Here’s How We Would Build Out The Perfect Modular Electric Slate Truck

The Slate Truck is about as distinctive a car as there’s. The modular electric truck ships from the manufacturing unit as a bare-bones two-seat pickup in a single (slate grey) coloration. However the enjoyable begins if you trick it out with a catalog of over 200 add-ons. After hours of tinkering with the configurator, here is our supreme throwback construct.

When customizing your Slate Truck, it helps to have a transparent theme in thoughts. And what higher theme than “Seventies Ford Bronco”? Granted, no Bronco ever regarded precisely like this. However for those who concocted a mix of these outdated vehicles and a contemporary EV, it may not be far off.

The catch? When you add sufficient equipment to remodel the Slate into one thing that matches your imaginative and prescient, the value might not be a promoting level. Whereas you will get the bare-bones model for $24,950, our construct approaches $40,000 — and it’ll get even costly after accounting for Slate’s as-yet-unpriced equipment. The potential for upsell overspending is actual, and you need to know that moving into.

Though it leaves the manufacturing unit fairly threadbare, the Slate Truck does not have to remain that method. You’ll be able to flip it right into a five-seat SUV (fastback or squareback) or a Jeep-like choice that will pair properly with an open-air again seat. We went with the squareback SUV, which brings the beginning value as much as $29,950 earlier than equipment.

This features a roll cage, further airbags, a bench seat for 3 and the squared-off shell. That serves as a worthy basis for our ’70s-inspired construct, since sleeker-looking fastback SUVs weren’t round then. Plus, it is extra sensible for cargo and, even higher, saves us $2,000.

Whereas every Slate Truck begins as a muted grey, you may wrap it in quite a lot of colours. For our base, we went with the Michigan Copper full wrap ($670). This basis evoked late ’70s stylings greater than different choices.

After that, we added the Throwback physique decal ($320) and Creamsicle shoulder decals ($190). That is what sells the nostalgic look, with the Atari-esque stripe working down the aspect. Slate additionally presents mirror and rocker accents, however the colours did not absolutely match and risked overcrowding the aspect.

The entrance lamps, taillights and grille every get “Dots” plates. For beneath $160 whole, they assist the truck’s face look a bit extra era-appropriate.

We additionally added an upgraded entrance bumper ($500) and rear bumper ($600), fog lights ($300), fender flares ($150), a spare tire service ($550) and working boards ($350). The bumpers and fog lights intensify the squared-off look of outdated 4x4s, and the flares give it a wider, extra aggressive look. In the meantime, the working boards are a sensible contact, making our lifted construct simpler to climb into.

That is because of the as-yet-unpriced elevate equipment, which reportedly provides about two inches of peak. We paired that with all-terrain tires on 17-inch wheels ($1,100). Slate additionally sells 20-inch wheels, however the 17s’ bigger sidewalls, softer journey and extra theme-appropriate look nudged issues of their favor.

Though our construct resembles one thing you could possibly take off-road, a actuality test is so as. This rear-wheel-drive truck is best suited to filth roads and snowy driveways than steep trails or deep mud.

A boxy, ’70s-style car with no roof rack seems to be incomplete. So we added the squareback roof rack ($650) on Slate’s T-rail ($125). The automaker additionally sells carriers for bikes, kayaks, skis and paddleboards that connect to it. There’s even a roof basket for frequent campers.

Simply remember that Slate estimates simply 205 miles of vary for the bottom pickup, and our heavier SUV will possible be even worse. That does not lend itself to lengthy street journeys into the wilderness. We will solely take our ’70s Bronco cosplay to this point.

Lest you neglect that you just’re using in one thing nostalgic, the within has related references. The Throwback inside decal ($50)m Magma accents on the decrease sprint and local weather knobs (each nonetheless unpriced) name again to the outside aspect stripe, however with out making the cabin too loud.

All the pieces else sticks with the inventory darkish inside. That features added Slate Black armrests ($50 for the doorways, with the console armrest’s value nonetheless unannounced). On a extra sensible notice, we threw in a middle console ($250), door cubby organizers ($50) and all-weather flooring liners for the back and front of the cabin ($135 whole).

One factor we could not add: energy home windows. Though it is extra Slate’s alternative than a nostalgic one, why not name it one other ode to the previous? Slate beforehand listed energy home windows however pulled them later, with a spokesperson saying they might finally return.

The Slate ships by default with no display or stereo. The thought is to make use of your telephone for each jobs, though add-ons can fill in some gaps.

That lack of built-in audio is likely one of the hardest limits for a music or podcast lover to get previous. Luckily, Slate offers you many accent choices, together with a mount for Bluetooth audio system. We went with the middle speaker ($250) plus a pair of entrance left and proper audio system ($150). $400 looks like an affordable sufficient value to pay for a contemporary sound system.

Then we added Slate’s Bluetooth steering wheel controls (value TBD) to skip songs and reply calls with out taking fingers off the wheel. You’ll be able to solely faux you are within the Seventies to some extent.

Additionally in our construct: the pill mount (unpriced) alongside the usual telephone mount. A bigger display for navigation was too onerous to go up. Though it is not confirmed whether or not the mount can assist it, we would additionally look into a type of transportable CarPlay / Android Auto shows to run car-specific apps.

We additionally added the 5 Swap improve ($40) for a row of bodily gentle switches. This accent is required for the fog lights, which no wannabe Bronco ought to go with out. We added the house charger ($479), which, in line with Slate, enables you to absolutely cost the truck in 5 to eight hours. The corporate has mentioned it’ll additionally promote adapters for older public chargers, for the reason that truck is designed for Tesla’s plug.

There are many different issues you are able to do with the Slate, so long as you are keen to let its value add up.

Apart from the fastback physique we talked about, we additionally skipped the reducing equipment. This offers the EV a avenue truck look, nevertheless it’s not the only option for our old-school theme. We handed on the animated entrance and tail lamps ($850) for a similar cause.

Slate’s different upgrades embody a roof gentle bar for $800 and LED taillights for $375. A lightweight bar on a nostalgic wagon may conjure emergency response car vibes, which… is not what we’re going for. There’s additionally tenting gear, like heavier-duty roof platforms ($700 to $1,230) and inflatable camp tables and chairs from Flated ($150 to $300). These might turn out to be useful, so long as the tenting trek is not too far out within the wilderness.

Slate additionally sells extra inside colours, wraps from different licensed manufacturers and a mobile bridge for monitoring. None of these match our wants.

The squareback SUV offers us a $29,950 start line. Our equipment come out to about $6,518, though Slate hasn’t introduced costs for a number of of them. Particularly with the unpriced elevate equipment, the ultimate equipment tab might simply strategy $8,000. The vacation spot payment is $1,450.

Add it up, and we’re taking a look at $37,918 — and that is with out the elevate equipment and different “value TBD” equipment. Immediately, the EV is much less of a budget-friendly choice and nearer to what you’d anticipate finding in your native tons proper now. And with a mere 205 miles of vary, that is a purchase order to assume lengthy and onerous about earlier than pulling the set off.

Nonetheless, it is a extremely particular truck that is completely ours. We selected every bit of it, which is not one thing you may say about most $40,000-ish automobiles. And maybe extra importantly, those that do not want any bells and whistles (or who’re blissful so as to add them later) can get a minimal construct for beneath $25,000 earlier than taxes and charges. It is a setup that is actually distinctive within the EV world, and one which may entice quite a lot of consumers.