James May gets behind the wheel of America's cheapest new pickup truck and points out its best feature

Automotive icon James May has taken a closer look at one of America’s most unusual new EVs, and the pickup is certainly not trying to impress anyone with flashy features.

The former Top Gear presenter got behind the wheel of the Slate Truck, an affordable electric pickup that’s designed to be finished by its owner.

Built with simplicity in mind, it comes with some surprisingly old-school features that you probably haven’t seen on a new car in years.

But there’s one particular thing about it that May seems to love.

James May takes America’s cheapest new pickup truck for a spin

The Slate Truck is made by Detroit-based Slate Auto, a company backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and its starting price is just under $25,000.

That’s remarkably cheap for a brand-new electric vehicle in the US, particularly when you consider how expensive new cars have become.

But there’s a reason it costs so little.

The truck arrives in a seriously stripped-back specification, with an unpainted-looking plastic exterior, minimal interior upholstery and even old-fashioned manual wind-up windows.

There’s no fancy infotainment system either, with owners instead getting somewhere to mount their phones.

James May was particularly amused by just how basic the vehicle is, joking that its interior looked like something made from a single piece of plastic.

However, he was pleasantly surprised by how it drove.

The electric pickup uses a one-pedal driving system, meaning drivers can accelerate and slow down simply by pressing and releasing the accelerator.

After spending around an hour driving through towns, countryside and on the freeway, May revealed he hadn’t needed to touch the brake pedal once.

He also praised its smooth ride, quiet cabin and surprisingly decent performance.

Its best feature is something you don’t get with most new cars

While the Slate Truck’s affordability is certainly a big selling point, May was particularly taken with something else.

Rather than making buyers pay for a fully finished vehicle, Slate Auto lets them customize their pickup themselves.

The basic model acts as a blank canvas, with owners able to add different colored wraps, decals, accessories and even extra bodywork.

Fancy something more family-friendly? Well, you can transform the pickup into an SUV.

Alternatively, there’s an option to give it a beach buggy-inspired appearance.

May particularly liked the truck’s boxy styling, which reminded him of classic American pickups from the 1970s and 1980s.

He also appreciated the simplicity of its design, suggesting that the removable body panels could make repairs easier if something gets damaged.

The configurator even got put to the test when May and his co-host Lucy Brown designed their own versions.

Lucy went all out with the customization options, creating a truck costing $33,827.

May, meanwhile, stuck to his principles and left practically everything untouched, with his version costing just $24,950.

He argued that keeping it basic was actually the whole point.

James May admits he would actually buy the electric pickup

Despite acknowledging that the Slate Truck’s stripped-back approach could be seen as a bit of a gimmick, May seemed genuinely impressed.

The pickup offers around 200 miles of usable range, can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in approximately eight seconds and has a top speed of less than 100mph.

Those figures aren’t going to trouble any supercars, but that’s hardly what this vehicle is designed to do.

May compared its appeal to simple, affordable cars such as the original Fiat Panda, praising its straightforward approach to motoring.

He also suggested that modern pickup trucks have become unnecessarily large and luxurious, moving away from their original purpose of simply carrying things around.

And after putting the Slate through its paces, he couldn’t find many reasons to complain.

In fact, when asked whether he would actually have one, his answer was surprisingly enthusiastic.

“Do you know, I think I would. I’d have one.”

Not bad for a truck that doesn’t even come with paint as standard.