What is Slate Auto, and how is its $25,000 electric truck different from other EVs? | Technology News
4 min readJun 27, 2026 11:04 PM IST The electric vehicle (EV) market has largely focused on premium features, large batteries, and increasingly expensive SUVs. Slate Auto, a US-based startup backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, is taking a very different approach. Instead of building another high-tech electric SUV, the company is developing a simple, highly customizable electric pickup truck that starts at $24,950, making it one of the cheapest new EVs announced for the US market. Slate recently opened pre-orders for the vehicle with a non-refundable $300 deposit, although large-scale production is expected to ramp up only in 2027. What is Slate Auto? Slate Auto is an American EV startup founded with the goal of making affordable electric vehicles. The company has raised around $1.4 billion from investors, including Bezos’ family office, General Catalyst, and TWG Global. Rather than competing directly with premium EV makers like Tesla, Rivian or Lucid, Slate wants to serve buyers looking for a practical, low-cost electric vehicle. The company says its philosophy is similar to that of iconic affordable …








