Who wants a battery-powered 1970s throwback?
The Slate Truck is about as unique a vehicle as there is. The modular electric truck ships from the factory as a bare-bones two-seat pickup in a single (slate gray) color. But the fun begins when you trick it out with a catalog of over 200 add-ons. After hours of tinkering with the configurator, here’s our ideal throwback build.
When customizing your Slate Truck, it helps to have a clear theme in mind. And what better theme than “1970s Ford Bronco”? Granted, no Bronco ever looked exactly like this. But if you concocted a blend of those old trucks and a modern EV, it might not be far off.
The catch? Once you add enough accessories to transform the Slate into something that fits your vision, the price may no longer be a selling point. While you can get the bare-bones version for $24,950, our build approaches $40,000 — and it will get even expensive after accounting for Slate’s as-yet-unpriced accessories. The potential for upsell overspending is real, and you should know that going in.
The basics
Although it leaves the factory quite threadbare, the Slate Truck doesn’t have to stay that way. You can turn it into a five-seat SUV (fastback or squareback) or a Jeep-like option that would pair well with an open-air back seat. We went with the squareback SUV, which brings the starting price up to $29,950 before accessories.
This includes a roll cage, extra airbags, a bench seat for three and the squared-off shell. That serves as a worthy foundation for our ’70s-inspired build, since sleeker-looking fastback SUVs weren’t around then. Plus, it’s more practical for cargo and, even better, saves us $2,000.
Throwback style
While each Slate Truck starts as a muted gray, you can wrap it in a variety of colors. For our base, we went with the Michigan Copper full wrap ($670). This foundation evoked late ’70s stylings more than other options.
After that, we added the Throwback body decal ($320) and Creamsicle shoulder decals ($190). This is what sells the nostalgic look, with the Atari-esque stripe running down the side. Slate also offers mirror and rocker accents, but the colors didn’t fully match and risked overcrowding the side.
The front lamps, taillights and grille each get “Dots” plates. For under $160 total, they help the truck’s face look a bit more era-appropriate.
Bronco on the outside
We also added an upgraded front bumper ($500) and rear bumper ($600), fog lights ($300), fender flares ($150), a spare tire carrier ($550) and running boards ($350). The bumpers and fog lights accentuate the squared-off look of old 4x4s, and the flares give it a wider, more aggressive appearance. Meanwhile, the running boards are a practical touch, making our lifted build easier to climb into.
That’s thanks to the as-yet-unpriced lift kit, which reportedly adds about two inches of height. We paired that with all-terrain tires on 17-inch wheels ($1,100). Slate also sells 20-inch wheels, but the 17s’ larger sidewalls, softer ride and more theme-appropriate look nudged things in their favor.
Although our build resembles something you could take off-road, a reality check is in order. This rear-wheel-drive truck is better suited to dirt roads and snowy driveways than steep trails or deep mud.
The roof rack completes the look
A boxy, ’70s-style vehicle without a roof rack looks incomplete. So we added the squareback roof rack ($650) on Slate’s T-rail ($125). The automaker also sells carriers for bikes, kayaks, skis and paddleboards that attach to it. There’s even a roof basket for frequent campers.
Just keep in mind that Slate estimates just 205 miles of range for the base pickup, and our heavier SUV will likely be even worse. That doesn’t lend itself to long road trips into the wilderness. We can only take our ’70s Bronco cosplay so far.
Old and new on the inside
Lest you forget that you’re riding in something nostalgic, the inside has similar references. The Throwback interior decal ($50)m Magma accents on the lower dash and climate knobs (both still unpriced) call back to the exterior side stripe, but without making the cabin too loud.
Everything else sticks with the stock dark interior. That includes added Slate Black armrests ($50 for the doors, with the console armrest’s price still unannounced). On a more practical note, we threw in a center console ($250), door cubby organizers ($50) and all-weather floor liners for the front and back of the cabin ($135 total).
One thing we couldn’t add: power windows. Although it’s more Slate’s choice than a nostalgic one, why not call it another ode to the past? Slate previously listed power windows but pulled them later, with a spokesperson saying they could eventually return.
A touch of tech
The Slate ships by default with no screen or stereo. The idea is to use your phone for both jobs, although add-ons can fill in some gaps.
That lack of built-in audio is one of the hardest limits for a music or podcast lover to get past. Fortunately, Slate gives you several accessory options, including a mount for Bluetooth speakers. We went with the center speaker ($250) plus a pair of front left and right speakers ($150). $400 seems like a reasonable enough price to pay for a modern sound system.
Then we added Slate’s Bluetooth steering wheel controls (price TBD) to skip songs and answer calls without taking hands off the wheel. You can only pretend you’re in the 1970s to a point.
Also in our build: the tablet mount (unpriced) alongside the standard phone mount. A larger screen for navigation was too hard to pass up. Although it isn’t confirmed whether the mount can support it, we’d also look into one of those portable CarPlay / Android Auto displays to run car-specific apps.
We also added the Five Switch upgrade ($40) for a row of physical light switches. This accessory is required for the fog lights, which no wannabe Bronco should go without. We added the home charger ($479), which lets you fully charge the truck in five to eight hours. The company has said it will also sell adapters for older public chargers, since the truck is designed for Tesla’s plug
What we skipped
There are plenty of other things you can do with the Slate, as long as you’re willing to let its cost add up.
Besides the fastback body we mentioned, we also skipped the lowering kit. This gives the EV a street truck look, but it’s not the best choice for our old-school theme. We passed on the animated front and rear lights ($850) for the same reason.
Slate’s other upgrades include a roof light bar for $800 and LED taillights for $375. A light bar on a nostalgic wagon might conjure emergency response vehicle vibes, which… isn’t what we’re going for. There’s also camping gear, like heavier-duty roof platforms ($700 to $1,230) and inflatable camp tables and chairs from Flated ($150 to $300). Those may come in handy, as long as the camping trek isn’t too far out in the wilderness.
Slate also sells more interior colors, wraps from other licensed brands and a cellular bridge for tracking. None of those fit our needs.
The bill
The squareback SUV gives us a $29,950 starting point. Our accessories come out to about $6,518, although Slate hasn’t announced prices for several of them. Especially with the unpriced lift kit, the final accessories tab could easily approach $8,000. The destination fee is $1,450.
Add it up, and we’re looking at $37,918 — and that’s without the lift kit and other “price TBD” accessories. Suddenly, the EV is less of a budget-friendly option and closer to what you’d expect to find on your local lots right now. And with a mere 205 miles of range, that’s a purchase to think long and hard about before pulling the trigger.
Still, it’s a highly specific truck that’s entirely ours. We chose every piece of it, which isn’t something you can say about most $40,000-ish vehicles. And perhaps more importantly, those who don’t need any bells and whistles (or who are happy to add them later) can get a minimal build for under $25,000 before taxes and fees. It’s a setup that’s truly unique in the EV world, and one that might attract more than a few buyers.
