Slate Changes Battery Strategy: Cheaper LFP Technology Over Longer Range Option
Slate, maker of a stripped-down EV pickup, has dropped the 240-mile battery option and boosted the standard range from 150 to 205 miles by switching to lower-cost LFP cells.
Slate, the startup behind an affordable electric pickup truck, has found another way to simplify its product: the battery. When the company revealed its starting price of $24,950 (before destination, taxes, and fees) on Wednesday, it also announced a change in battery strategy—eliminating the optional 240-mile pack and increasing the standard pack from 150 miles to 205 miles.
Originally, Slate planned to use nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cells, which offer higher energy density and longer range but are more expensive. However, automakers have increasingly turned to lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells, which are about 40% cheaper due to low-cost materials like iron, despite lower energy density. The LFP supply chain is concentrated in China, but with the elimination of EV tax credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, concerns about LFP's foreign origin have faded. Slate is working with Hefei-based Gotion to source cells, which will be manufactured at a factory in Illinois, according to InsideEVs.
Another reason LFP was previously overlooked is limited range, but as charging networks expand and speed improves, range anxiety is diminishing. Modern LFP variants have narrowed the energy density gap, and major automakers like Ford, GM, Rivian, and Tesla now offer LFP-equipped models. Additionally, Slate uses cell-to-pack technology, where rigid batteries are loaded directly into the pack, reducing manufacturing steps and increasing volumetric energy density. Unlike NMC, LFP can be charged to 100% daily without significant degradation.
While LFP won't dominate the entire market, its combination of low cost and adequate range makes it an obvious choice for what will be the cheapest EV in the United States.
