Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto unveils minimalist $24,950 electric truck

Slate Auto put a $24,950 price on its minimalist electric pickup and opened preorders June 24, betting a stripped-down truck can find buyers in a difficult electric-pickup market. Deliveries are expected to begin in late 2026, but the truck is still in preproduction and Slate says its specifications and availability can change.

The company built the Blank Slate around subtraction. Early coverage described manual windows and no main infotainment screen, and Slate’s own materials frame the vehicle as a two-door electric pickup that can be turned into an SUV with modular accessories and wraps. Slate says buyers will order direct rather than through a dealership network, then finalize design choices and accessories as their delivery window approaches. The truck is also pitched as easy to charge at home or on the road, with support for a standard wall outlet, a dryer outlet and Tesla Superchargers, and Slate lists a 205-mile range for the base version. Chris Barman, Slate’s chief executive, said, “The definition of what’s affordable is broken.”

That pitch is designed to answer a real barrier for working-class buyers and fleets: the entry price is low, the buying process is direct, and the truck is meant to be customized only as needs change. Slate’s preorder system requires a deposit that counts toward the final purchase price, and the company says customers will later be invited to lock in accessories before buying, rather than paying upfront for equipment they may never use.

The bigger test is whether that simplicity scales beyond curiosity. Slate said in April 2026 that it had raised $650 million in Series C funding, and company figures cited in coverage put reservations above 160,000. For a startup trying to sell an inexpensive electric pickup, that is strong early demand, but it is also a reminder that the truck is still only an idea in motion until the first deliveries arrive and buyers decide whether the missing comforts feel like discipline or deprivation.