Don’t be fooled by the bright color palettes and wrap options on the new Slate all-electric pickup truck.

Yes, retail buyers can wrap and color their EVs creatively based on personal preferences. But for fleets, these options add up, or subtract, down to more affordable branding and labeling.

 The June 24 event at Slate’s design hub in Gardena, California, promoted Slate’s central theme: Affordability.

 The electric pickup will start at $24,950, joining only a handful of other EVs priced under $25,000. Slate also offers two SUV variants, the Squareback and Fastback, with pricing starting at $29,950. The company opened pre-orders the same day and plans to sell directly to consumers and begin customer deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2026.

 Slate is offering more than 200 accessories and parts, with over 80% priced under $500 including roof racks, stereos, seat covers, and lighting features. More than 100 wrap colors will be available at launch.

 Work Truck caught up with Drew Walker, Slate’s head of fleet sales, during the Hollywood-style event for an interview on how Slate fits with the private and public sector fleet segments:

Work Truck: How is Slate designing its vehicle to support commercial fleet applications and common work truck upfits?

 Walker: Slate was designed with fleet needs in mind. Its composite exterior body panels are scratch- and dent-resistant, making them easy to replace after minor damage while eliminating the need for paint repairs because the body is unpainted. That helps reduce downtime. The truck is also designed for easy vehicle wraps with simplified body contours, lowering branding costs. Built-in attachment points make it easier to install accessories and commercial equipment such as tonneau covers, slide-outs and light bars, reducing the time and labor required for upfitting.

 Work Truck: What can fleet operators expect in terms of maintenance, repairability and total cost of ownership?

 Walker: The vehicle is engineered to be affordable to buy and inexpensive to own. Ease of repair is a major focus, with many maintenance tasks designed to be straightforward enough for do-it-yourself service. Even some warranty work can be handled that way. Faster, simpler repairs should help fleets return vehicles to service more quickly and lower overall operating costs. Real-world data will come after vehicles enter service, but our expectation is a very competitive total cost of ownership.

 Work Truck: What service, parts and warranty support will be available for commercial customers?

Walker: Slate has partnered with RepairPal, giving fleets access to roughly 3,000 service locations across the U.S. for maintenance and warranty repairs. Fleets can also take advantage of DIY warranty options, and the company is exploring in-house warranty programs for fleets with their own maintenance facilities and certified technicians.

Work Truck: What telematics and connected vehicle capabilities will be available at launch?

Walker: The base Slate truck will not include a built-in modem, so it is not connected from the factory. However, it includes an OBD-II port using standard industry signals, allowing third-party telematics devices to access vehicle data and integrate with fleet management platforms. Slate is also developing its own OBD-II telematics device and platform, with more integrated OEM telematics planned.

Work Truck: Which fleet segments is Slate targeting first, and what feedback has it received?

Walker: Interest has been strongest from state and local government fleets, commercial service and maintenance fleets, and campus operations such as hospitals, universities and ports. These customers value the truck's compact size, sustainability and Class 1 work-truck capability. Slate has also seen interest from vocational fleets and small businesses and expects some commercial fleets to begin taking delivery of vehicles this year.

Slate Gets All Spec’d and Decked Out

Slate also officially released updated vehicle specifications, capability figures, and production plans:

 The pickup truck uses a simplified architecture with fewer than half as many parts as a typical truck and relies on physical controls instead of a digital touchscreen interface.

• For fleet operators evaluating low-cost electric vehicle options, the updated specifications include an estimated driving range of 205 miles, a 37% increase from the company's previous estimate. Slate noted that the figure is based on an estimate of the EPA test cycle and is not an official EPA-rated range.
• The vehicle uses a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive powertrain paired with a lithium iron phosphate battery pack rated at 65 kWh, including 63 kWh of usable energy. Slate lists output at 135 kW and 264 Nm of torque. The company estimates a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 8.0 seconds and a top speed of 90 mph.
•  Charging is supported through the North American Charging Standard (NACS). The truck can charge from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes using a 120-kW DC fast charger, according to company estimates. The vehicle also includes an 11-kW onboard charger, with a full Level 2 AC charge from 20% to 100% estimated at four hours.
• Slate also increased the vehicle's capability ratings. The pickup now carries a maximum payload rating of 1,550 pounds and a maximum towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. The improvements are intended to expand the vehicle's utility for hauling cargo and equipment.
• The pickup has a curb weight of 4,048 pounds and a gross vehicle weight rating of 5,689 pounds.
• Cargo space includes a 35.1-cubic-foot pickup bed and a 7-cubic-foot front trunk.
• Service and repairs will be available through a network of more than 3,000 RepairPal shops nationwide, including more than 100 facilities capable of performing high-voltage EV service. The company said the vehicle will be backed by a 10-year, 110,000-mile battery and powertrain warranty.
• Founded in 2022, Slate plans to assemble vehicles at a factory in Warsaw, Indiana. It will invest nearly $400 million in the facility and expects the project to create more than 2,000 jobs.