Modular. Simple. Female-Led.
If you don’t know, I drive a 2013 single cab short bed Tacoma. It is basically a base Slate, with roll-down windows, manual locks, and not a single frill. No bluetooth, though it does have a radio. No maps. No cameras.
I LOVE IT.
I don’t need any of that, I don’t drive that often, and I love the simplicity of my truck.
So it makes sense that I’d be obsessed with the new car company out of Michigan, helmed by a woman, that is making no-frills, made-to-order trucks that can be modularly turned into SUVs or SUV hatchbacks (but only two doors, for now).
And at a $20K price point at that*. For comparison, my Tacoma is worth about $18K at 13 years old.
Predictably, there’s a wave of Cybertruck backlash that has tech bros heralding this brand’s future, and then there’s the criticism even of that excitement around the Slate being *too* basic for the price point even when customized. I don’t agree, but I don’t really care either; I think it’s awesome.
My biggest holdup/complaint/concern with EVs is the range, and Slate isn’t the best in this regard with a short range of just 150 miles. I would not consider it a family car or a road trip car (a la my beloved Highlander).
However in the use case of me and comparing a Slate to my Tacoma, this wouldn’t matter – the Tacoma could technically get further (21 gal/call it 17 miles/gal, we’ve got 350 miles) but I don’t want to drive it that far. So as a daily driver, they’re apples to apples, and I can charge the Slate at home.
It’s not coming out until 2027, so there’s time to noodle the pros and cons. But I love the concept. AND I love the innovation – the willingness to change the status quo or push back on what consumers want or what the car industry has been delivering.
*retail looks like $27K right now but they are assuming there will be federal incentives