New car prices are too damn high. That’s not the official slogan for EV upstart Slate Auto, but it was certainly implied when the company made its surprise debut in April 2025. Back then, its hook was being a simple, functional new vehicle with a starting price under $20,000. Unfortunately for Slate, that promise required the federal $7,500 tax credit, which is long gone. Now, the starting price is in the “mid-twenties,” which by definition puts it somewhere between $24,000 and $26,999 dollars.
It’s been nearly 10 months since the Slate debuted, and four months since the $7,500 credit went away. Slate still doesn’t have a starting price in mind for its small truck. Should those who plunked down a $50 deposit be worried? That, it seems, is the $50 question of the moment.
Lots Of Variables Still In Play
Speaking recently to InsideEVs, Slate CEO Chris Barman explained why pricing still isn’t pinned down. Without going into detail, she revealed the company is turning over every stone to find some spare change.
“We’re still working really closely with our suppliers to see what opportunities we have to continue to bring costs down, to see what we can do to pass along to the customer before we announce final pricing.”
-Chris Barman, Slate CEO
This could be interpreted one of two ways. The best-case scenario would be Slate pushing hard to meet its initial promise of a new vehicle starting under $20,000. That would really be good news, especially with a fantastic new Nissan Leaf starting just under $30,000 and Ford promising a $30,000 electric truck of its own. It would give Slate some proper breathing room to separate itself price-wise from major competition.
The other interpretation is Slate struggling to meet the aforementioned “mid-twenties” promise. That, frankly, could be a death knell for the ambitious little truck. If a barebones Slate is just a couple of thousand less than a far better equipped Ford or Nissan, why would buyers take a chance on an untested vehicle with no features from a new company?
Barebones Really Means Bare At Slate
In addition to price, part of Slate’s hook is offering a vehicle largely devoid of bloatware that fills even the most basic models from other automakers. An entry-level $29,990 Nissan Leaf, for example, has power windows, dual displays in the dash, wireless CarPlay or Android Auto for the stereo, and seating for five.
By comparison, an entry-level Slate has none of that, nor carpeting for that matter. You can get power windows and carpet mats for the floor, but there’s no provision for any kind of infotainment system. You can add the SUV bolt-on upgrade for extra seating, but that’s a $5,000 option. And if you want any sort of color besides the gray body panels, you’ll need to get a body wrap. Slate can do that, but as with pretty much everything, it’s extra.
Source: InsideEVs
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
