Compact Electric Pickup Truck Makes a Comeback
It’s a well-known fact that pickup trucks have been getting bigger and bigger over the past few decades. Trucks that used to be on the smaller side, like the Ford Ranger and Chevy Colorado, have grown in size. New models are bloating up, especially with the popularity of crew cabs in the American market. But then there’s the Slate pickup, which is a breath of fresh air with its simple single cab design that’s actually compact. It’s a new take on an old concept.
For some quick stats, the Slate measures 174.6 inches from front to back with a wheelbase of 108.9 inches. That’s just an inch shorter overall than the original Ford Ranger with a standard bed, and the wheelbase is only an inch longer. The Slate is wider at 70.6 inches compared to the OG Ranger’s just under 67 inches. It’s truly small, especially when compared to the crew-cab-only Ford Maverick. The Slate won’t even be available as an extended cab, let alone a full four-door.
In the past, Americans thought about vehicle size in a completely different way. While we tend to believe that “bigger is better” for things like hamburgers and our military, there was value in having a practical pickup that could fit in a small space. That’s what the Bezos-backed Slate aims to bring back. It’s not trying to impress anyone with speed or workhorse performance.
The Slate designers definitely had a vision in mind. The truck has a maximum towing capacity of 1,000 pounds and a payload limit of 1,433 pounds between the cab and five-foot bed, similar to the first-gen Ranger. While Ford offered engine options for the Ranger, the Slate is electric-only. It features a single motor that powers the rear wheels with a 52.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack to keep the weight down to 3,602 pounds. The estimated range is 150 miles, but an 84.3-kWh pack could give you around 240 miles. It produces 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, which isn’t too shabby.
If you’re concerned about the electric powertrain making things too complicated, don’t worry. The truck has crank windows, no touchscreen, and steel wheels. It comes in one basic spec from the factory, but you can customize it with accessories if you want. As for the price, it’s expected to be “under $20,000 after federal incentives,” but who knows if those incentives will still be available by the time the truck is ready in 2026.
The Slate is a throwback to the compact single-cab trucks of the past. It’s a simple, no-frills truck that aims to make a mark in the market. We’ll have to wait over a year to see how it performs in the real world, which is optimistic at best. Let’s hope it succeeds and sets a new standard for other truck manufacturers.
