U.S. Firm Introduces Bezos-Backed EV Pickup For The Masses

“We built it, you make it.”

Where Slate sets itself apart is in customization. I Photo: Slate

That’s the motto of Slate, a new U.S. electric vehicle company that just unveiled its debut model. The Michigan-based startup is backed by former Amazon executives, including, reportedly, Jeff Bezos’s family office, Pras Subramanian reported for Yahoo Finance.

Slate’s first vehicle is a bare-bones electric pickup with a footprint smaller than a Ford Maverick, priced in the mid-$20,000 range.

Available only in slate gray, the rear-wheel-drive truck comes with a choice of two battery sizes: a 52.7-kWh pack offering 150 miles of range, or an 84.3-kWh pack with 240 miles.

Where Slate sets itself apart is in customization. The base truck is minimalist, but customers can choose from a large catalog of custom parts, vinyl wraps, and even an optional SUV-style roof — all of which they install themselves.

Buyers can also opt to leave the truck as-is: a simple, affordable utility vehicle.

“The auto industry has abandoned the working class in America,” said Jeremy Snyder, Slate’s chief commercial officer. “What’s exciting and different about Slate is that we’re building cars for working-class America, in America, for Americans. It’s just something that’s been lost.”