Sure, Slate Trucks Are Cheap, But What If You Just Keep Adding Options And Don't Stop?

While we've had our fair share of spec sessions with the Slate EV, this time, we pretty much ticked all the boxes in the configurator to see just how expensive it can become if you go crazy with the options. Turns out, it's entirely possible to push the Slate's price tag well past $40,000 without including taxes and destination fees. In our spec, we've managed to add $18,650 worth of accessories on top of the Slate truck's $24,950 base price for a subtotal of $43,600. Choose the $29,950 Squareback and $31,950 Fastback body styles as the base configuration, and you can just as easily end up inflating their prices to over $45,000 when getting carried away with customization.

Among the expensive options are the custom wrap ($1599.99) and the $3,597 Worksport Driving Package, which includes a solar bed cover and a battery-slash-inverter. Optioning the animated front and rear lights will cost $849.98. Pair all that with the roof-mounted light bar ($799.95), front fog lights ($299.99), and the rest of the auxiliary lighting accessories (another $719.85), and the running total now exceeds $30,000.

Front and rear bumper upgrades with a spare tire carrier at the back add $1,599.97 to the total, and should you prefer a wheel-and-tire upgrade, Slate charges $2,499.98 for optioning 17-inch wheels with all-terrain tires. You can also opt for 20-inch rims, which lets you choose between all-season or all-terrain tires. Since our spec is mostly off-road-centric, we kept the 17s and also ticked the lift kit. However, Slate hasn't disclosed the lift kit's pricing at the moment, much like some of the other options in the configurator.

On the inside, the integrated front speaker and center console (both priced at $249.99 each) seem to be the most expensive bits, at least based on options that currently have a price tag. The rest of the interior ensemble is pretty much limited to floor mats, door cubby organizers, and a few other options that cost less than $60. Still, since we were ticking all the boxes, we added the $479 wall charger, along with a host of recreational accessories, including inflatable tables and chairs from a company called Flated, all priced between $149 and $299. Would anyone actually consider buying a white sofa for camping? Probably not. Anyway, add everything together, and the options alone cost nearly as much as the base truck itself, especially when you consider that qualifying state incentives can turn an entry-level Slate EV into a sub-$20,000 proposition.

While optioning the Slate truck to cost as much as a 2026 base-spec Model Y defeats the whole point of an affordable EV, it's worth noting that the vast majority of Slate buyers will likely not go overboard when speccing their trucks. And to be fair, even if you did manage to spec a near-$44,000 Slate pickup, it's possible that it might not even look good. If our example isn't enough, Car and Driver did one better with the Fastback SUV, speccing up an absolute eyesore that costs $46,300.