Slate tells customers when to expect the earliest deliveries of its $25K electric truck

Slate expects its no-frills electrical truck to commencement hitting US roads successful a fewer short months.

In emails viewed by Business Insider, the startup asked customers who placed a $300 preorder whether they would beryllium willing successful an earlier transportation window. A dropdown paper listed "December 2026" arsenic an option.

It's the clearest image yet of erstwhile Slate expects to make its first deliveries. It besides lines up pinch the company's erstwhile guidance, which said the EV trucks would deed US roads successful "late 2026," without naming a month.

It doesn't mean that each customers who opt for early transportation will get their cars successful December. The emails each included a "delivery window" estimating erstwhile the cars would vessel if they don't nab the December slots. Emails reviewed by Business Insider had estimated ranges from "coming soon, 2027" to "July-September, 2027."

The Jeff Bezos-backed startup has attracted attraction pinch its bare-bones, $24,950 electrical pickup truck. Its guidelines exemplary is gray, has an estimated 205-mile range, gets 2 seats and crank windows, and comes without a touchscreen aliases stereo. From there, customers tin add features they want, including everything from exterior colour wraps and Bluetooth speaker holders to an SUV kit pinch a 2nd row.

The full transportation puts Slate successful a unsocial position successful the US car industry. Car makers person progressively chased high-budget shoppers, helping push the mean transaction value for a caller car to $49,855 successful July, according to Cox Automotive. Small trucks, particularly two-door models, are astir extinct successful the US market, too.

Slate says complete 180,000 group paid a refundable $50 deposit to clasp their spot successful a transportation queue. The institution opened $300 nonrefundable preorders successful June, and said it received complete 10,000 deposits successful the first fewer hours aft the value was revealed.

Slate's forthcoming rival, the $28,350, all-electric Ford Fathom pickup, will beryllium a large test. For a fewer 1000 much dollars, Ford's caller motortruck will person a autochthonal Apple Maps navigation system, 4 doors, and, likely, powerfulness windows. Fathom is expected to scope customers successful Fall 2027.

In July, anticipating the coming affordable electric-truck war, I drove a preproduction Slate to spot really its bare-bones attack holds up connected the road. Watch the video beneath for my first impressions.