Official Slate image of the 2027 Slate Truck used for the company's preorder pricing announcement

news June 25, 2026

Slate Opens Truck Preorders at $24,950, and the Specs Just Got More Serious

Slate has opened preorders for its minimalist electric truck at $24,950, with a 205-mile estimated range, 2,000-lb towing target, 1,550-lb payload rating, and Q4 2026 delivery plan.

By Marcus Holloway

Slate has finally put a real number on its cheap electric truck: $24,950 before destination charges, taxes, fees, and options.

That price is not the old sub-$20,000-after-incentives dream. It is still a startling number in a market where most electric pickups have been priced like luxury vehicles wearing work boots. Slate also used the June 24 preorder launch to update several key specs, and those changes make the truck look more usable than the early pitch did.

According to Slate, preorders are now open with a $300 non-refundable deposit, or $250 more for customers who already placed a $50 reservation. First deliveries are expected in Q4 2026.

What Slate Announced

Slate says the base Blank Slate Truck will start at $24,950 and be sold direct to consumers. Buyers can order it as a pickup, order one of two SUV versions, or convert the vehicle after purchase with a kit. The Squareback and Fastback SUV versions start at $29,950.

The more important update is capability.

Slate now lists an estimated 205-mile range for the pickup, up 37 percent from the 150-mile figure it used earlier in the reveal cycle. The truck uses a 65-kWh LFP battery pack, with 63 kWh usable, a single rear motor, rear-wheel drive, and an 11-kW onboard charger. DC fast charging is listed at up to 120 kW, with a 20-to-80-percent charge target of 30 minutes.

The work numbers moved up too. Slate now claims 1,550 lb. of maximum payload for the pickup and 2,000 lb. of maximum towing. Those are still compact-truck numbers, not full-size pickup numbers, but they are more convincing for the local-utility role Slate is chasing.

Official Slate image of the 2027 Slate Truck

Slate now says the Blank Slate Truck starts at $24,950 before destination, fees, taxes, and optional equipment.

Why the $24,950 Price Still Matters

Slate’s whole argument is that affordable vehicles require visible trade-offs. This is not a screen-heavy lifestyle truck pretending to be inexpensive. It is intentionally basic: tactile controls, no standard touchscreen, no conventional paint strategy, and a marketplace full of accessories buyers can add when they actually need them.

That approach will not charm everyone. A lot of shoppers will see manual simplicity and missing standard features as deal-breakers, especially once destination charges, accessories, financing, and registration costs enter the picture.

But the base price matters because it gives the electric-truck market a reference point it has badly needed. Ford, Rivian, GM, Ram, and Tesla have all shown how expensive electric pickups can become when big batteries, high power, and premium interiors stack up. Slate is asking the opposite question: how much truck do many buyers really need if the price finally comes back down to earth?

The answer may be “not enough” for families, long-distance drivers, and anyone who needs a conventional dealer experience. For small businesses, commuters, campuses, local delivery work, and buyers who want a simple second vehicle, the pitch is much more interesting.

The Fine Print Is Important

Slate is careful to call the truck preproduction, and it says the specs are manufacturer estimates subject to change. The 205-mile range figure is based on an approximation of the EPA test cycle, not an official EPA rating. Pricing also excludes destination charges, taxes, title, registration, documentation fees, government fees, and optional equipment.

That means nobody should treat the $24,950 number as an out-the-door price.

The accessories are the other variable. Slate says it will offer more than 200 accessories, with more than 80 percent priced under $500, plus more than 100 wrap colours at launch. That is a clever way to keep the base truck simple. It is also how a cheap starting point can become a much less cheap real-world build.

The smartest buyers will price the version they would actually own, not the version that looks best in a headline.

The Startup Test Starts Now

The reservation count suggests Slate has attention. The company now says more than 180,000 reservation holders have signaled interest, up from the 160,000 figure it highlighted with its $650 million Series C update earlier this spring.

Turning those reservations into paid preorders is the next filter.

That is why this announcement matters beyond the headline price. A $50 refundable reservation tells you people are curious. A $300 non-refundable preorder tells you whether they are willing to take the next step before production vehicles, reviews, service experience, and final transaction prices are fully proven.

Slate is also promising a service model built around simplicity. The company says owners will be able to handle many repairs themselves with Slate U guidance, while a network of more than 3,000 RepairPal shops, including more than 100 high-voltage EV service centres, will support repairs. It also lists a 10-year/110,000-mile battery and powertrain warranty.

That sounds promising. It still has to work at owner scale.

The MotorLinks Take

The Slate Truck is no longer just a clever affordable-EV idea waiting for a price reveal. It now has a real base MSRP, an active preorder process, a bigger estimated range figure, better utility numbers, and a late-2026 delivery target.

That does not make it a sure thing. Startup launches are hard, and low-cost vehicle launches are even harder. The base truck also asks buyers to accept a very specific kind of minimalism, which is refreshing if you want restraint and frustrating if you want a normal modern cabin.

Still, this is exactly the kind of pressure the EV market needs. If Slate can keep the real transaction price honest and get trucks into customer hands without the usual startup drama, it could prove that affordable EVs do not need to chase every luxury feature at once.

For now, the $24,950 Slate is worth taking seriously. The question is how many shoppers will still feel that way after they configure the one they actually want.