Amazon releases Slate Truck as Jeff Bezos takes on Elon Musk
Billionaire Jeff Bezos is positioning himself to go head-to-head with fellow rich-lister Elon Musk, as the Amazon founder rolls out a shock new offering.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos is positioning himself to go head-to-head with fellow rich-lister Elon Musk, as the Amazon founder rolls out an eyebrow raising new electric vehicle offering.
Bezos could rival Tesla CEO Musk with a new range of affordable EVs with Slate Truck.
Slate, an American electric vehicle manufacturer backed by Bezos, is launching its first truck model and could directly target Tesla’s dominance in the EV sector.
If vehicle manufacturing goes ahead, it would be the least expensive EV available to consumers.
MORE: New ‘alien’ nightmare for big car brands
The truck is priced at $US25,000 ($A39,000), which is considerably less than Tesla’s Cybertruck, which starts at $US82,235, Model Y ($A58,900) and Model 3 ($A54,900).
“The definition of what’s affordable is broken,” said Slate CEO Chris Barman.
“Slate exists to put the power back in the hands of customers who have been ignored by the auto industry.”
“Slate is a radical truck platform so customisable that it can transform from a 2-seat pick-up to a 5-seat SUV.”
BACK TO BASICS
The Slate Truck which was shrouded in secrecy embraces a back-to-basics ethos, targeting affordability and customisation over cutting-edge excess.
The truck is a highly modular electric ute that can transform into a five-seat SUV via a DIY kit and features a simple design with steel wheels, crank windows, and heating, ventilation and airconditioning knobs.
There’s a large frunk and a spacious cargo area with a 635kg payload. It is designed to be wrapped for personalisation, and allows users to bring their own tech.
The vehicles will include various safety features such as airconditioning, automatic emergency braking, and a backup camera, which will show on the dash.
The truck itself is fairly small – less than 4.6 metres long, comparable to a 1985 Toyota pick-up.
Australia’s most popular vehicle the Ford Ranger has a length of 5225mm to 5403mm, depending on the variant
MORE: Tesla facing biggest threat yet in Australia
The basic “Blank Slate” pick-up that sells for that lowest price tag gets an estimated 150 miles (240km) of range from a 52.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
There’s also a larger 84.3-kWh battery option that gets an estimated 240 miles (386km) of range, however; Slate does not quote a price on this specific model.
An on-board AC charger is capable of delivering up to 11kW, with DC fast-charging up to 120kW. The NACS connector will be standard.
The Slate Truck offers fast charging, allowing it to charge from 20 per cent to 80 per cent in under 30 minutes.
MORE: Why this car is the last of its kind
The launch of the market-changing option has been met with polarising opinions on social media particularly regarding its potential impact on the current vehicle market.
On X, one user has garnered a significant reaction after expressing their admiration for the vehicle.
Finally, someone built a simple, cheap, utilitarian truck. $20k~, made in the USA, and no damn touch screen. Congrats @jeffawilke and the team at Slate — this thing is awesome. pic.twitter.com/WUCk40VyCQ
— TJ Parkerâš¡ï¸ (@tjparker) April 25, 2025
“Finally, someone built a simple, cheap, utilitarian truck. $20k, made in the USA … this thing is awesome,” user TJ Parker said on X.
However, many were quick to express their dissatisfaction on the truck’s barebones design.
“8 hour charge for a 150 mile range and the towing capacity of a sedan. A “truck” no one wants,” one user said.
“20k for more junk hell yeah, we can do better,” another user responded.
“Garbage. Will never be sold,” another user expressed.
According to Techcrunch, Bezos, along with Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and billionaire investor Thomas Tull, helped Slate raise $111 million for the project.
The company is now taking refundable $50 deposits for the pick-up trucks, with the first deliveries scheduled for the last quarter of 2026.
Tesla accounted for almost half of the 1.3m EVs sold in the US in 2024, with the Model Y and the Model 3 the top selling cars.
Aus ute crisis as second brand issues recall
Catastrophic engine failures in a popular ute brand have led to a recall of 720,000 vehicles around the globe. It comes one day after Ford was forced to do the same thing.
Piastri advantage no other F1 star has
Oscar Piastri has a chance to land a killer blow this weekend as his secret Aussie weapon looms as a big advantage against his F1 rivals.
13k utes, 4WDs recalled over engine failure
Australia’s best-selling ute is at the centre of a major recall for engine failure. See if you’re affected.