Slate Auto CEO on How to Build $25K Electric Truck

With the average cost of a new car to the $ 50,000 mark, affordable basic transport is becoming more and more difficult for many Americans.

Slate, a new startup EV BJournal by Jeff Bezos, estimates that his new $ 25,000 van, which could cost less than $ 20,000 with tax creditsCould help change this, Chris Barman, Business Insider, told his CEO.

“There is a massive population of people with regard to safe, reliable and affordable transport; there are really not many alternatives for them,” said Barman in an interview before the unveiling of the new EV this week.

A price of $ 25,000 would mean achieving something that the current EV sales King Tesla could not do. Elon Musk has long teased consumers with the prospect of a Tesla model of $ 25,000, but there is no firm calendar for its release.

Slate truck could be a remedy for the problem of EV affordability

THE Average price of an electric vehicle In the United States, $ 59,000. Electric microphones are even more expensive, with prices exceeding $ 100,000 on models like the Ford F150 Lightning, Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck.

The slate truck, which is standard with 150 miles of reach, should be the new electric vehicle and the cheapest van in the United States, punctuating a place on the market no truck – electric or other – could.

According to Barman, the emphasis on simplicity and affordability attracted him to slate.

“I grew up in a farm. My first car was a 1984 Ford Ranger pickup, with a five-speed manual, manual windows and no air conditioning,” said Barte. “It was the basic transport, but I loved the freedom it gave me to go to places and do things.”

Barman, who joined the CEO position in May 2022, is an engineer in trade mechanics. She spent most of her career with Chrysler in the development of products, culminating in her role as vice-president of electricity and electronics of Fiat-Chrysler Automotive.

During the EV truck design process, Barman and the slate team examined how to meet customer needs while achieving the objective of an affordability.

For example, Barman explained that their EV has a key FOB because the cheaper metallic blade key is more hassle to use, especially at night, while passive touches sensitive to touch are more practical but would have added too much costs.

“This is just an example of how we went through the system by system and we talked about, and we really thought about what it means to eliminate the cost of the vehicle,” said Barman.

The Slate model is built around choice and freedom – and return cases

By offering a basic basic model without frills, which the company calls a “blank slate”, the startup business model is centered on the permission of the consumer of which creature comfort he needs in a vehicle and when he can afford it.

“This gives freedom of choice to the owner of the accessories they would like to put on the vehicle, either at the time of purchase or over time, according to their budget,” said Barman.

You can upgrade or customize almost all parts of the vehicle, except for the battery, at any time of its lifespan.

“It is a complete change in paradigm in the car shopping experience,” she told us.

This means that a owner with a tight budget can start with the basic truck, which has crank windows and no radio, and improve regularly and personalize the vehicle over time with different colors wraps or improved infodication.

There is even a kit that transforms the truck into a five passenger SUV.

The wide range of accessories allows the Slate EV to develop and evolve with the needs of its owner.

“It may be, they were single when they bought the truck for the first time, and they recently married, and a few years later, they have, a family, and instead of having to exchange it for a completely new vehicle, they can convert it into a five passenger SUV and continue to use the vehicle,” said Barman.

This allows the consumer to have to sell or exchange a paying vehicle and generates additional income for the slate from a single sale.

Slate built the EV DIY

While vehicles are becoming more and more complex and expensive, slate becomes a rarity like one of the few manufacturers encouraging owners to work on their cars.

As he plans to deploy a direct sales model, he does not have to worry about maintaining a network of concessionaires that depend on their service services to reach both ends.

According to the CEO of Slate, the upgrade work on its vehicles is designed to be easily sufficient for the owners to be able to do themselves, and the company plans to offer educational videos called “Slate University” to guide them through work.

This includes standard hardware installations such as the addition of electric windows and even the SUV kit, including the rear seats, a roller cage and airbags.

Although the company plans to have local partner facilities that can do the work professionally if the owner is not ready to tear.

The slate truck, which should be built in an installation not yet named in the Midwest of the United States, will start deliveries of customers at the end of 2026, the company said.

“We would like to see what we can do to access an existing installation which has been closed and reindustrialized and revitalize this community,” said Barte.

Reservations are open with reimbursable costs of $ 50.