Drove 267 Miles to Not Drive a Slate Truck

An early look at Slate Automotive’s EV truck turned into a road trip: the journalist behind a Slate purchase drove more than 250 miles to see a prototype in person, since only a few people near Slate events could get the in-progress ride. Slate’s pitch centers on “early adopter” status—buying before general availability and highlighting a build date. The writer is planning delivery in the first quarter of 2027, calling it a departure from their usual hands-on research approach. The article frames Slate’s retail process as different from traditional automotive buying.