
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