We’ve thought about a cheap electric pickup truck like the Slate several times

Even for someone like me who doesn’t want — much less need — a pickup truck, the idea of ​​a cheap electric pickup truck is certainly appealing. The small utility from the new company Slate, which has among its investors Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, will have a starting price of around R$ 138 mil ($25,000). Considering the US federal tax credit — which could be revoked under a possible new Trump administration — this value could fall to less than R$ 110 mil ($20,000). But there is a Stellantis executive who doubts that buyers will be satisfied with this basic version.

In an interview with CNBC, the CEO of Ram, Tim Kuniskisstated that consumers will inevitably want to add equipment considered essential, which would greatly increase the final value of the pickup:

“Now, how much it will actually be traded on the market… when people start adding options, it will no longer be R$110,000. It will reach R$194,000 (US$35,000), and then you are already in mid-size pickup truck territory.”

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Fonte: Slate

By way of comparison, a basic Ford Ranger in the USA, without options, costs R$ 194 mil ($35,025), with shipping fees included.

Kuniskis recognizes that the Slate is a “super interesting” proposition within the lucrative pickup truck segment, but states that the versions really desired by consumers put it in direct confrontation with already consolidated models. And he may be right. A look at the list of Slate’s standard equipment shows how much is to be given up to reach a price close to R$110,000. The entry-level version comes with manual windows and does not have a multimedia center or speakers. Even the storage compartments in the doors and Bluetooth controls on the steering wheel are charged separately.

Photo by: Slate

It is not yet clear whether including these items could actually increase the final price by up to R$83,000 (US$15,000), but Kuniskis is skeptical about the idea that buyers will accept such a spartan version for the advertised price. According to him, Ram has considered launching a pickup truck similar to the Slate “a million times”, but always gave up after concluding that, equipped competitively, it would no longer be cheap.

Despite the strong initial interest in Slate — which may indicate that Kuniskis is mistaken — it remains uncertain how many of the more than 100 thousand reservations will actually convert into orders. The sign of just R$ 277 ($50) is refundable, which makes everything even more uncertain. If orders come true, it will be interesting to see how many will opt for the simpler version.

Photo by: Slate

Currently, Ram does not have a direct rival to the Slate. It is also absent in the US in the mid-size pickup truck segment like the Ranger, and among smaller ones, like the Maverick. Slate, with just 4.43 meters longis much shorter than the Maverick, which measures almost 5 metros. Ram even has more compact models, like the Rampage and the least known 1200but none of them are sold in the North American market. Kuniskis even told the Engine1 earlier this year that I would love to launch a midsize pickup truck in the US as a more affordable alternative after the end of the Ram Classic.

Outside the world of electric cars, there is an interesting parallel: Toyota sells the Hilux Champ in Thailand, a minimalist pickup truck aimed at heavy work, with a starting price equivalent to R$ 77 mil ($14,000). But it won’t be offered in the US, where even the cheapest pickup trucks exceed R$ 167 mil (in the case of the Ford Maverick, starting at US$30,535) and the Hyundai Santa Cruzwhich costs at least R$ 167 mil (US$ 30.200).