Amazon-Connected Electric Truck Maker Enters Market
Slate, an electric vehicle startup with strong ties to Amazon, is set to disrupt the market next year with a budget-friendly electric truck. The company, which emerged from stealth mode recently, announced on Thursday that it has developed a light-duty electric truck that combines high-tech features with a deliberately simple design.
The truck’s most striking feature is its customization options – it can transform from a 2-seat pickup to a 5-seat SUV. However, it also bucks modern automotive trends by offering a base model with crank windows and no dashboard screen. Instead, the company suggests customers can “use the one you love” and add a dedicated tablet if needed.
Slate’s CEO, Chris Barman, said in a news release, “The definition of what’s affordable is broken. Slate exists to put the power back in the hands of customers who have been ignored by the auto industry.” The company expects the truck to cost under $20,000 after applying for an electric vehicle tax credit.
The project has significant backing from Amazon’s ecosystem. A regulatory filing from 2023 shows the company raised $111 million under the name Re:Car Inc. The funding round listed Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s former retail CEO, and Melissa Lewison, who heads Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ family office, as directors. Wilke, who spent 22 years at Amazon helping build its logistics empire, chairs Re:Build Manufacturing, an incubator for industrial companies that spawned the Slate project.
Slate’s electric truck is projected to have a 150-mile range on a full charge, with an optional battery pack potentially extending that to 240 miles. Deliveries are not expected until late 2026. The company’s approach to simplicity extends to its marketing, where they emphasize the absence of complicated interfaces and unnecessary features.
While modern electric vehicles often come loaded with advanced technology, Slate is taking a different path. As Barman noted, “Rather than learn a new interface, use the one you love. Add a dedicated tablet if you want to.” This approach positions Slate as a disruptor in the EV market, challenging conventional notions of what an electric vehicle should be.
