- Slate’s upcoming electric pickup has a huge accessories list, and a trailer kit is on that list.
- The startup gave an extremely short glimpse into the installation process of the hitch.
- Priced at $99.99, the 2-inch receiver can be installed with a couple of tools in as little as half an hour.
The Slate electric pickup truck is almost here, and that’s a big deal, because when the first units reach customers, it will officially become America’s cheapest new EV. But the low, $26,400 starting price comes with some strings attached.
Namely, the entry-level truck is as bare-bones as they get, with anything and everything available as add-on optional extras. What’s more, the vehicle was designed as “the most DIY-able vehicle ever,” with owners expected to fix common problems and install new kit.
That includes the optional trailer hitch, which is now part of what seems like an endless list of accessories. Priced at $99.99, the kit has a standard two-inch receiver and needs just four bolts to attach to the rear of the pickup, as shown (for a very brief moment) in a new promotional video.
The same video shows some wires dangling from the underside, but the startup hasn’t made up its mind about that yet. A year ago, a reservation holder asked Slate about the trailer wiring, and the company replied that a four-pin cable will be available as an add-on accessory. However, the listing for the hitch receiver kit doesn’t say anything about wiring, and there’s no separate entry for a trailer wiring harness on the website.
This could mean that all Slate pickups come from the factory with a hidden wiring harness for trailers. It could also mean that a separate kit will eventually make an appearance in the online accessories shop.
The startup says that installing the rear hitch receiver can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, and that basic tools will do the job just fine. Judging from the video, a pair of wrenches is just about all you need.
With the receiver secured, the Slate truck can accommodate anything from a standard trailer hitch to a variety of bike racks and other accessories–all of which need to be purchased separately. As far as towing goes, Slate says its two-door truck can haul up to 2,000 pounds, which is adequate for a vehicle that’s nearly nine inches shorter than a Hyundai Ioniq 5.
With an 181-horsepower (135-kilowatt) rear electric motor and a 65-kilowatt-hour lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery pack, the Slate truck can drive up to 205 miles on a full charge. Mind you, that’s without towing, which will undoubtedly lower the range figure. Recharging the LFP battery is done through a NACS port at the rear left of the pickup, with Slate quoting 30 minutes for a 20-to-80% session at a DC fast charger.
