Slate Auto opens pre-orders for a $24,950 modular electric pickup and expects first deliveries later this year, with a two-door SUV variant at $29,950.The company offers a stripped-down base with manual windows, no touchscreen and a $5,000 kit to convert to a five-passenger SUV, more than 175 accessories and over 100 vinyl wrap colors under $500; the truck has a 205-mile estimate and supports Tesla chargers.Backed by investors including
Jeff Bezos and
Mark Walter, Slate reports more than 180,000 refundable reservations, says it has raised over $1.3B, plans a plant in Warsaw, Indiana, and aims for positive free cash flow and EBITDA by next year while analysts warn of execution risks after the end of federal EV tax credits and rising competition from
Rivian,
Toyota and
Lucid.