Simply at some point after TechCrunch revealed that Jeff Bezos is backing a secretive EV startup referred to as Slate Auto, an early model of the corporate’s low-cost electrical pickup truck was noticed within the wild.
Reddit consumer u/discostranger09 posted a photo to the r/whatisthiscar subreddit on Wednesday of a small, darkish grey two-seater pickup truck on a flatbed. The consumer stated it was being offloaded from a container outdoors their workplace within the Los Angeles Space. The picture was first reported by automotive outlet The Autopian.
The truck pictured is, the truth is, the one Slate Auto has been engaged on, in keeping with an individual with direct data of Slate Auto’s automobile design who spoke on the situation of anonymity. This particular person, whose id is thought to TechCrunch, stated the truck is probably going one of many idea autos the startup has created to indicate to potential buyers — just like the controlling proprietor of the LA Dodgers — at its design studio in Lengthy Seashore, California.
The truck is just styled, with a grille that considerably resembles the one on the modern-day Ford Bronco Sport. It additionally seems a bit like a smaller, simplified Rivian R1T — which is fascinating contemplating that Slate’s head of exterior design had a brief stint at Rivian earlier than coming to the secretive startup.
However there aren’t any dramatic thrives, and that’s by design.
As TechCrunch solely reported earlier this week, the younger firm is making an attempt to construct a enterprise across the truck that entails promoting it at a low value of round $25,000. Slate plans to upsell clients on customization and equipment of all kinds. The corporate has filed for a trademark on the phrase “WE BUILT IT. YOU MAKE IT.” and has talked about one thing that appears like a customization program referred to as “Slate College” in job listings.
One other Slate trademark that has not but been reported is for the phrase “Clean Slate.” That’s a method that the corporate might confer with the bottom mannequin of the truck earlier than a buyer chooses any customization choices, in keeping with the particular person acquainted. It’s unclear if the corporate has settled on a reputation for the truck, regardless of being a number of weeks away from popping out of stealth. The corporate didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.