Image Credit: Captain Electro.
What's not to love about a good electric truck? I thought the answer to that seemingly simple question would be short and snappy, but I was so wrong. But there's one major problem that everyone I asked pointed out as the main issue: the current crop of EVs costs more than a small island. We've got Hummers the size of tanks and Cybertrucks that look like dumpsters from the future, all costing a kidney and a half. So, when the legendary Jay Leno invites Slate to show off a truck that costs roughly the same as a used Corolla, I sit up and pay attention.
The vehicle in question is the Slate Truck, and if you squint, it looks a bit like a Lego brick that decided to get a job in construction. Jay had invited Tisha Johnson, Slate's head of design, and Jeremy Snyder, the chief commercial officer, over to his garage to poke around this red and white plastic wonder. And I have to say, the concept is absolutely crazy - in the best possible way.
Image Credit: Jay Leno's Garage/Youtube.
The car is built like IKEA furniture. I'm not joking - the body panels have exposed fasteners. If you dent a fender when trying to park at the Piggly Wiggly, you no longer need an insurance adjuster anymore (plus six weeks of tears). You take a screwdriver, unscrew the panel, and slap on a new one. Simple as. To top it off, Slate claims you can modify the truck like a kitchen cabinet. Want an SUV instead of a pickup? Buy the kit, grab a screwdriver, and turn your truck into a family hauler in your driveway. It is the Transformers fantasy on a budget, provided you don't lose that one vital screw under the fridge.
Snyder mentioned to Leno that this thing will start in the "mid-$20,000s." That is shockingly cheap. We are living in a world where the average new car in the US costs nearly $50,000, which is disgusting. Originally, Slate promised a price under $20,000, but that was back when the federal tax credit was handing out free money like candy. Since Uncle Sam tightened the purse strings on the tax credit, the price creeped up. Still, for twenty-five grand? You could buy two of these for the price of one electric Ford.
Image Credit: Jay Leno's Garage/Youtube.
What really tickles my cynical heart is the "Right to Repair" philosophy. Most modern car makers treat the hood of the car like a forbidden temple - "Do not touch, mere mortal, bring it to the dealership!" Slate is doing the opposite. They are telling you to go ahead and fix it yourself. No dealership visits required for warranty work. You can take it to your local mechanic, or if you are feeling brave, fix it yourself. It is a bold move that flies in the face of the industry's obsession with locking us out of our own property.
Of course, I have to sprinkle a wee bit of salt on this glorious potato. Production is supposed to start in Warsaw (Indiana - not Poland) before the end of this year. We have heard that tune before… "Coming soon" usually means "coming eventually, maybe, if we don't run out of cash." Even the big boss at Ram, Tim Kuniskis, has thrown some shade at the idea, being a skeptic of this simple approach. But with tens of thousands of reservations on the books, it seems plenty of folks are tired of paying for heated steering wheels and massaging seats when all they want is a box on wheels that works.
Image Credit: Jay Leno's Garage/Youtube.
Is this LEGO truck going to conquer the world? For all I know, it might fall apart like a wet cardboard box would. But I hope it'll be the revolution we need. And all for the price of a decent used sedan... I am waving banners and cheering on the sidelines for this little plastic truck from Indiana.
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