Slate's $25,000 Electric Truck Starts to Look Believable

Affordable electric vehicles have had a rough few years, which is why a $25,000 target price gets attention. Slate Auto, the startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has been pitching a compact electric truck at that price. A recent test drive gives the pitch something more concrete to point to.

After 45 minutes behind the wheel of a prototype, the reviewer came away more optimistic than before. The impression is about the direction of the project, not a verdict on the finished truck. A prototype shows how the engineering is coming along, but it isn't the vehicle buyers would eventually order.

That distinction matters. Price targets for young automakers often shift as suppliers, components and incentives change, and one short drive can't answer questions about range, build quality or durability. What it can show is whether the vehicle feels like a real product, and by this account, the prototype made a reasonably good first impression.

For buyers, the real test is whether the $25,000 figure holds up once production begins. If it does, Slate would be aiming at a segment that few automakers are currently serving. Until then, a hopeful first drive is encouraging, but it isn't a guarantee.