Orders For Slate’s Sub-$30K Bare-Bones EV Truck Finally Open On June 24—But There’s A Catch

The company is taking $300 non-refundable deposits to secure a place in line for the first finished vehicles.

Slate Trucks

Photo by: Slate

Iulian Dnistran

By: Iulian Dnistran

May 29, at 4:17am ET

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Slate Auto will start taking preorders for its bare-bones electric truck on June 24
The startup says customers who made a reservation before the preorder period will get an early delivery window.
Deliveries are expected to start in late 2026, but there’s still a big question hanging over the Slate truck.

Slate Auto, the startup that made headlines for its bare-bones, no-frills electric pickup truck, will start taking preorders for its first product on June 24. The company offered a few more details about the ordering process, but the final price of the vehicle is still unknown.

Slate said it will reveal pricing on the same day when preorders start, and that customers who paid a $50 refundable reservation fee will get dibs on the first finished mini trucks, as long as they pay the non-refundable $250 deposit and lock in their delivery window in 30 days.

Slate Factory Warsaw Indiana

Photo by: Kevin Williams/InsideEVs

People who haven’t reserved the Slate truck can still place a $300 non-refundable preorder on June 24, but their delivery window will be later. The company said customers will start getting invites to pick wraps and accessories for their trucks, select financing, and finalize a purchase agreement in late 2026. At the same time, buyers will choose how to take delivery, with Slate claiming that the process “will be a little different than a traditional dealership experience.”

The startup claims on its website that the first deliveries are expected in late 2026, but it’s unclear where and how the first deliveries will happen. Slate previously said that it won’t build out its own service centers like Tesla or Rivian, instead partnering with the RepairPal online network of repair shops, which currently has over 4,000 locations in the United States.

When the company came out of stealth last year, it claimed that its rear-wheel drive electric pickup would start from less than $20,000, but that took the now-defunct $7,500 federal tax credit into account. After the incentive’s demise, the starting price of the basic EV could be somewhere around the $25,000 mark, but we’ll have to wait and see what Slate has in store.

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That’s still affordable, but it’s worth noting that the entry-level model, cleverly dubbed the Blank Slate, comes with air conditioning, a small display in front of the steering wheel, and a handful of safety systems. However, it doesn’t have electric windows, an infotainment system, or paint on the outside. Everything is added later, including colored wraps for the exterior, a Bluetooth speaker for the infotainment, and even a body add-on that transforms the pickup into an SUV, all of which are bound to raise the price.

No matter the extras, the Slate truck has two doors and a rear-mounted electric motor that makes 201 horsepower (150 kilowatts). The standard-range battery will offer a projected 150 miles of range, while the larger, cost-extra extended-range battery ups the figure to 240 miles. A Tesla-style NACS charge port comes standard, with a claimed 20-to-80% charge in around 30 minutes.

Gallery: Slate Auto EV Truck

Slate Auto EV Truck

Source: Slate