Slate Auto’s sub-$20,000 price ticket for its electrical pickup could also be a sufferer of the Trump administration’s “Massive Stunning Invoice.”
The startup had pledged to launch an ultra-affordable EV truck “anticipated below $20,000 after federal incentives.” However that price ticket quietly disappeared from its web site on Thursday, as TechCrunch first reported. The rationale: 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 worth level doable.
Picture by: Slate
EVs have lengthy value greater than their gas-powered counterparts, primarily because of the excessive value of lithium-ion batteries. Slate Auto—backed by Jeff Bezos—hoped to alter that with a radically minimalist strategy: promote a no-frills electrical truck as a “clean slate” and let clients bolt on options as they go, like a life-sized Lego package.
To hit the sub-$20,000 goal worth, the bottom mannequin was stripped right 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 information. Every little thing 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 worth 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 strategy 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 must show how its stripped-down truck nonetheless is sensible with out Uncle Sam’s assist.
Have a tip? Contact the writer: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
