GoKawiilSlate Auto launches sub-$25,000 electric pickup with hand-crank windows, 205-mile range
Slate Auto has introduced a compact two-door electric truck that strips away typical modern features, offering manual crank windows as standard and a small 65-kWh battery yielding roughly 205 miles of range. The base model costs under $25,000, far less than the average $50,000 new vehicle price in the US, though buyers can pay extra for upgrades like power windows, vinyl wraps, and a Bluetooth stereo.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Slate's bare-bones approach is a direct rebuttal to the EV industry's fixation on matching or beating gas vehicles on range and luxury features, a strategy that hasn't broadened EV adoption as hoped. Ford's cancellation of the electric F-150 Lightning after just four years, compounded by the rollback of federal EV incentives, shows the risk of betting on premium electric trucks; Slate is testing whether affordability and simplicity can succeed where that model failed.
- Slate's base truck costs under $25,000, roughly half the average new car price in the US
- The truck trades range (205 miles) and features (hand-crank windows) for a low price point
- Ford's discontinuation of the electric F-150 Lightning highlights struggles in the EV truck market amid reduced federal support
Anker Roav Bluetooth FM Transmitter Car Adapter — If a bare-bones truck like the Slate skips the Bluetooth stereo, this plug-in adapter adds wireless music and hands-free calling to any vehicle with a 12V outlet. It's the cheap, no-fuss upgrade that fits perfectly with a no-frills EV philosophy.
See Anker Roav Bluetooth FM Transmitter Car Adapter on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: technologyreview.com — Casey Crownhart, 2026-08-27
Published there as: “Is Slate Auto’s new electric truck the EV Americans need?”
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