Meet Slate: The $25K Bezos-Backed Truck Disrupting The EV Market | Cars & Bikes | Forbes

Key Concepts

• Slate: A new car brand focused on accessible, desirable, and customizable electric vehicles (EVs).
• Blank Slate Platform: The core philosophy of Slate vehicles, designed as a base for customer creativity and personalization.
• Accessibility Points: Design features that facilitate easy accessorizing and customization.
• Complete Ownership Model: Slate's commitment to making vehicle ownership as affordable as possible.
• ICE Vehicle: Internal Combustion Engine vehicle.
• EV: Electric Vehicle.
• Customization/Personalization: The ability for customers to modify and tailor the vehicle to their preferences.
• Square Back Configuration: A truck bed configuration for the Slate vehicle.
• Fastback Configuration: A sporty, utilitarian profile for the Slate vehicle.
• Open Air Configuration: A configuration with a roll cage for an open-air driving experience.
• Two-door Vehicle: Slate's current focus on a two-door model.
• Extended Track on Passenger Seat: A design feature enabling easy access to the second row.

Slate: A Radically Affordable and Highly Desirable EV Platform

Tisha Johnson, Head of Design at Slate, introduces Slate as a new car brand dedicated to creating "really accessible, highly desirable vehicles." The company's core philosophy revolves around the concept of a "blank slate," positioning their vehicles as a platform for customer creativity and personalization, encapsulated by the slogan, "We built it, you make it."

Vehicle Design and Customization

The Slate vehicle is presented as a truck, initially in a slate gray color, with a design that emphasizes simplicity and ease of modification.

• Exterior Customization: The exterior features "simple accessibility points" designed to make accessorizing straightforward. For example, lines across the vehicle are intended to facilitate the application of vinyl wraps and color changes.
• Interior Customization: The interior is described as a "clean and simple environment," mirroring the exterior's readiness for personalization. Customers are empowered to define their desired interior experience.
  • Driver's Screen: A screen is located directly in front of the steering wheel, providing essential driving information and including a reverse camera.
  • Storage and Audio Integration: "Bin doors" in the dash or instrument panel reveal storage areas that are also designed to accommodate audio systems. Slate has engineered these areas to allow for the addition of different colors and material types.

Configurations and Utility

The Slate vehicle is designed to be a versatile platform, adaptable to various needs and preferences.

• Base Configuration: The vehicle arrives as a truck.
• Square Back Configuration: This is the truck bed configuration, as seen in the example behind the speaker.
• Fastback Configuration: This offers a "fun, sporty profile" while remaining "highly utilitarian and has a lot of use."
• Open Air Configuration: For those who prefer an open-air experience, the vehicle can be configured with a "nice well-treated roll cage."

Focus on Practicality and Accessibility

Slate's design prioritizes practical use, particularly for their two-door model.

• Seating: The vehicle is designed to accommodate a five-seat setup.
• Second-Row Access: To facilitate easy entry and exit from the second row, the passenger seat features an "extended track" that allows it to move "far forward." This ensures "easy, you know, in and out of the car into the second row bench seat."

Affordability and Ownership Model

A central tenet of Slate's mission is to make vehicle ownership "absolutely as affordable as possible."

• EV Advantage: Electric Vehicles (EVs) are highlighted as a key enabler of this affordability, with significantly lower maintenance costs compared to Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles.
• Competitive Pricing: The affordability of the Slate vehicle is positioned to "compete even with used vehicles," offering customers a "new car that is reliable and is theirs from day one."

Key Arguments and Perspectives

• The Challenge of Affordability and Desirability: Johnson emphasizes the difficulty of combining "radically affordable" with "highly desirable" in a vehicle, framing it as a "fantastic challenge" and a long-held aspiration for her as a designer.
• Customer-Centric Design: The design philosophy is deeply rooted in empowering the customer, providing a base platform and allowing them to "have what you want."
• Uniqueness in the Market: Slate claims to occupy a "pretty unique space" by offering a vehicle that is "available to really personalize so easily," suggesting that "nobody's doing that."

Conclusion

Slate aims to disrupt the automotive market by offering a new, electric vehicle that is not only highly customizable and desirable but also remarkably affordable. By focusing on a modular design and leveraging the inherent cost savings of EVs, Slate provides a platform for individual expression and accessible ownership, challenging the traditional trade-offs between price and appeal.