Jeff Bezos-Backed Tesla Rival Launches an 'Affordable' and Customizable EV Truck. Here's What It Looks Like. Slate Auto has launched its reservation site, where truck buyers can create a vehicle with a spate of customizations.
By Erin Davis
Key Takeaways
- Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto is now taking reservations for a $50 refundable fee.
- Speculation over when the new truck would launch began earlier this month after the secretive startup's first vehicle was spotted in the wild in Los Angeles.
- The EV truck starts at $20,000 (after federal EV credits) and offers dozens of customizations and styles.
"Non-gearheads" now have the chance to design their own cars.
Last month, an image appeared on Reddit of an unidentifiable small truck in a parking lot in Los Angeles. The sighting was first noted by Carscoops just after TechCrunch reported that Jeff Bezos was making an "affordable" vehicle through a "secretive EV startup" called Slate Auto.
Related: I Tried Buying a Car on Amazon. Here Are the Pros and Cons.
Internet sleuths quickly put together (and TechCrunch confirmed) that the truck in the Reddit image was the actual Slate Auto concept car.
Now, the company is ready for reservations, and personalization is key. Everything is customizable, from the exterior look to the color to the interior knobs.
"We think everyone should be able to personalize their car," the website says. "But vehicles aren't built to be customized by non-gearheads (we love you, gearheads). So, we changed that."
Provided by Slate Auto
In a video announcing the new "radically simple, radically affordable Slate truck" on X, CEO Chris Barman said the price starts in the "mid 20s," though it will be closer to $20,000 (after federal EV tax credits). The single-cab electric truck is set to be delivered to customers in late 2026. The company is based in Troy, Michigan.
The people spoke. We built. Meet the radically simple, radically affordable Slate. Reserve yours at https://t.co/Y5RkOIFCRo pic.twitter.com/uvSZVpdkWv
— Slate Auto (@slateauto) April 25, 2025
"There's a massive population of people out there when it comes to safe, reliable, affordable transportation; there just really aren't many alternatives for them," CEO Chris Barman told Business Insider ahead of the official unveiling.
Related: The 'Secretive' Electric Vehicle Affordable Truck Was Just Spotted in Los Angeles
One way the company is keeping it affordable is through its customization options. For example, the trucks are wrapped, not painted, and can be changed at a customer's whim.
"With other cars, you pick your color when you buy it, and that's it," the website says. "With a Slate, you can pick your color whenever—and change it whenever. It's the first vehicle of its kind designed to be easily wrapped."
Wrap kits will start around $500, according to the company. (Though keeping it the simple gray—as per the Reddit reveal—will still stand out.)
What is this car?
byu/discostranger09 inwhatisthiscar
Amazon founder Bezos, Mark Walter (Los Angeles Dodgers majority owner and CEO of Guggenheim Partners), and investor Thomas Tull have helped the new car company raise at least $111 million, per TechCrunch.
NBC reports that, according to a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Melinda Lewison, the head of Bezos' family office, is the new Slate Auto director.
