Even with the demand for electric cars flattening in America and the disappearance of the federal tax credit, the Slate pickup remains the most hotly anticipated new vehicle of 2026. Pickups are the lifeblood of America, and the affordability crisis is at the top of everyone’s mind. Plus, with gas prices soaring, Slate could be in a unique position to capitalize on a sea of customers who don’t want to drop $120 every time they need to top off their truck.
Slate is set to start limited production later this summer, with first deliveries happening before the end of the year. The company is in town for the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), and it’s invited me to take a closer look at the vehicle to poke around. What do you want to know?
What I’m most curious to find out is just how everything feels. You can get a pretty good sense of a car’s design from pictures and video, but my opinion on many cars has changed once I’ve actually touched its surfaces and sat inside.
The Slate truck is very much a budget automobile, with an estimated starting price under $30,000. So it’s not like I’m expecting quilted leather seats and soft-close doors here. But rough surfaces and hard plastics might turn some people off, even if they know they’ll be saving money. How will designers balance their budget limitations to create something inviting?
Sure, stuff like standard manual crank windows will win people like me over, but what about normal folks just looking for a cheap, useful pickup? Most buyers are used to having a bunch of standard equipment, like a stereo, in their vehicles. So it’s up to the design team to find that equilibrium.
That question extends to the exterior. In addition to poking around the Slate truck itself, I’ll also be speaking with Gus Bizyk, the head of Slate’s exterior design. Remember, the Slate truck is so bare-bones that it doesn’t even have paint—those grey surfaces are unpainted plastic body panels. Coming off the line, every truck will look the same, with Slate leaning on exterior wraps and a swath of factory-designed accessories for customization. You can even use those accessories to turn it from a truck into a two-door SUV, which is pretty cool.
No matter how it’s customized, the Slate still has to make a good first impression. And that falls on the designers. So I’d like to know how Bizyk thinks he and his team have pulled it off despite all of the limitations put on by the team’s budget. The Slate truck might look painfully simple, but that’s likely just a result of a bunch of hard work to ensure it’s appealing to a wide audience.
Enough about what I want to find out. I want to know what you’re curious about. It sounds like there won’t be any engineers or technical representatives on site, so my questions on the battery, motor, and range might have to wait. But I’m going to be getting up close with this car, so if you want to know how adjustable the seats are, or what size tire it’s wearing, or how many of me can fit in the bed, let me know in the comments.
Top graphic image: Slate; DepositPhotos.com
I can’t think of questions offhand. I’m very anxious about the management change. McKinsey & Co. guy, etc. and that (plus the fact I spent a bit too long deeply fixated on the subject) is making me want to put the company out of my mind for a bit while things play out.
Anything obvious, I feel like I’ve already seen answered, convincingly speculated upon, deemed unimportant, or made peace with not-knowing.
How well documented is the design, and how easy will it be for owners to modify and work on Slates?
I mean, it’s sort af a blank slate, right?
Will there be a way for artists and designers to design and sell patterns for wraps?
Maybe on a slate sanctioned site?
I have ideas.
Can we get one with a long bed?