Slate Auto’s sub-$20,000 price ticket for its electrical pickup could also be a sufferer of the Trump administration’s “Massive Lovely Invoice.”
The startup had pledged to launch an ultra-affordable EV truck “anticipated beneath $20,000 after federal incentives.” However that price ticket quietly disappeared from its web site on Thursday, as TechCrunch first reported. The explanation: The Trump administration’s newly handed spending bundle, which has now cleared each the Home and Senate, eliminates the federal tax credit that made such a value level potential.
Picture by: Slate
EVs have lengthy value greater than their gas-powered counterparts, primarily as a result of excessive value of lithium-ion batteries. Slate Auto—backed by Jeff Bezos—hoped to alter that with a radically minimalist method: promote a no-frills electrical truck as a “clean slate” and let prospects bolt on options as they go, like a life-sized Lego equipment.
To hit the sub-$20,000 goal value, the bottom mannequin was stripped all the way down to the necessities: a single grey coloration, two seats, a flatbed, a steering wheel and a easy gauge cluster displaying battery standing and charging data. All the pieces else—from paint choices and energy home windows to infotainment, cupholders and even audio system—would value further. Consumers may even convert the truck into an SUV or fastback utilizing bolt-on roof panels.
Slate hasn’t disclosed how a lot the add-ons will value or how excessive the ultimate value might climb. However the idea clearly resonated, with the corporate receiving over 100,000 reservations inside two weeks of unveiling the truck.
Falling battery costs and Slate’s naked bones method might nonetheless permit it to cost the automobile competitively. However with out the federal tax credit score, the corporate loses its strongest hook and faces a more durable pitch.
With Tesla and legacy automakers inching nearer to sub-$30,000 EVs that aren’t naked bones, Slate will now need to show how its stripped-down truck nonetheless is smart with out Uncle Sam’s assist.
Have a tip? Contact the writer: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
