Jeff Bezos' electric vehicle startup Slate Auto revealed a starting price of $24,950 for its new electric truck. That's roughly half the average cost of a new car in the United States.
Slate also increased the base model's range from 150 miles to around 205 miles. The company began taking pre-orders on Wednesday.
The pricing puts Slate in direct competition with the Chevrolet Bolt (around $29,000) and the Nissan Leaf (around $32,000). Ford is planning a $30,000 electric truck for 2027.
The truck is deliberately stripped down. Hand-crank windows, no infotainment system, and no paint options—everything ships in the same gray composite. Slate saves production costs by skipping factory paint, allowing buyers to customize with wraps instead.
The two-seater truck converts into a five-seater SUV (starting at $29,950) through a conversion that owners can perform themselves or have professionals handle. Slate released tutorial videos covering the conversion and other modifications like adding headlight covers.
Slate plans direct-to-consumer sales rather than using traditional dealerships. TechCrunch reported that used car platform Carvana received a warrant to purchase Slate shares, suggesting a potential partnership for distributing affordable EVs.
Mark Walter, CEO of Guggenheim Partners and a major Carvana shareholder, is a lead investor in Slate. Bezos is entering the EV market with aggressive pricing and direct distribution.
