cross-posted from: https://rss.ponder.cat/post/221659
The old “Under $20,000” banner has been replaced with “Mid Twenties.” | Image: Slate Auto
Slate Auto’s American-made electric pickup — the one with no paint, no stereo, and no touchscreen — is no longer priced “under $20,000.” The increase is a result of Trump’s “Big, beautiful bill,” which will end the federal EV tax credits on September 30th when signed into law later today.
That sub-$20,000 price for the Indiana-built pickup was a big selling point for the EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, and was only possible after applying the $7,500 tax credit to the retail price. The price promotion was scrubbed from the Slate Auto site as recently as yesterday, according to TechCrunch. The website now shows an expected price of “mid-twenties.”
Slate’s under $20,000 price tag for a vehicle it won’t start delivering until late 2026 was always accompanied by an asterisk, with fine print highlighting federal incentives that were “subject to change.” And change was certainly expected: Trump campaigned heavily on the promise to end President Biden’s fictitious “EV mandate,” because electric cars are for socialists in MAGA world.
Trump’s embrace of oil and gas, while simultaneously dismantling incentives meant to spur the adoption of EVs and clean energies, is a gift to Chinese makers of electric cars, solar panels, and batteries. The US is now on course to own the past while China is firmly positioned to dominate the future.
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I could totally see no stereo/entertainment, but with no paint how long before it rusts out??
I believe the exterior is a composite and specifically made for you to wrap it. here's someone doing it at home. Basically a giant sticker.
So what if you did not wrap it. Would it hold up?
Saturn cars used plastic panels, and they held up better than the company did. No, seriously, I see one every now and then, and the 20-years old panels are fine.
Yes. Like the plastic bumpers on Subaru cars.
Saturn used it and it was fine. according to this article, the plastic expanded and contracted meaning there had to be big gaps and made it unappealing.
I can live with missing a lot of stuff, but a stereo system with at least bluetooth and AC if you live anywhere that gets even remotely hot are necessities for me.
But I don't live in the US anyway (and I am glad about that), so I cannot get this truck anyway. I am looking forward to something similar being sold here, but in a small van version, that would be my ideal electric car.
I do live in the US but I'm excited for Telo. Seems pretty close to what you describe.
What are you on about? It has a coated steel chassis, the paneling is entirely plastic and cant rust. They dont offer paint, but they'll sell the car with a vynyl wrap at extra cost.