Slate’s EV Pickup Truck Promises to be Highly Customizable. But How Exactly Does That Work?

If you want to get a pickup truck for less than $25,000 from Slate, you’re going to get something pretty bare-bones. The aptly named “blank slate” is like this by design. The EV manufacturer wants people to make the vehicle their own, and doing so will involve installing a lot of accessories.

The Blank Slate doesn’t come with an infotainment system, power windows, any non-mandatory driver assistance systems, or even any exterior paint. A lot of this can be added, and you could be the one doing it.

The DIY aspect is central to Slate

The first is the DIY aspect. Slate has detailed instructions on its website that show people how to install various official accessories around the truck. So if you decide your phone’s speakers aren’t quite enough and you drop $400 or more on an official speaker kit, you can install it yourself.

The same goes for door panels, vehicle wraps, roof racks, and 200+ other accessories Slate lists on its website. They all come with detailed tutorials, and the vehicle itself is designed so it can be modified with basic tools. While Slate has decided to avoid “trims” with its pickup truck, there is something similar on the accessories market. You can pick one of several “Starter Packs” that bundle an array of accessories. You may still end up bolting them on yourself, but it’s a way to get an off-roading or “premium” setup via a collection of curated accessories.

It may also be better than the traditional “trim” model. For one, you can split the costs. Nothing stops you from driving the bare-bones truck for a few months, then splashing out on accessories or a starter pack further down the line. You can also switch out accessories as needed. So you’re not stuck in one configuration like you tend to be with a regular vehicle.

Not all of the accessories are that serious

While many of Slate’s accessories have a practical edge, a few are designed to show the vehicle’s (and owner’s) less serious side. The most outlandish are arguably the collabs Slate has entered into with other brands.

Take the Smarties collab. Along with badges and additions to the key fob, you can get various pastel-colored wraps to decorate your vehicle. If pastel isn’t your thing, there’s a collab with Crayola offering similar mods with brighter colors, along with a number of crayon decals. Custom badges are also available through a collaboration with Monster Jam, if you’re looking for something small to decorate your dash with.

As with a lot of things involving the Slate truck, these are just a starting point. Slate almost certainly has further collabs planned in the future. If the initial batch is anything to go by, they’re going to be loud, unique, and give owners the opportunity to add a crazy amount of personality to their vehicles.

But what if the official stuff isn’t enough for you and you want something truly unique? If that’s the case, you may need to get comfortable with software like AutoCAD.

Think something is missing? You can fill the gap

Everything Slate has said indicates that its vehicles are an ongoing project. The company expects its customer base to develop its own, and there are two ways it’s going to do so. The first is “The Collective.” You apply to Slate to become part of this and, if accepted, you’re sent CAD data, which will help you with attachment points and access to the company’s marketplace.

From there, you can design accessories that fit various attachment points around the truck. You can even make money with your design, provided enough people download it.

If you don’t want to use the official marketplace, other websites let you upload your designs and download ones you think will fit your vehicle. With that being said, the Slate’s Truck has not actually hit the road yet. So there aren’t really that many designs around at the time of writing.

This will undoubtedly change. Other companies, like Rivian and Ford, have large 3D printing communities. Plus, generic accessories are always designed to fit every vehicle.

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How do Slate's attachment points keep a 3D-printed accessory secure at highway speed?

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