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The $20,000 American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, and no touchscreen


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Posted
Just now, Deej said:

I read Nissan is releasing a $20k pickup with a naturally aspirated, in-line 4 cylinder, with the option for a standard transmission. They will even have a diesel version. If I just needed something to make short trips to carry stuff, I'd probably lean towards that. 

Just bring the GD Hilux over here - those damn things are indestructible.  

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Posted
14 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

 if it's reliable 

 

Bingo. 

 

150 mile range is fine if you only use it for errands and commuting. This isn't supposed to replace a "work truck". It isn't supposed to replace a "my penis is small" truck. If it fits an 8 x 4 foot piece of plywood, that's big enough for 90%+ of all truck "needs". If I need more or bigger than that, I get it delivered. 

So, I'll let some other suckers buy it first, and if it ends up being reliable, I'll buy it. 

But the question remains, 4, 2, or AWD?

 

Posted
1 minute ago, gsoda3 said:

another 100 miles on the battery at this price point.    

Bigger battery required = more weight = beefier suspension, brakes, and transmission = more cost.  Damn Teslas can weigh more than a half-ton ICE truck in many cases.  

Posted
Just now, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Aren't Hilux's basically Tacomas? 

Because my 95 Tacoma that I drove to the moon (250K + miles), was indestructible. 

Biggest difference is the engine - they have these small, bulletproof (literally) diesel engines.  It doesn't meet fuck-all emission ratings but could drive to the Moon and back, hence it's not sold in the US.  

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Posted
3 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Bingo. 

 

150 mile range is fine if you only use it for errands and commuting.

 

150 miles in a perfectly controlled environment.  A reasonable assumption is 80% of that when you factor in load (and does it have cooling/heating?)

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Posted
10 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Just bring the GD Hilux over here - those damn things are indestructible.  

The already existing tariff on light trucks plus whatever cheetard's additional tariffs are make this exceptionally unlikely.

Posted
Just now, Brian Fantana said:

The already existing tariff on light trucks plus whatever cheetard's additional tariffs are make this exceptionally unlikely.

I always heard it was emission concerns.  All other light trucks and unaffected other than price

Posted
5 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

I always heard it was emission concerns.  All other light trucks and unaffected other than price

That's the main reason trucks have gotten so huge - larger vehicles have a different and looser set of emissions standards, so our trucks get bigger to take advantage 

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Posted
32 minutes ago, royiv said:

Rather have one of these than an Incel Camino.

Plus you could get a small fleet of the Slate for the cost of the Tesla "truck". And maintenance for that small fleet probably be less than a single Tesla Cyberthingamajig.

Posted
40 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Bingo. 

 

150 mile range is fine if you only use it for errands and commuting. This isn't supposed to replace a "work truck". It isn't supposed to replace a "my penis is small" truck. If it fits an 8 x 4 foot piece of plywood, that's big enough for 90%+ of all truck "needs". If I need more or bigger than that, I get it delivered. 

So, I'll let some other suckers buy it first, and if it ends up being reliable, I'll buy it. 

But the question remains, 4, 2, or AWD?

 

The range is 75 miles unless you are teleporting home. 

Posted
1 hour ago, 956 Worldwide said:

I can see a significant market for these, especially if you can customize a covered bed panel-van style, for tradesmen, delivery, fleets, etc. Customers that want the service and warranty and who can’t one-off shop on the used market. 
 

Probably much more limited for a family car.  I do dig it though. Not much different than a two door S-10 or Ranger that used to litter highways.  The range would stop me, would love to see an ICE version but the incentives wouldn’t apply.  
 

The truck and car market got stupid and is crashing into the reality of no one can afford a car.  The manufacturers don’t want to play in the low-margin budget zone but that zone is getting bigger and will continue to. 

That zone is currently served by Used Car market. But it will be interesting how the tariffs will drive up demand in that market for people who buy luxury vehicles. Someone will make money serving the poor. 

Posted
Just now, Iceman said:

The range is 75 miles unless you are teleporting home. 

 

Fair enough. Even less if you run the AC I'm sure. 

But still less than a commute. Plug it in when you get home, ready to go the next day. Could fully charge it on a 110 V plug in 6 or 8 hours probably. 

 

Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Probably about as safe as one as well.  Why not just grab a used Taco if you need a small ranch vehicle or a used 4-banger car like a Corolla or something stupid-reliable for a 3rd car?

Older Ford Ranger. Things run forever and re-manufactured, warrantied crate engines run about 4k from AutoZone.

Ranger Crate Engine

This is a quick search first thing I found in a Nashville "suburb". 

Lots of examples like this. Tacos are spendy cause market demand for an off roader exists still.

Screenshot_20250425_104045_Chrome.thumb.jpg.56885fe576fdb7ab5c5780a96f7de189.jpg

 

or in many states you can just get a $5-10k SxS not have to worry about charging it and actually be able to drive it off road and use in on your land

UTV

Screenshot_20250425_104712_Chrome.thumb.jpg.5dfd517aa3e21ab13da70a029eb5ed1e.jpg

Edited by BurntEyes
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Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

Just bring the GD Hilux over here - those damn things are indestructible.  

Ive been wondering for year wtf they haven't. 

Fucking Aussies get all the cool cars we don't. 

And really, Toyota could go back to making a basic god damn Taco. 

Stereo, AC, roll down windows, extended bed, 2 seater use an existing great engine. But no, because its not electric, dammit.

Edited by BurntEyes
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Posted (edited)

That range makes it a non-starter as a fleet truck too. That’s what the old rangers and new maveriks excel at- being great tools for pool cleaners and auto parts runners and meter readers and other municipality needs. 
 

this thing is good for a drive to a place fairly nearby and returning. A modest commute.  Longer if there is charging available at the workplace.  It’s probably decent as an urban vehicle that can go blocks or a mile at a time to make stops. 

Edited by Pato del Muerto
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Posted

I like the made in America part of the story.  That's about it.  I guess it could be a teen driver first car, but my kids are too cool to drive that dork mobile.

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Posted
2 hours ago, DaggerHorns said:

Model, mileage, $20k, blah, blah, blah.

 

No one is getting any pussy in a slate…

 

But if it has a USB port, you might be able to plug in a dildo.

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Posted
45 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

I wonder if the 150 mile range is with AC on or off? Probably off, I'm guessing. 

 

 

A/C off, absolutely no passengers beyond the 150-pound manlet in the driver's seat, and absolutely zero cargo.   Electric ranges are inflated by every manufacturer, just like mpg for ICE vehicles.  This thing could work well for someone who doesn't venture beyond a ten to fifteen-mile radius of their house, which is a lot of urban dwellers.   They still have to park it and charge it though, and that will eliminate a lot of that exact demographic.

Posted
42 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

Fair enough. Even less if you run the AC I'm sure. 

But still less than a commute. Plug it in when you get home, ready to go the next day. Could fully charge it on a 110 V plug in 6 or 8 hours probably. 

 

You're not getting more than 5 miles per hour on a 110v.  Closer to 3.  It'd take you a a full day to trickle charge that from 50% to 100% capacity.  

Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

Seems like an affordable option for a car for a teenager. Utilitarian, short range. It'll be interesting to see the costs of the kits for adding another row of seats and the SUV top. The customizable colors and doors and options could also be a big hit with the youngs since they can't afford much these days anyway. 

 

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

Just bring the GD Hilux over here - those damn things are indestructible.  

that was my ride as a teenager. basically this guy to lug my lawn mowing shit around. 

1971 Toyota Hilux Pickup for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $26,500 on  July 13, 2021 (Lot #51,130) | Bring a Trailer

Of course, it was 10 years old and I paid $1K for it, because my parents saw no reason why they should buy me a car. thing was a fucking tank. I wrecked it bad, gave it to an old school repair shop and told them to replace everything with second hand parts. It took them a couple of months of scouring junk yards, but I got it back for another $800 and it was good as new (although the body panels werent all the same color. Wasnt much of a pussy wagon, but it got me around for cheap. 

Edited by Blotto
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Posted
2 minutes ago, Samson's Wig said:

A/C off, absolutely no passengers beyond the 150-pound manlet in the driver's seat, and absolutely zero cargo.   Electric ranges are inflated by every manufacturer, just like mpg for ICE vehicles.  This thing could work well for someone who doesn't venture beyond a ten to fifteen-mile radius of their house, which is a lot of urban dwellers.   They still have to park it and charge it though, and that will eliminate a lot of that exact demographic.

Yeah the cost of a parking spot can be as much a deterrent for city people as the cost of the vehicle itself. And side streets and surface lots don’t usually have plugs at the ready. 
 

and once you plug your shit into it like phone, speaker, whatever accessories for “customization” they drink off the battery as well. 
 

so what demo are they targeting, anyone seen an investor presentation?  Or is this just people blindly tossing cash at a person with Tesla corporate on their CV?

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Posted

 

OK, 5 miles per hour of charging. My commute is ~10 miles (one way). So I could charge in 4 or 5 hours my commute plus a trip to the store. If I pick up a load of bricks or something, maybe that doubles to 10 hours of charge time. 

Still very doable. Park in the driveway. plug in. 10 hours later, I'm ready to leave for work, battery charged enough to get me to work and home and a few errands. 

 

Assuming the thing is reliable as an ICE vehicle, it makes sense to buy one as a daily commuter vehicle. 

 

Not getting the hate on this thing. Its no more or less dorky than half the POS I see on the road. 

 

Posted
41 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

That zone is currently served by Used Car market. But it will be interesting how the tariffs will drive up demand in that market for people who buy luxury vehicles. Someone will make money serving the poor. 

 

Back in the 70s, Japanese automakers got into the US market by making reliable compact cars. However, they moved away from that market to increase profits. The concept of a cheap car is fine. But cheap cars aren't great money makers for automobile manufacturers. And the luxury auto market is pretty crowded. All, this is to say that I wouldn't invest in the company because I don't think the concept is sustainable, meaning that I think the company will fail. Plus, I'm not so sure a $20,000 car is "cheap" for young adults. That still seems like too high of a price point for low income who probably live in an apartment complex with no outlets in the parking lot.

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Posted
2 hours ago, Da Fino said:

Wasn't that the point of the Maverick?

It was and Ford did a good job imo. (Sans call backs) Consumer demand fucked it up, ironically. Supply couldn't meet demand, and the new Ranger decreased Ford's interest in it. 

But did Japan, Korea or other US manufacturers enter that market?

Sadly, no. I think in large part because the truck market started shrinking, iirc.

Posted
3 minutes ago, Blotto said:

that was my ride as a teenager. basically this guy to lug my lawn mowing shit around. 

1971 Toyota Hilux Pickup for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $26,500 on  July 13, 2021 (Lot #51,130) | Bring a Trailer

Had one of these when I moved to Austin in 1996 - US version, probably an '82?  Put 1200mi a week on it for a year or so before the clutch/transmission gave up the ghost on the Steck overpass of MoPac and a good Samaritan w/ a bull bar gave me a push over to the Luby's side, where I said my final goodbyes.  No A/C (had it, but worthless and made the engine overheat) and straight up pussy repellant.  

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Posted
11 minutes ago, Mittens said:

Had one of these when I moved to Austin in 1996 - US version, probably an '82?  Put 1200mi a week on it for a year or so before the clutch/transmission gave up the ghost on the Steck overpass of MoPac and a good Samaritan w/ a bull bar gave me a push over to the Luby's side, where I said my final goodbyes.  No A/C (had it, but worthless and made the engine overheat) and straight up pussy repellant.  

Mine was a '76, with oxidized red paint and thick 70's brown, tan, and white racing stripes down the sides and hood. Once it was wrecked, they found replacement front quarter panels that were sort of the same color red, but with no racing stripes, so they just ended at the doors. it was the definition of a beater, but reliable as all fuck. Plus as a tiny shitbox  two seater, i rarely ever had to drive when out and about with friends, so i could drink beer as a passenger as god intended. 

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Posted
41 minutes ago, Elvis said:

I like the made in America part of the story.  That's about it.  I guess it could be a teen driver first car, but my kids are too cool to drive that dork mobile.

It's cooler than riding a school bus. 

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Posted
38 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

Are we talking about the EV or your high school experience

Like most teenagers, I was indeed a manlet in high school.  I also drove a single-cab S10 pickup complete with it's all mighty 2.8 liter and an entire 110 horses under the hood.  So to answer your question, BOTH. 

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Posted
27 minutes ago, Blotto said:

Mine was a '76, with oxidized red paint and thick 70's brown, tan, and white racing stripes down the sides and hood. Once it was wrecked, they found replacement front quarter panels that were sort of the same color red, but with no racing stripes, so they just ended at the doors. it was the definition of a beater, but reliable as all fuck. Plus as a tiny shitbox  two seater, i rarely ever had to drive when out and about with friends, so i could drink beer as a passenger as god intended. 

'88 F150, Gray with a red stripe and red vinyl interior.  Extended cab, two tanks, manual transmission, 4x2,and those bad-ass triangle windows that help when the AC is sucking.  That truck was the tits.  Had that great inline-6.  Drove from HS, to college, then multiple states across the country after college.  Tranny went out in KY, and a true shade-tree mechanic was able to salvage one from a junk yard, less than $2K later, off I went.  

Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I'd buy a 25 year old imported Kei truck for $8,000 before I'd buy one of these. 

honda_acty_1990_wallpapers_1.webp?v=1695

If everyone was so into affordable utility in this country then this would be a top selling vehicle, but our cars are very much linked to our egos.  The Slate will serve nothing but the egos of those who can afford a secondary vehicle and want it to be different.  Yeah this 20k vehicle would be great for me to take to Lowes on the weekend, the market for an errand vehicle is completely ignored.

Edited by Gene Parmesan
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Posted

I am for anything that might shake up the bloated engineering of modern cars for the US market.   I am like an Alzheimers patient in that I forget what button replaced the key ignition every. fucking. drive.  And Jesus, why do I have to pay extra for the privilege of getting goosed in the ass when my car's sensors confuse heavy snowfall with an imminent collision from the side?  WHAT WAS THAT LOUD SOUND AND FLASHING RED LIGHT?  No, motherfucker, I'm not about to fall asleep and need to pull over, I'm just old with droopy fucking eyelids.  NOW WHY ARE YOU SLOWING DOWN?  Im pressing the gas, and you are slowing down!  WTF?!  Oh, you detected an imminent collision with a car in front of me 1/2 mile down the road and corrected my driving?   Goddammit!  Get that shit out of my car.  I don't want it.  I never asked for it, and I am pissed I have to pay for it.  Give me a simple, reliable vehicle circa 1995 that just fucking works with no changes to an interface that was perfected a long time ago*

* But keep that little back up camera in there, that shit's gold for hooking up a trailer.

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Posted
39 minutes ago, High Plains Drifter said:

 

OK, 5 miles per hour of charging. My commute is ~10 miles (one way). So I could charge in 4 or 5 hours my commute plus a trip to the store. If I pick up a load of bricks or something, maybe that doubles to 10 hours of charge time. 

Still very doable. Park in the driveway. plug in. 10 hours later, I'm ready to leave for work, battery charged enough to get me to work and home and a few errands. 

 

Assuming the thing is reliable as an ICE vehicle, it makes sense to buy one as a daily commuter vehicle. 

 

Not getting the hate on this thing. Its no more or less dorky than half the POS I see on the road. 

 

No hate coming from me about the vehicle, I think it's a cool idea. I just don't think it's a viable product in this market.  I've driven similar vehicles in the past (small trucks), and I'm somewhat familiar with the market for small and midsize trucks, including those of the EV variety, as I currently drive one and pay attention to the market.   The positive use case for this type of vehicle serves a very narrow demographic, and that demographic has other factors, such as access to parking and charging, that make it even less plausible for this vehicle to sell well in the United States.  Range phobia has held back EV sales in all categories for years, but a basic truck with no paint and no other amenities is going to crack that code?   This looks more like a standard-issue private equity bullshit play than a viable product to me.  

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Posted
3 minutes ago, BurntEyes said:

Good article in broad strokes, but for a real comparison it should have included the Mazda B series trucks. 

Remember when Mazda made affordable small trucks, admittedly with Mitsubishi engines for the majority of the time?

I do too.

 

They were rebadged rangers for a while when ford owned Mazda. 

Posted

For those bitching about range, they also plan on selling a model with a 240 mile range (unclear on price differential):

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/04/amazon-backed-startup-wants-to-sell-a-bare-bones-ev-truck-for-20000/

 

Quote

The truck will come with a choice of two battery packs: a 57.2 kWh battery pack with rear-wheel drive and a target range of 150 miles and an 84.3 kWh battery pack with a target of 240 miles (386 km). The truck has a NACS charging port and will charge to 80 percent in under 30 minutes, peaking at 120 kW, we're told. The wheels are modest 17-inch steelies, and the truck is no speed demon—zero to 60 mph (0–97 km/h) will take 8 seconds thanks to the 201 hp (150 kW), 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) motor, and it tops out at 90 mph (145 km/h)

 

Posted
1 hour ago, Elvis said:

I like the made in America part of the story.  That's about it.  I guess it could be a teen driver first car, but my kids are too cool to drive that dork mobile.

I’ve never met a kid that was too cool to drive whatever the fuck their parents bought them. 

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