Hyped or Hopeless? The Slate Truck’s Make-or-Break Moment

Issue #115

Happy Saturday!

Today, we’re talking about the latest billionaire-backed company to rock the automotive industry: Slate! The idea might be appealing, but will it work?

Market News

• The Chevy Silverado ZR2 is near perfect. Here's why. 

• How much would a 100% "made in USA" vehicle cost? This article tries to answer it. 

• Jaguar has no plans to build cars in the US, which is a big (risky) move. 

• Chinese cars will enter the US market. When? Here's what experts say.

• The Ford F-150 Lightning takes over from this vehicle in EV pickup sales. 

• The Nissan Sentra could soon be All-American. Here's why. 

• Mercedes' second most important car will be made in the US in a crucial move. 

• Stellantis delays this vehicle's production as it shuffles priorities. 

• After China and the US pause tariffs, Tesla restarts imports to China. 

• Ford cuts 350 jobs in hectic moves. 

Safety and Recalls

• Yet again, Ford announces another massive recall. This time, regarding braking on these SUVs. 

• Waymo recalls more vehicles after a crash. 

Car Culture

• This is one of the biggest junkyard lots in the US.

• These are the cheapest new muscle cars you can buy. 

• Which Dodge model is the most popular sports car in 45 US states? Here's the info you never thought you needed. 

• Finally, a Jaguar E-Type restomod that does the original proud. If only it could exist. 

• Toyota reveals a new name and face for its only EV in the US. 

• This icon of US automotive design has passed away at 93. 

• "Drive-by-wire" shouldn't be scary. Here's why. 

• Filming your car could destroy your phone if you drive a Volvo. Here's what we mean. 

• How one hero created a parts list for obscure cars

• Tesla made a shady move with its customers. Here’s why.

Video Of The Week

Chasing Victoria's Secret Lambo sounds like a country song. But it's a fascinating quest.

Power On The Go

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In The Know

Hyped or Hopeless? The Slate Truck’s Make-or-Break Moment

We've gone back in time, in a good way. We're reliving those crazy days when billionaires competed by creating rival car companies.

The latest endeavour is the Tesla-killing, Bezos-backed Slate company and its modern rendition of the Model T.

Don't lash out at me. I'm not saying the Slate Truck will be as crucial to the automotive industry as the Model T, but it follows the same simplicity premise.

Many believe that its bare-bones approach will make it a hit. At FWT, we're not so sure. 

Granted, the numbers are impressive. In 21 days, Slate announced 100,000 reservations.

Of course, the first comparison experts make is with the Cybertruck, which famously had 250,000 reservations in a similar period. Then, you remember what happened.

And if you don't, this article explains why we must take the 100,000 reservations with a grain of salt. 

So, why did 100,000 people put their names down for a Slate Truck? What's so special about it?

Nothing.

That's what makes this truck unique. It doesn't have power windows, a radio, or a touchscreen, but it does have simple A/C controls and a phone holder.

History repeats itself here, as the Slate Truck doesn't even come with paint. Instead, it's designed to be wrapped.

That's only the beginning of the customizations you can do to the car. 

Customization is the name of the game when it comes to the Slate Truck. We understand where it's coming from, as customization has become much more expensive.

So, we've lost the ability to have a car that stands above the rest without breaking the bank.

The Slate Truck promises kits to turn it into an SUV, add seats and airbags, and even change the rear end design. If this is true, it would be quite exciting.

A car you can tinker with and is mechanically simple? Sign us up!

That's not the only plus. In the current trade tensions, it's also essential to ensure that critical components such as batteries are available.

That's where Slate made a crucial move. The Slate Truck doesn't use the typical lithium-based batteries that have become a standard in the industry.

They're so common that they're cheaper. Instead, it uses a nickel-based battery, which is more expensive.

However (and it's a big BUT), these batteries come from the US and have already been scaled to production, which frees Slate from relying on China. You can read more about this great move here. 

We'd love to say that the Slate is a good option. But the truck isn't perfect.

No vehicle is, but the downsides to this rustic truck might outweigh the charm of "going back in time" to the 80s pickup scene.

It has a limited towing capacity. Plus, its range isn't much to write home about, with 150 miles of estimated range and the option to include a range extender (at a cost) to increase it to 200 miles.

It would be much more appealing if it had already come with the extender.  

Then, there's the big elephant in the room: pricing.

The Slate Truck's MSRP is $27,000, but the company promises it will cost less than $20,000.

How? With EV tax rebates.

However, using EV tax rebates could cause the plan to falter.

We don't know if EV tax rebates will last, or if they will be less (or more, but it's unlikely).

So, buyers can't rely on it costing less than $20,000 forever. At $27,000, it lands in the heart of tough competition, such as the Ford Maverick.

Granted, the Ford Maverick is already more expensive due to tariffs, but it can set you back around $30,000, which is appealing, and there's no range anxiety. 

That's where this article comes into play, and why it's so important.

The Slate Truck would revolutionize how we view cars if, amongst all the customization, we could buy a 4-cylinder engine.

What are your thoughts? In the meantime, if you want to learn more about hybrid pickup trucks for towing, you can read our article here!