# Slate EV truck

109 Hacker News commenters recommended Slate EV truck and 59 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 12 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** A basic, screen-light electric truck you can customize and reconfigure yourself, though many say it costs too much for what you get and range is short.

## Why people recommend it

- Simple, no-frills utilitarian design (5 comments): "Having a no frills truck, that’s isn’t an old beater in constant need of repair and maintenance, sounds really nice." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48682805)) "The Slate is so close to what I actually want out of an EV: basic, utilitarian, cheap, not made out of 5 iPads." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46619907)) "Thankfully, Slate solved this problem. I don't care that it's a cheapy, uncomfortable shitbox with no range." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48660053))
- Modular, customizable open platform (8 comments): "this truck really appeals to the more moderate project car folks who want something both reliable and personal to them" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48662016)) "The Slate could work well for some of them - basic truck model, with the ladder rack for long stuff" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48659888)) "Every one off the line is the same, then you can customize it how you want with aftermarket stuff." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48833091))
- No infotainment or surveillance tech (4 comments): "The Slate is so close to what I actually want out of an EV: basic, utilitarian, cheap, not made out of 5 iPads." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46619907)) "It has an LCD for the gauges and backup camera, but no modem and no surveillance tech." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48322803)) "It doesn't have maps or a sim. It doesn't even have a digital dashboard at all" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48019023))
- Range enough for daily driving (2 comments): "That means for a Slate truck with the larger 84kwh battery you'll be spending $5.90 for a full at home charge in my area which will get you ~240 miles." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48660847)) "200 miles with a 30 minute boost charge should cover 99% of my driving." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48677920))

## What people warn about

- Overpriced for a stripped-down vehicle (4 comments): "I want to love the Slate. Seems great. But I can't see past how the pricing is tantamount to systemic theft" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48660669)) "Slate is selling barebones, stripped down basic transportation for the price of a middle class family car." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48660686)) "The problem with the Slate is that you can buy nicer, better equipped vehicles for the same price." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48660763))
- Short range and charging concerns (4 comments): "200 miles is definitely on the short side of acceptable range in the US." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48662039)) "On the specs page is say "205 miles" estimated range for the blank slate/minimal version - which is not great" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48659803)) "Thankfully, Slate solved this problem. I don't care that it's a cheapy, uncomfortable shitbox with no range." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48660053))
- Rear-wheel drive only, no 4WD (2 comments): "Being RWD-only is the only thing making me unwilling to replace my Tacoma with it." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48635853)) "not having 4wd is an absolute deal breaker for a truck in the mountain west" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48659702))
- Cramped, plain two-door cab (2 comments): "The cab design is from before the '90s though. That's to say, not much space and rather plain." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48681816)) "Slate has completely underestimated customer preference for four door vehicles." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48485470))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Tesla Cybertruck](https://hackerapproved.com/p/tesla-cybertruck.md): 85 recommend
- [Ford F-150 Lightning](https://hackerapproved.com/p/ford-f-150-lightning.md): 59 recommend
- [Chevrolet Silverado EV](https://hackerapproved.com/p/chevrolet-silverado-ev.md): 11 recommend
- [Rivian R1T](https://hackerapproved.com/p/rivian-r1t.md): 10 recommend

## Where to get it

- [Visit the official site](https://www.slate.auto/en)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Slate EV truck", https://hackerapproved.com/p/slate-ev-truck/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).