Small African company actually beat Slate in creating a $20,000 EV pickup truck
- This South African truck is cheaper than the Slate truck
- It’s electric and, unlike Slate, it has power windows as standard
- There are a couple of potential issues, though
Published on May 16, 2025 at 7:38 AM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on May 15, 2025 at 3:50 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Slate, an American startup backed by Jeff Bezos, made headlines with a cheap EV truck, but it seems that a South African startup actually beat them to it.
The American startup wants to disrupt the automotive market with a cheap EV truck anyone can buy.
But, for a couple of reasons, this South African startup probably did better.
Although there could be a potential issue on the horizon.
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Slate is an American startup, backed by Jeff Bezos, that came up with an interesting and truly innovative idea.
Their strategy is simple.
They’ll sell you a cheap EV truck that’s so basic it doesn’t even have power windows.
Then, if you want a bit more in terms of optional extras and comfort, you can spend more to have more stuff to customize your truck, including a DIY kit to turn it into an SUV.
It’s a great idea, except for the fact there’s no guaranteed ETA on the truck yet – the company is simply saying it is ‘targeting’ a 2026 launch – and the other issue is the truck is cheap, but not that cheap.
Slate’s EV starts at around $28,000.
Some sources reported a starting price of $20,000, but that’s only including the federal tax credit, and there’s no guarantee that’ll still apply when the truck finally debuts next year.
As a result, you can actually buy a new Ford Maverick for the same price as a base Slate truck.
By contrast, a South African startup called Eleksa is already selling electric trucks that cost less than that.
The truck – or bakkie, as they call it in South Africa – is called the Pony EV, and it comes in with a price tag of just $20,000 and, more importantly, this one does come with electric windows as standard.
There are a couple of things to consider, though.
The first thing to bear in mind is that Slate promises 150 miles of range, whereas Eleksa can only offer 60, which is not that great.
The top speed is also nothing to write home about, considering it is limited to just 43MPH.
But the main problem is the fact the Pony EV is assembled in China and sold in South Africa, so whether this combo makes this truck commercially viable in the US or Europe remains to be seen.
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