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Slate, a customizable EV pickup for $20k (electrek.co)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Range

  • Small battery range: 240km
  • Big battery range: 385km

Motor

  • Motor: Single motor, rear wheel drive
  • Power: 150kW
  • Torque: 264Nm
  • 0-100km: 8s
  • Top speed: 145km/h

Dimensions

  • Bed length: 1.5m
  • Vehicle length: 4.4m
  • Vehicle height: 1.8m
  • Vehicle width: 1.8m

Comparison

  • 2025 Kia Niro length: 4.4m
  • 2025 Ford Maverick length: 5.1m
  • 1985 Toyota Pickup/Hilux length: 4.7m

Weights

  • Curb weight 1634kg
  • Max payload 650kg
  • Max towing 454kg

Charging

  • Port: NACS
  • Onboard charger: 11kW
  • Level 1 AC, 3.6kw, 20-100%: 11h
  • Level 2 AC, 11kW, 20-100%: under 5h
  • Level 3 DC, 120kW, 20-80%: under 30m

Safety

  • Traction Control
  • Electronic Stability Control
  • Forward Collision Warning
  • Automatic Emergency Braking
  • 2-stage Driver/Passenger Airbags
  • Full Length Side Curtain Airbags (Truck 2) (SUV 4)
  • Seat Side Airbags (2)
  • Backup Camera
  • Pedestrian Identification
  • Auto High Beam

More info

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[–] 14 points 1 year ago* (10 children)

Aside from being backed by Bezos, this seems like Lemmy the car. Under 20K, an EV, no stupid touch screen, designed to be repaired and modded, and even crank windows.

I bet the catch, aside from Bezos, is the range or charge speed.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

    I don't think that it has a cell modem, either, because it sounds like it eschews a baked-in entertainment computer:

    https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a64564869/2027-slate-truck-revealed/

    Roll-down windows come standard, as do manually adjustable rearview mirrors. An audio or infotainment system is noticeably missing, too. Instead, your cellphone or tablet serves these functions, with a dock for the former included and one for the latter available as an optional accessory. Better like the sound coming out from your phone or tablet's speakers, too, because the Slate lacks speakers, though the brand's accessory division will gladly hook you up with a set.

    Honestly, if you took my last year of comments complaining about privacy-infringing cars and those complaining about changes to what a truck is, this does kind of look to be addressing both. Gotta see what the actual production vehicle is like in real life, of course, but...

    https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/advice/mini-truckin-returns-slate-unveils-old-school-style-affordable-electric-pickup

    When I say the truck is small, I mean it. At 174.6 inches, it’s about 2 feet shorter in overall length than the 2025 Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. And to use the Wayback Machine to a time when compact pickups were actually compact, it’s roughly the same size as the compact pickups of 1980: the Toyota truck, Chevy LUV and Ford Courier. Notably, no other automakers have offered trucks of this size in America since the mid 1990s.

    Yeah, like the "inexpensive, no-frills utility vehicle" that pickups originally were.

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

    because the Slate lacks speakers,

    I mean, I get they need to cut costs, but come on.... a damn radio wouldnt have killed them

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    Honestly, as long as it's easily DIY upgradable (accessible speaker mounting locations, standard DIN panels, etc) I am all for this. Most OEM audio systems are stupidly overpriced and suck complete donkey balls compared to what you can get for a few hundred bucks at Crutchfield and install in an afternoon.

    For the last 20 years or so, most factory audio systems are so integrated into the rest of the electronics that they can be an absolute nightmare to upgrade unless you are a pro, which means you get the worst of both worlds: garbage audio, AND a steep upgrade path.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago*

    I agree, and everyone basically want Apple/Android CarPlay units anyway. The hard part will be getting a wiring harness installed, unless there is some space provided in the dash (putting speakers or anything else in a door is really annoying for the experienced, and too tall an order for the beginner.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago

    Didn't some Scions come with no radio? The idea being they were targeted at younger folks who were more likely to customize their stereo, so "no stereo, but all the speaker grilles and mount points for one" is a bit like the "no operating system -$211" option on a Laptop. Happy Linux user noises.

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    The Citroen AMI doesn't have speakers either, it comes with a Bluetooth speaker instead, which you can use outside the car. It makes sense if you just think of the entertainment stuff as something that shouldn't be part of the car and can easily be upgraded/replaced down the line.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (2 children)

    You spent hours in that thing and phone speakers are not made to be louder than traffic and drive noises, especially not for so long. Also a radio offers traffic and accident news from local stations. And if they cheap out on speakers I am quite sure they also don't offer USB ports to charge the phone you run in lieu of a build in system

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

    I am quite sure they also don’t offer USB ports to charge the phone you run in lieu of a build in system

    I definitely read an article somewhere where it says that they provide USB power for the tablet/phone.

    kagis

    This article has it:

    https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a64580484/slate-truck-ev-pickup-truck-suv/

    The Truck will come with a phone mount and convenient USB power to mount your phone or a tablet to the dash.

    EDIT: I think that a better criticism is that this thing is just a prototype, still almost two years away from mass production, assuming everything goes right for them. Like, they could have any number of things go wrong (the Trump tariff situation, for one...hard to have any idea where things will be). It could be that they crash into problems trying to get mass production going. It could be that they can't hit their target price point.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago* (2 children)

    No, the catch is that it isn't real.

    @ me when it's rolling off the production line.
    Until then...

    it will have
    you will be able to

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago* (1 child)

    As long as it gets 50+ miles range reliably in winter, it's perfect as a commuter/weekend project truck. I generally look for 150 miles range for this, since winter can cut effective range in half. I don't care about charge speed since I'll just plug it in at night.

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  • [–] 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    It will need to have a screen to comply with safety standards. A back up camera is mandatory.

    The Citroen Ami is a "cycle car" under French law and doesn't have to meet the same standards.

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