Driving the Slate electric truck prototype: first impressions from a 45-minute trip

An Ars Technica writer has tried a prototype of the electric pickup truck from US startup Slate Auto, driving it for 45 minutes from southwest Washington, DC, to Rockville, Maryland. Based on the drive, he concludes the company may have a hit on its hands, though that is his own assessment rather than sales data.

The prototype and its cabin

The test vehicle had seen heavy use, with almost 6,000 miles (9,656 km) on its odometer. A small, minimalist digital display shows speed and, when reverse is engaged, the backup camera feed. The cabin layout matches the production version, but the surfaces do not: the prototype uses a lot of hard, shiny black plastic, along with strips of Velcro left over from when the interior had to be camouflaged in public.

Controls and comfort

The writer found the truck easy to get used to. The doors open with mechanical handles, and the seat and steering column adjust manually but with plenty of reach, something budget models often omitted to save money. The key fob slots into the dash to switch the vehicle on, and a column shifter selects drive, neutral, park and reverse. The mirrors are also set by hand. The windows use manual winders, and the cabin climate is controlled by three dials for warmer, colder and more or less airflow.

The truck is a two-seater. Visibility from the cab is good, and although the Slate is on the smaller side, it stands 68 inches (1.7 m) tall, as tall as most other crossovers, so the driver sits relatively high compared with a sedan.

If navigation had been needed, a phone mount on the dash could have served, but the writer knew the North Bethesda area from before and could concentrate on driving.