This Is America's Most Affordable New Pickup Truck At Around $25,000

There is no denying that buying a new car in 2026 can be pricey — with an alarming number of people paying over $1,000 a month – not to mention a new truck. According to Kelley Blue Book data, per Cox Automotive, the average transaction price for a brand-new small or midsize pickup in June 2026 was $42,987. So, finding any new pickup for around $25,000 in 2026 might seem unlikely — particularly an electric one, since the starting price for most currently available electric pickups is considerably higher. However, the 2027 Slate Truck has a starting MSRP of just $24,950. While the mandatory $1,450 destination charge raises the minimum price to $26,400, before taxes and registration, that is still a whopping $16,587 below the June 2026 segment average. On top of that, it undercuts the absolute cheapest option among the cheapest trucks of 2026, the Ford Maverick, by $2,590 when both vehicles' destination charges are included.

With an announced base MSRP that is lower than that of any other new pickup, the truck has, unsurprisingly, been popular. More than 160,000 people had reportedly already placed $50 reservations as of April 2026, with official preorders opening on June 24, 2026, – with a $300 nonrefundable deposit, or an additional $250 from those who made earlier reservations. With that said, Slate has not yet revealed how many reservations have converted into preorders. Deliveries of the truck are expected to begin in late 2026.

If you think the Slate Truck is cheap because it's small and bare-bones, you're not wrong. At 174.6 inches, this two-seat pickup is approximately two feet shorter than the already compact Ford Maverick, which measures 199.8 inches – however the Slate truck boasts a 6-inch longer truck bed. The interior has manual windows and no built-in infotainment or audio system, while its 17-inch wheels are made from steel, generally less expensive than alloy. That said, Slate has also managed to eliminate expenses at the factory level.

Per Edmunds, the company trimmed its truck down to about 800 major components, less than half the roughly 1,840 components that Slate claims are found in a conventional pickup truck. Plus, rather than developing everything itself, Slate has sourced several components, including the motor, steering column, and some control electronics, from other companies. Additionally, every truck leaves the assembly line with the same battery, two-seat body, and gray finish – with any optional equipment added afterward. 

Instead of stamping its exterior panels from metal and painting them, Slate molds them from gray plastic composite. This removes the need for both stamping equipment and a paint shop — facilities that Fast Company says can cost around $100 million and more than $300 million, respectively. Buyers who want another color must pay extra for a wrap, while larger upgrades, including a five-seat SUV conversion, are also sold separately. This keeps the starting price down. Slate will also sell directly to buyers and use existing RepairPal certified shops instead of building its own nationwide service network.

Skepticism is understandable when an unfamiliar company promises America's cheapest pickup. But Slate isn't just any random startup. It began in 2022 as a project inside Re:Build Manufacturing, a company for developing and manufacturing products in America, before becoming independent in 2023. Reuters reports that the idea came from Re:Build CEO Miles Arnone, who shared it with chairman and former Amazon Worldwide Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke before assembling a small team. According to TechCrunch, Slate's executives include CEO Peter Faricy — who previously served as Vice President of Amazon Marketplace — and President of Vehicles Chris Barman — a former longtime Chrysler executive.

With so many former Amazon executives at Slate, it is perhaps unsurprising that the company is also backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who also co-founded and leads AI startup Project Prometheus. Other previous investors have included Bezos's family office, General Catalyst, and Slauson & Co., while TWG Global led a $650 million funding round in April 2026. This brought Slate's total funding to approximately $1.4 billion — considerable backing for any company.

That money will help Slate begin production at a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana. Slate says it expects to invest nearly $400 million in the factory and create more than 2,000 jobs. This funding, factory, and experienced leadership are likely to make the Slate truck an exciting addition to the market.