Why Bezos' new pickup could be a 'wrecking ball' in EV industry

Jeff Bezos is a truck guy now. The Amazon founder is one of the financial forces behind the Slate truck, a cheap bare-bones electric vehicle that some experts say could shake up America's growing EV industry.

The new vehicle is the "bare minimum of what a modern car can be," said The Verge. It seats just two people, has no touchscreens and can go only 150 miles in a single charge. It doesn't even have a radio. But it will cost only around $20,000, at least as long as existing tax credits for EVs stay in place.

Slate Auto is pitching the new truck as "minimalist design with DIY purpose," an attempt to "create a new category of vehicle with a huge focus on personalization." The ideas behind the truck are a "rolling rejection of the current, bloated state of American motoring."

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'Potential Tesla killer'

Many EV buyers "feel sour about Tesla and want more affordable options," said The Street. The current cheapest model, the Nissan Leaf, comes in with a base price near $30,000. Elon Musk has "made big promises" about a $25,000 budget EV from Tesla but has repeatedly pushed back a production date. Now, Slate's low price point makes it a "potential Tesla killer."

Some caution is needed. New EV truck companies that promise to "revolutionize or disrupt the industry" have "come and gone," said CarBuzz. But Slate seems to be offering something different: If you "just need a runaround little electric truck" for chores and getting around town, "that's all you get and all you pay for."

If you want something different — to add that radio, say, or transform the two-seater into a five-seater — the vehicle is designed to be "infinitely upgradable and customizable." If it works, Slate could serve as a "wrecking ball" in the EV industry.

The Slate is "something we need," but it "won't fix the cause of our problems," said Motor1. A cheap EV is a "good thing" during a nationwide "affordability crisis." But it's backed by Bezos, reportedly the second-richest person in the world. His companies have a history of union-busting and have been accused of anti-competitive practices. Bezos already profits from the "very sort of customers looking for more affordable vehicles." That makes Slate's success discomfiting: It would further "enrich one of the wealthiest people on earth."

Truck arrives at 'volatile time'

Slate announced on April 29 that it will build the vehicle at a former printing plant in Indiana, said Business Insider. The first deliveries are expected near the end of 2026.

The EV industry has "driven prices to a place that most Americans simply can't afford," Slate CCO Jeremy Snyder said during a recent event. But the "Bezos-backed" truck is about "as anti-Tesla as it gets," said TechCrunch.

The truck arrives at a "volatile time" during America's trade wars and President Donald Trump's antipathy to the industry. But its plans to build in Indiana may insulate it from the "turmoil facing other startups and established automakers."