A California startup is bringing a customizable, adventure-focused EV to market at a price point that doesn’t require financing a second home. Deliveries begin late 2026.There’s a very specific kind of truck buyer the Slate is targeting: not the person who lifts their pickup three inches, bolts on a rooftop tent they’ll never actually deploy, and calls it overlanding. The Slate is for someone who genuinely wants to get out and use the thing. That’s the premise behind a new electric pickup from a California-based startup that’s been generating real attention with its aggressively boxy styling and a starting price under $28,000. That price point alone is enough to turn heads in a market where most electric trucks start north of $50,000 or require years on a waiting list. The Slate’s base model, which the company literally calls the “Blank Slate,” comes in under $28,000 and offers a standard battery with up to 150 miles of range. The larger battery pack extends that to 240 miles. For most trail runs, weekend camping trips, and overlanding missions that don’t involve crossing a continent, 240 miles is more than enough real-world range to work with. The truck is quick enough to be useful without pretending it’s something it isn’t. The rear-wheel-drive version gets from 0 to 60 mph in about eight seconds, which puts it squarely in the practical-truck zone. That’s fine. Nobody buying this thing is expecting to drag race a Tesla on the way to the trailhead. What makes the Slate genuinely interesting for the outdoor crowd is the modular body. The pickup truck bed, which offers roughly 35 cubic feet of volume, can be converted into an enclosed cargo area that effectively transforms the Slate into an SUV configuration. A 7-cubic-foot frunk adds to the total haul capacity. The interior is described as designed to be touched, sat on, spilled on, and lived in, with materials honest enough that you can throw in dirty climbing ropes, soaked wetsuits, and camping equipment without worrying about scuffing anything precious, because there isn’t anything precious in there. The design language is hard to ignore. The Slate is aggressively, joyfully boxy in an era when every electric vehicle looks like it was squeezed through the same aerodynamic mold. It looks purposeful. It looks different. The company leans hard into customization, shipping the vehicle as a near-blank canvas that owners are expected to wrap and configure for themselves. That philosophy keeps the base cost down and gives buyers something genuinely personal, not a factory preset aimed at a demographic. The Slate isn’t going to winch you out of a canyon or crawl a rock trail with a 45-degree approach angle. The company positions it honestly as a soft-roader, and the range numbers reflect what it is. But for the growing segment of outdoor enthusiasts who want an EV that can get to the trailhead, haul gear to a campsite, and look like it belongs there without requiring a six-figure check, the Slate is one of the more compelling propositions to come along in a while. The accessibility matters. Most people who love the outdoors aren’t buying $80,000 trucks. The Slate starts under $28,000 before any federal or state incentives, and deliveries are expected to begin in late 2026. More information is available at slate.auto. Source: Outside Online
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