Affordable Electric Pickup Truck Launched by Jeff Bezos' Slate Auto

Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto has received over 100,000 reservations for its electric pickup truck, priced under $20,000 with a $7,500 federal tax credit. The truck skips frills like a stereo and power windows unless buyers pay extra, with options like vinyl wraps and add-ons. Despite a tight timeline, the company's engineering focuses on simplicity and low parts count, with a singular SKU of one for scalable production and deferred customization.

Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto has generated significant buzz with over 100,000 reservations for its electric pickup truck, priced under $20,000 with a $7,500 federal tax credit [1]. The truck, designed to be an affordable alternative to traditional pickups, skips standard features such as a stereo and power windows, unless buyers opt for additional costs [1]. This strategy allows Slate Auto to keep manufacturing costs low, with the vehicle featuring gray composite body panels and optional vinyl wraps [1].

Slate Auto's engineering focuses on simplicity and low parts count, utilizing approximately 500 components compared to the thousands found in standard pickups. The company's production model, a singular "SKU of one," enables scalable production and deferred customization [1]. The vehicle is built for personalization, with over 100 Slate Attach Points and an expanding range of accessories, wrap kits, and add-ons [1].

The strong early interest in the truck, despite its evolutionary concept, highlights a growing demand for affordable electric vehicles. Early customer Will Haseltine described the Slate truck as reminiscent of old-school pickups but noted that the lack of standard features made it less appealing without the tax credit [1]. The expiration of the federal tax credit on September 30 may impact the truck's affordability, but Slate Auto's CEO Chris Barman remains confident that the truck's price will still undercut competitors [1].

General Motors (GM) has also seen a significant increase in electric vehicle sales, with its Chevrolet Equinox EV accounting for about 45% of the company’s overall EV sales in July [2]. GM sold more than 19,000 electric vehicles in the month, marking a growth of 115% year-over-year [2]. The demand for EVs is surging as the federal tax credit nears expiration, which may impact multiple automakers selling EVs [2].

In India, Hindustan Zinc Limited has partnered with GreenLine Mobility Solutions in a Rs 400 crore deal to decarbonize its logistics network by deploying electric and LNG trucks [3]. The initiative aims to reduce carbon emissions significantly, with an estimated reduction of 236 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions per month, equivalent to planting around 12,000 trees [3]. This large-scale deployment of EVs and LNG trucks is expected to reduce about 150,000 tonnes of Scope 3 emissions annually, supporting India’s green growth ambitions [3].

References:
[1] https://www.benzinga.com/news/topics/25/08/46817213/jeff-bezos%e2%80%91backed-slate-truck-launches-under-20k-after-tax-credit-stereo-and-power-windows-cost-extra
[2] https://stocktwits.com/news-articles/markets/equity/gm-more-than-doubles-ev-sales-in-july/chrXtqtRdcP
[3] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/essars-greenline-in-rs-400-crore-deal-to-decarbonise-hindustan-zinc-limited-logistics/articleshow/123100099.cms