Whether it’s nostalgia or a sense that technology has gotten a bit too pervasive, there’s no denying that Slate Auto appears to be tuned into the particular moment. The startup has a simple pitch: an affordable electric truck with just the basics, leaving owners to DIY and BYOD for everything else, all for a sub-$25,000 starting price.
Among the things Slate does without is an embedded infotainment system. The small digital display on the dashboard that shows your speed and range is also where the backup camera appears if you engage reverse, and there are two USB-C ports that provide power but not connectivity, and that’s that. But there is a solution to getting lost, and it’s called “Screenless GPS.” Even though we don’t have a Slate truck to test it with, the OEM sent us a unit to review.
That’s right, it’s a good old spiral-bound road atlas! “We believe you should use the devices you know and love,” Slate says, and it reckons that maps worked just fine for past generations, so they should still work now.