Slate’s $24,950 Electric Truck Can Still Cost Less Than $20,000

When Slate announced its affordable new electric truck, the support of the federal tax credit was intended to bring its effective pricing below $20,000, but even though that rebate is now gone, there are other ways of significantly reducing the price you pay. The 205-mile truck's official base MSRP is $24,950, with the yet-to-be-announced destination charge likely to take the price to around $27k, but various state incentives can still bring the MSRP below 20 grand. Unfortunately, not everyone will qualify for all the rebates, but those who do are the ones who need a cheap vehicle more than most.

Certain States Offer Enough Off to Save Five Figures

In California, the Clean Cars 4 All program can cut $12,000 off the asking price on two conditions: you scrap a running internal combustion vehicle, and your earnings are at or below 300% of the federal poverty line. That means an annual household income of $47,880 or less for a single-person household and $99,000 or less for a family of four. If you qualify, the Slate pickup would effectively cost $12,950 before destination, sales tax, and registration. An instant $3,500 rebate is also being considered for all first-time EV buyers, so the price could drop as low as $9,450.

Related: 10 Cheapest Trucks You Can Buy in 2026

In Maine, you can get up to $8,000 off if you're a low-income earner, and if Oregon's Charge Ahead initiative goes through, likely sometime this summer, you'll get a flat rebate of $7,500. Massachusetts offers a standard $3,500 rebate and an additional $1,500 off if you're a low-income earner. Connecticut also offers up to $5,000 off, while Colorado and New Jersey provide $3,250 to $4,000 worth of rebates, depending on eligibility. New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania cut between $2,000 and $3,000 off.

More Affordable Pickups Are Coming

Slate will hope to take advantage of these credits as much as possible and as soon as possible because it won't have the cheap pickup market all to itself much longer. Ford is developing a four-door electric truck (so bigger than the Slate pickup) that is expected to cost under $30,000, and a new company called REO Industries has announced a small, gas-powered pickup called the Runabout that will do 600 miles on a tank and start at just $21,500. Of course, it's wise to temper expectations until these products actually reach customers because we've been wowed by low prices and big promises many times, only for legislative or economic pressures and developmental challenges to force ambitious prices up. For now, it's nice to see that there's a practical pickup currently on sale that most of us can afford, even if it requires state funding to be so.

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