There is a new American carmaker on the block, and aims to be a very neglected segment of The market for electric cars. EV starts today, debuting the new slate truck with an extremely affordable starting price of $ 25,000. To hit that brand, the Slate took off everyone, except for the bare necessities for secure electric driving. We are talking windows by hand, but also a blank itch that is very adjustable-so adjustable, in fact, what the pickup can turn into a SUV with a flat packet kit.
Michigan -based startup startup start works in secret For several years, attracting funds from Amazon Effef Effef Bezos and many other wealthy investors. (Amazon of Bezos was also instrumental in the launch of Rivian with Early investment of $ 700 million in the then carmaker.) In a world where most EV startups with expensive models of leaders Before reducing the cheaper additions, the approach of the weak up, the low cost of launching his brand is a novel, and given the current uncertainty about Inflation, tariffs And the increased price of goods, perhaps timely.
Only a little boy
The slate truck is surprisingly small. Only 174.6 inches from bumper to bumper with a wheelbase of 108.9 inches, the little EV is full of 21 inches shorter than Hyundai Santa Cruz and 25 inches shorter than Ford is MaverickCurrently the smallest pickup trucks you can buy in the United States. Of course, these are a four -door crew pickup with rear seats, while the state's pickup is a two -seater with one cab (at least in its standard configuration).
Despite the lower growth, the standard bed of 5 meters on the slate is longer than 4.5 feet of Ford and Hyundai's 4-foot. Plus, EV has a storage space with 7 cubic meters below the lid. With up to £ 1,433 on the load, the small truck is in the ball of other compact pickups and should make a decent escape for errors that include small transportation. However, its £ 1,000 traction capacity is significantly lower than his combustion competitors.
Minimum, adjustable
The small size is part of how Daddish expects to keep the price of the truck “below $ 20,000 after federal incentives”, but the brand's minimum access to features, Bellvona and gigs, is most of how it retains low costs. For beginners, EV looks like only one color – flat gray – and clients are encouraged to wrap itch with cable in any color or vibrant crunches of their fancy. The basic 17-inch steel wheels fill the bows on the truck wheel, and the body panels have exposed hardware.
The interior of the Spartan uses your phone for the infotagement and your muscle power to lift the windows.
Inside, instead of the massive touch screens found in most modern cars, the slave truck has a basic digital instrument cluster and a universal USB power -powered phone. The idea is that most drivers will use their phones for navigation, calls and media anyway, so why spend money on a large screen? Drivers who prefer a larger navigation screen can decide to install a dedicated tablet.
It is not totally low technology. In the slate truck there will be features to help and safety the driver, such as active braking urgent braking and warning for a collision for ahead when starting, but zooming in the photos I also spy on hand -twisted windows. This is the dedicated slate to bare bones, basic transportation and storage of the cost of his low electric truck. The newborn carmaker says it will offer over 100 accessories, bundles and options at the place of purchase (or as sales accessories) to allow owners to customize their truck sheet to meet their needs or style.
DIY SUV kit
Perhaps the most interesting accessory is the SUV kit that allows owners to transform the pickup with two places into a five -seat SUV. Arriving flat packed as Ikea furniture, the SUV kit can be installed in a service center, a trusted mechanic, or in your track as a DIY project, adding a cage to the rear passenger, airbags and of course rear seats.
I wonder how quickly the conversion can be done. If it is fast, being able to turn over between the two configurations depending on the needs of the week – pickup for holiday homes and SUV for hitting the city with a family – sounds very intriguing.
A modest performance
The modest size pickup will be equipped with an equally modest electric drive, sporty numbers that are not super impressive on paper, but which should be more than appropriate for the basic needs of many drivers.
A 150 kW (201 horsepower) engine turns the rear wheels with a 195 -pound torque. The 8-second truck estimated from 0-to-60 km / h and a top speed of 90 km / h means that it will not be a neck-gauge, but should provide decent travel and running performance.
EV will be powered by a standard 52.7 kW battery, which can last up to 150 miles between replenishment. Slate will also offer an 84.3 kWh battery that aims to have 240 miles. The brand designation of a larger battery as a “plugin” seems to be replaced or upgraded post-purchase, which is a very interesting suggestion, if true.
The slave truck makes many sacrifices to reach its low price. Even so, I'm very tempted to set up a $ 50 deposit to one.
When it is time to fill, users will engage in the slate truck NACS charging port In about five hours with a 11kW level. This is trying to add about 90 to 140 miles in half an hour, which is not the fastest Charging of EV in the world, but I also do not think that Slate expects most owners to travel through cross-country in its Spartan pickup.
The cheapest e -in America
Slate says it will build a slave truck here in the United States in a re -industrialized plant, probably near Indianapolis, Indiana. Prices are not finalized, but the car manufacturer expects the price to start somewhere in the $ 25,000 Balpark up to $ 7,500 in federal tax incentives, making it the most Available New EV in AmericaIf true. Sales of direct consumption is open online today at Auto with a $ 50 deposit.