There are already pickups on the market for under $30,000, but Ford and Slate want to bring a sub-$30,000 electric<\/em> pickup to the American market. And as of Thursday, we finally know what Ford is charging.<\/p>\n The truck is called the Fathom, it starts at $28,350, and Ford spent nine months picking that name. So: will either of these be worth getting?<\/p>\n Here’s the funny part. Ford announced a name and a price and did not show us the truck. No photos, no renders, nothing. The full reveal isn’t until early 2027.<\/p>\n What we have are camouflaged prototypes spotted on public roads<\/a>, which suggest something boxy and simple. Thanks to Ford’s new unicasting production<\/a>, that tracks. It’s giving… Truck<\/em>.<\/p>\n Which could be the whole selling point. Most truck people don’t want an EV, and they definitely don’t want one covered in futuristic design flourishes. Unassuming and humble goes a long way here.<\/p>\n Slate is also meant to be simple and affordable, except to keep costs down the base model isn’t plain. It’s unfinished<\/em>. The Slate pickup doesn’t come with paint. It’s boxy and boring like the Fathom, but it also has no paint.<\/p>\n Winner: Nobody, yet.<\/strong> I’m not handing a design win to a truck Ford won’t let me look at.<\/p>\n The big selling point of these two boring, quasi-ugly electric pickups is that they’re affordable. Pricing killed the Ford F-150 Lightning, which Ford has now discontinued entirely and plans to bring back as an extended-range hybrid instead.<\/p>\n Ford promised sub-$30,000 for ages without giving a number. Now we have it: $28,350, plus a $1,595 destination fee, for $29,945 out the door. Ford squeaked under its own bar with $55 to spare, which is either impressive discipline or the most obvious marketing decision ever made.<\/p>\n It’s not as cheap as the gas Ford Maverick at $28,145. But again, this is an EV we’re talkin’ about.<\/p>\n The Slate truck starts at $24,950, and its destination fee is $1,450, so $26,400 all in. You may be thinking, “Ding, ding, ding. That’s the clearly obvious winner of the round. Hello!??!” But hold on.<\/p>\n I went to pre-order my own Slate truck to see what it truly costs<\/a> to build a functional, comfortable version. I skipped the extras nobody needs, but did opt for things like speakers and a simple coat of paint.<\/p>\n That brought me to $26,489.98. Which, fine, is still less than the Fathom, though you’re probably going to get a less comfortable ride.<\/p>\n Winner: Slate<\/strong><\/p>\n This round flipped completely on Thursday, because Ford finally released specs.<\/p>\n The Fathom seats five and reportedly offers more passenger volume than a Toyota RAV4, with a frunk on top of the bed. It has bidirectional power, so it can run your house during an outage. Every one comes BlueCruise-capable, Ford’s hands-free highway system, though you’ll likely pay extra to actually switch it on.<\/p>\nFord vs. Slate: Appearance<\/h2>\n
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Ford vs. Slate: Price<\/h2>\n
Ford vs. Slate: Capabilities<\/h2>\n