Slate Truck: A Return to Honest Design in an Age of Overengineering

Niwwrd
10 hours ago
3 min read

Every era of design has its quiet revolution. And in 2025, the Slate Truck might be it. While the world sprints toward hyper-connected, software-locked vehicles that trade ownership for subscription, Slate takes a detour. It returns to basics—steel wheels, crank windows, HVAC knobs—and in doing so, challenges the very definition of progress.

At first glance, Slate’s electric truck looks like a relic from a simpler time. But don’t be fooled. This is radical design disguised as restraint—a vehicle built not to dazzle, but to serve. It’s not chasing the future. It’s designing a better present.

Design That Doesn't Perform for Instagram

There’s no chrome, no LED signature lighting, no oversized touchscreen. Instead, the Slate Truck embraces industrial honesty:

Steel wheels, not alloys
Knobs instead of capacitive sliders
A purposeful form factor, not sculpted excess

At 174.6 inches long, with a short overhang and tight wheelbase, it’s compact yet practical. Its unadorned stance evokes the kind of utilitarian beauty found in the original Land Rover Defender or Citroën Méhari—vehicles that prioritized human needs over brand theater.

This is functional minimalism, not aesthetic minimalism. A truck that respects your intelligence by not pretending to be more than it is.

The Real Disruption: Customization for the Everyperson

Where the industry sells trim levels and pre-packaged options, Slate offers a Blank Slate—literally. You get one clean base vehicle. Then you build on it.

Need a family SUV? Add the flat-pack SUV Kit—rear seats, roll cage, side panels, airbags.
Want a desert hauler or a winter commuter? Choose from over 100 modular accessories—cargo racks, power kits, wraps.
Bored of the color? Wrap. Unwrap. Rewrap. Whenever you like.

This is customization as empowerment—not luxury. It’s Ikea meets industrial EV. And the best part? You can install the components yourself or get help. Either way, you’re in control.

A Platform, Not a Product

Slate doesn’t just sell you a vehicle. It hands you a platform—a mechanical base that supports your evolving needs.

Rear-wheel drive, single-motor EV
52.7 kWh standard pack = 150 mi estimated range
Optional 84.3 kWh pack = 240 mi estimated range
201 hp, 195 lb-ft torque
0–60 mph in 8.0 seconds

No marketing hype. No fictional Ludicrous Modes. Just enough power to move your life forward.

Charging is equally thoughtful:

Household Level 1 overnight charging
Level 2 in under 5 hours
Level 3 DC Fast Charging to 80% in under 30 minutes via the NACS port

It’s not trying to win drag races. It’s trying to be useful, every single day.

Goodbye Touchscreens. Hello Common Sense.

Modern vehicles often force you into learning yet another operating system. Slate disagrees.

There’s no built-in infotainment suite. Instead, you get a universal phone mount and power ports. Bring the interface you already use. Or don’t. Want to install a tablet? Go for it. You’re not locked into anyone’s UX design vision but your own.

It’s a quiet revolt against digital excess—and a signal that not every car needs to be a rolling computer.

A Price That’s a Statement

After federal incentives, Slate expects the truck to be priced under $20,000. Let that sink in.

While mainstream EV trucks push $80K for features most people never use, Slate strips away the fluff and brings good design within reach.

The frame is steel. The philosophy is steelier.

Made in America, Delivered to Your Street

Slate’s manufacturing and distribution model is equally defiant. It’s built in a reindustrialized U.S. facility and sold direct-to-consumer. No dealership markups. No sales gimmicks. Order online. Pick up or get it delivered. Service it locally.

It’s how modern car ownership should feel—simple, transparent, human.

Why Slate Belongs in the Niwwrd Canon

At Niwwrd, we don’t celebrate cars because they’re fast or shiny. We celebrate them because they solve problems, challenge norms, or push the culture forward. Slate does all three.

Principle	How Slate Honors It
Form	Proportionally balanced, no-excess shape
Function	Maximum usability, no bloated features
Future	Modular, upgradable, and designed for long life
Accessibility	Truly affordable, from pricing to repairability
Agency	Lets users shape the vehicle, not just drive it
Responsibility	Made locally, without software lock-in or digital waste