Think about the last time a new vehicle genuinely surprised you. Not because it had more screens or more horsepower, but because it had less of everything on purpose. That's exactly what startup Slate is doing with the 2027 Slate Truck, a modular electric pickup that starts at $24,950 and ships with hand crank windows, zero speakers, and absolutely no built-in radio or infotainment system.
This thing is the gaming equivalent of a blank character creation screen. No pre-selected loadout. No default skin. You build it how you want it.
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What you actually get for $24,950
The base Slate Truck comes with a single-motor rear-wheel-drive powertrain pushing 181 hp and roughly 195 lb-ft of torque. A 65 kWh LFP battery provides an estimated 205 miles of range, and DC fast charging at 120 kW gets the pack from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes via a NACS port. Towing sits at 2,000 lbs max, with 1,550 lbs of payload capacity.
The truck measures 174.6 inches long, which puts it smaller than a Ford Maverick. You get 17-inch steel wheels, a 5-ft bed with 35.1 cubic feet of cargo space, and a 7 cubic foot front trunk. Manual cloth seats come in black, brown, or gray with removable, unzippable covers.
Here's the thing: the interior has no modem, no built-in software, and no speakers at all. The dash has a phone mount. That's it. If you want audio, you bring your own speaker or pay extra for up to 6 factory-installed ones.
Before vs. after: how trucks got here
For context on how strange this is, the average new vehicle price in the US has climbed above $48,000. Modern trucks have become rolling tech platforms loaded with 12-inch touchscreens, over-the-air updates, subscription features, and driver profiles synced to the cloud. The Ford F-150 starts around $36,000 for a base trim that still includes power windows and a digital display. Even compact pickups like the Maverick, which targets budget buyers, comes standard with a touchscreen infotainment system.
Slate is running the opposite play entirely. The composite body panels aren't painted, they're wrapped. Color changes cost $499 per wrap, and bi-tone designs or custom decals are on the table. Body styles can switch between a standard truck, SUV, Fastback SUV, or Open-Air SUV through the modular system. The whole pitch is that you buy the platform and configure it yourself, rather than paying upfront for features you may never use.
The three variants and what they cost
The base truck is the one making headlines, and for good reason. Nothing else in the new-vehicle market currently offers an electric pickup at that price point without significant compromises on range or capability.
Safety and what Slate is targeting
Slate hasn't stripped safety to hit the price. The base package includes emergency braking, auto high beams, and standard cruise control. The company has also designed the vehicle with the intent to achieve a 5-star NCAP crash rating, though that certification is still pending.
The modular philosophy here maps surprisingly well to how gamers think about builds. You start with a base that covers the fundamentals, then layer in exactly what you need. No forced bundles. No paying for a feature tier just to unlock one specific option. Fans of deep customization systems, like the kind found in games with modular base building (the Subnautica 2 confirmed features list covers some genuinely interesting parallels in overhauled construction design), will recognize the appeal immediately.
The real question is whether mainstream buyers will accept a truck that ships without a radio as a feature rather than a failure. The gaming community has spent years embracing early access titles and unfinished builds in exchange for lower prices and community-driven direction. Slate is essentially selling the same proposition, just with wheels.
Orders are open now for the 2027 model year. For more deep-dive coverage on games and tech that push boundaries, browse the full gaming guides hub.
