Jay Leno Drives A Slate Pickup Truck (Video)

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Other than the new Rivians, the most anticipated new fully electric vehicle may be the Slate pickup truck. There have been many photos of the prototypes and test vehicles, but not a lot of video footage of the Slate being driven. 

Jay Leno, the noted car enthusiast and collector, got to have a conversation about the Slate and then drive one with footage for us all to see. Frankly, it was a relief to finally see one being driven, because only seeing internet speculation and photos can be dissatisfying. The test drive starts at about 22:50 if you would prefer to skip over some of the vehicle details.

Seeing a trusted personality actually driving one seems more compelling. The base model pickup truck costs about $25,000 and will be manufactured in the US.

If the average price of a new vehicle in the US is currently about $50,000, a small electric pickup truck costing about half that sum should appeal to some buyers. Who knows how many will buy it, but at least when the Slate is for sale there will be another affordable EV on the market.

There is some persistent myth or misinformation that electric vehicles cost too much, however, as Zach pointed out in one of his articles, there are quite a few EVs that cost less $50,000. There are also many used EVs available that cost far less.

The base Slate has:

• Rear-wheel drive and two-wheel drive
• Disc brakes
• Regenerative brakes
• Roll-up windows
• Air conditioning
• A frunk with easy access
• A liquid-cooled battery
• Air bags

The Slate has been designed to be as safe as possible and has two battery pack options: 150 miles of range or 230 miles. It uses the NACS charging standard, so it can access the Tesla charging network.

Aside from the low cost and that it is fully electric, another primary aspect of the vehicle is how customizable it is so buyers and owners can choose how they configure and style their own vehicles.

Something else unique about the Slate is how the customers will be able to do DIY warranty repairs, meaning they can do some of their own repairs and still be under warranty. Another benefit is a Slate app to plug into the truck to provide the problem codes directly to the owner with no need to drive to an auto shop. This ability is exactly what could make it more convenient to fix when needed.

Jay mentions the generic ‘check engine light’ and having to go to a mechanic or service shop to get a code reader to identify a problem. The Slate app will be to perform this service directly for a Slate owner.

The Slate has an affordable price and is all electric meaning it only runs on electricity, which costs less than gasoline or diesel. If an owner has a home charger there should be additional savings on fuel.