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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(139,080 posts) Mon Jun 29, 2026, 12:16 PM Monday

Slate is betting Americans want less car for less money [View all]

Tiny, old trucks are having a moment online.

-snip-

But while the small pickups generate a ton of online hype, there are only two cute-utes that still have that fresh car smell: the Ford Maverick and the Hyundai Santa Cruz (and the Hyundai is reportedly not long for this world).

That's where Slate sees an opening.

The Jeff Bezos-backed startup told Business Insider this week that its tiny electric pickup will start at $24,950. The company's bet: they can turn a profit by building for the forgotten customers who don't want a giant truck with a giant screen and a giant monthly payment.

https://autos.yahoo.com/ev-and-future-tech/articles/slate-betting-americans-want-less-084701233.html

But why have a truck but to scare the shit out of other drivers?

23 replies

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Highlight:

Slate is betting Americans want less car for less money [View all] Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Monday OP

I wish there were some tiny cars here. ananda Monday #1

The big trucks are 4 feet high in the hood bucolic_frolic Monday #2

I know they're right. marble falls Monday #3

I'm very interested in this vehicle. I've been wishing for something like it for at least a decade now. 3_Limes Monday #4

Slate isn't that great... that's 25k before destination charge, they'll be 28k in reality WarGamer Monday #5

Yeah, seems way overpriced, Disaffected Monday #9

Pretty cheap for an EV Miguelito Loveless Monday #11

I dunno, 2027 Bolt EVs Disaffected Monday #19

It is decent for a ev pickup Miguelito Loveless Monday #20

Toyota makes the truck i want gay texan Monday #6

Likely due to the tariffs enacted by LBJ in 1964 MichMan Monday #7

I'd buy one now if Disaffected Monday #10

There's some guys I've seen some youtube on are going to build American Kai trucks. They claim they'll be under $20K. .. marble falls Tuesday #21

They lost me at "Jeff Bezos-backed startup" Pinback Monday #8

I think it's more the electronic bells and whistles than the size of vehicle 31j20b3 Monday #12

Back when I was in high school. the cheapest vehicle on the market MineralMan Monday #13

See post #22 harumph Tuesday #23

Bezos? 90 seconds of ads before you can start it in the morning. flvegan Monday #14

but you skip the ads if you pay $100 /month for "Prime" DBoon Monday #15

You need Slate Drive Ultra to skip the ads after the first 10 seconds (of each ad). flvegan Monday #16

I suspect this one's going to fail quickly jmowreader Monday #17

They're probably right. haele Monday #18

I kid you not, years ago we used a mini-pickup to move a regular sized "sub zero" fridge. harumph Tuesday #22