Jeff Bezos-Backed Slate EV Wants a Piece of Tesla — Here’s the Deal

What Makes the Slate EV Stand Out in a Crowd of Electric Cars

Another electric car is pulling up to the curb—and it’s not from Elon Musk. It’s called the Slate EV, and it’s backed by Jeff Bezos. The big hook? It’s cheap, and it’s coming soon.

So, what exactly is the Slate?

The Slate EV is a two-door electric truck that you can also use like an SUV. Think of it as a transformer on a budget.

It was designed in California and Michigan, and built in the Midwest using American-made parts. Simple and local.

MotorTrend gave it a full video walkaround on YouTube, so if you’re curious about how it looks in motion, that’s a good place to start.

What’s the price tag?

It’ll cost you about $20,000.

For context, that’s around $20,000 cheaper than a Rivian R2 or a Tesla Model 3. Not pocket change, but a big gap.

Here’s what you get for that price:

A 150KW motor in the back
A 150-mile battery range
A 5-foot truck bed
A backup camera
Forward collision alerts

The battery takes up to 8 hours to charge fully. But if you’re in a rush, you can juice it up to 80% in 30 minutes at a fast charger.

What doesn’t it have?

Let’s keep it real—it’s bare-bones.

No screen. No Bluetooth. No built-in music or GPS. No Apple CarPlay. No Android Auto. Nada.

Instead, you’re expected to bring your own phone or tablet, and maybe a Bluetooth speaker. The Slate comes with holders for those. It’s like packing your own lunch—cheap, but you know what you’re getting.

Size-wise?

The Slate is about the size of an old-school 1985 Toyota SR5 pickup. That’s way smaller than something like a Chevy Silverado EV. You won’t need a parking space the size of a tennis court.

How do you get one?

You can reserve a Slate right now for $50.

There’s no option to lease it. And they haven’t said exactly when deliveries will start. But once they do, they’ll drop it off right at your door. Kind of like Amazon Prime—if Amazon delivered trucks.