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Bezos-Backed EV Startup Slate Auto’s Pickup Truck Spotted In The Wild
Just one day after TechCrunch revealed that Jeff Bezos is backing a secretive electric vehicle (EV) startup called Slate Auto, an early version of the company’s low-cost electric pickup truck was spotted in the wild. A photo posted on Reddit by user u/discostranger09 shows a small, dark gray two-seater pickup truck being offloaded from a container outside an office building in the Los Angeles area. The image was first reported by automotive outlet The Autopian.
The truck featured in the photo is indeed the one Slate Auto has been working on, according to a person with direct knowledge of Slate Auto’s vehicle design who spoke on the condition of anonymity. This individual confirmed that the truck is likely one of the concept vehicles the startup has created to show to potential investors like the controlling owner of the LA Dodgers at its design studio in Long Beach, California.
Slate Auto’s pickup truck is simply styled with a grille resembling the modern-day Ford Bronco Sport and sharing some similarities with Rivian R1T. However, there are no dramatic flourishes, which is by design. This minimalist approach reflects the company’s goal of building a business around the truck that involves selling it at a low price of approximately $25,000. Slate plans to upsell customers on customization and accessories of a wide variety.
The company has already filed for a trademark on the phrase “WE BUILT IT. YOU MAKE IT.” and has mentioned something that sounds like a customization program called “Slate University” in job listings. Additionally, Slate Auto has applied for a trademark on the phrase “Blank Slate,” which could potentially refer to the base model of the truck before customers choose any customization options.
It remains unclear if the company has settled on a name for the truck, as it is still a few weeks away from emerging from stealth mode. The startup did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In other news, Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos’ involvement with Slate Auto suggests that the e-commerce giant may be expanding its interests beyond its core retail business to electric vehicles.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/10/bezos-backed-ev-startup-slate-autos-pickup-truck-spotted-in-the-wild/
