Jeff Bezos challenges rival Elon Musk by unveiling a $27,000 electric truck
Jeff Bezos’ mystical EV maker, Slate, has unveiled its first model, a peel-off back pickup truck that will be sold for $27,000 ($20,000 after federal incentives).
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- The Slate EV pickup will be built in Indiana.
- The truck doesn’t include built-in infotainment, but you’ll notice that the price is low.
Lauren Gregory’s 7-year-old son James is the first question to speak volumes about what an electric truck is about slate pickups parked in the Moto gathering space in Ferndale, Michigan.
“When he came in, he said, ‘Where is the TV?'” Gregory said. “It’s very easy inside.”
Truck, the creation of a Jeff Bezos-backed electric vehicle startup with offices in Troy, Michigan, is not a typical pickup.
The version shown on June 29 was a prototype and is not ready for production, but potential customers of the model want to see it next year. Slate people said these additions are what the cost of the new car, the important complaints of many consumers, what the vehicle is designed to address, and what the price tag is expected to be at $20,000.
Unlike other people who spoke to the free press reporter who is part of the USA Today network, Gregory, 41, of Beverly Hills, has not had a $50 refundable reservation for the truck, but she is showing interest as she is charged for being highly customizable. In fact, the vehicle starts as a two-seater truck, but offers kits and sits in five seats. Options include square or fastback SUVs, outdoor or cargo.
Gregory said her son “loves the idea that it’s Mr. Potato Head.”
She noted that some consumers may think that handmade windows are “non-negotiable” but not Gregory.
“It feels like everything has done for us recently,” she said.
It was a review from many people, and I remembered some nostalgia of cars from past eras before electronics took over. One guy sounded really surprised that Crank was actually working on this model.
Craigwoods, 65, of Arendale, near Grand Rapids, ran specially from western Michigan, seeing and touching the two-seater truck. Woods reminded him of his old Ford Ranger, a smaller truck than today’s version of the road.
“I was always looking for a little pickup,” and I was looking for a “beast” rather than a “beast” like other available models,” Woods said. “Overall, the vehicle looks like it’s going to be a good, solid entry-level EV.”
Booked for $50 a few months ago, Woods is currently driving a rolling soul in a trailer to handle towing needs. If he could buy the slate, it would be his first EV and hit the price range that would make electricity attractive.
Woods said he wanted to do his part for the environment, but beyond that, he said he believes the EV represents a future direction of transport.
The rear-wheel-drive slate offers two battery options ranging from up to 150 or 240 miles. The vehicle will be built in Warsaw, Indiana, and the slate said it intends to sell directly to consumers.
The truck has a towing capacity of 1,000 pounds and is expected to have a cargo floor of 35.1 cubic feet and 5 feet long. According to the company, Frank (where the engine is normally located on non-electric vehicles) is 7 cubic feet.
The vehicle is basic grey with color customization through wrapping. The company said it has wrap kits starting from around $500.
The model on display on Sunday had blue wrap with orange yellow stripes, with several palm tree silhouettes.
Derek Okodnicki, 38, of Berkeley, is probably fine with stock colours (he loves grey). Michigan winter had been wondering about the longevity of rap.
He took his daughter, 2-year-old mites, and saw the slate. She loves cars, he pointed out. Ochodnicky, who likes “Mod Cars,” has shown that he’s looking at the SUV options as a future sibling who is expected to “probably not cut it.”
If the price ranges from $20,000 to $25,000, it will appeal to him.
However, the Ochodnicky was not sold in exposed bolts on the side of the vehicle. He said, “I’m interested in seeing what the fit and finish are when we reach production.”
Kylee Flake, a slate agent on the field, showed that the bolts would become visible.
Ochodnicky noted the challenges that some buyers could face.
“Part of me” wants a sophisticated vehicle, but Ochodnicky said he also likes the comfort of his creatures.
Eric D. Lawrence: Please contact elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Send a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.
