TheBadPlaceAll Content from Business Insider | I finally sat in the Bezos-backed Slate truck. It's designed to be unfinished. by Ben Shimkus
I was able to sit in Slate's pickup truck for the first time. I first saw the car on a computer screen last year.Dolly Faibyshev for BI
I saw Slate's truck in person, one year after the company showed me a concept on a computer.It's a stripped-down, customizable pickup built around simplicity — and an unusual business model.I asked why the company changed CEOs months before its launch and if the truck is still $25,000.In March 2025 — before I started writing for Business Insider — I met two automotive executives in a New York City coffee shop.
They wanted to show me a truck from a secretive new company.
A mood board featuring different sketches and parts designs for the Slate truck. The company said some images were produced with AI firm Vizcom, while others were early-round sketches.Slate's no-frills approachSlate showed off the car's chameleon-like aesthetics. The company says customers can easily wrap their trucks "in a few hours" with funky designs.The base truck is minimal: crank windows, no infotainment screen, and no built-in speakers for music. Drivers can add those features later.The last-minute leadership changeChris Barman acted as Slate's CEO from May 2022 to early March 2026.I finally saw it in person. Here are my thoughts.I was able to step into the Slate truck. It's roomier than I expected.Slate's approach differs from an auto industry filled with tech-laden cars.Pictures of the base Slate truck with no (or very few) modifications.Read the original article on Business Insider
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/bezos-slate-truck-designed-unfinished-2026-4
