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The Slate Truck is a whole new kind of car

The Slate Truck is a whole new kind of car

  • The Slate Truck is a revolutionary new car that defies traditional luxury car norms by offering a sub-$20,000 pickup truck with minimal features.
  • The company, Slate Auto, is taking an unconventional approach to launching its brand by focusing on customizability and affordability, rather than exclusivity and high-end materials.
  • The manufacturing process for the Slate Truck involves a unique combination of automation and human labor, allowing for greater efficiency and lower costs.
  • Tim Stevens, freelance tech and auto journalist, joins The Vergecast to discuss the Slate Truck’s design, features, and potential success, offering reasons to be optimistic about its prospects.
  • The Slate Truck is expected to be available sometime next year, with Casey Johnston, a writer for The Verge, sharing her thoughts on screen time and technology in an unrelated segment of the episode.

The generally accepted way to launch your new car company is by building something fancy and expensive. Call it Founder’s Edition or name it after a precious metal, hope people pay for the privilege of exclusivity, and go from there. Slate Auto is doing… the opposite. The three-year-old company just announced its first vehicle, and it’s building a sub-$20,000 pickup with no stereo, no paint, and practically no options at all. It’s nothing like anything we’ve seen. And yet, at least according to the initial reaction to the Slate Truck, it might be exactly what we’ve been looking for.

On this episode of The Vergecast, freelance tech and auto journalist Tim Stevens joins the show to talk all about the Slate Truck. He tells us how the company’s manufacturing process works, why it’s placing such an emphasis on customizability, and whether Slate’s big bets can actually pay off. The car is supposed to be available sometime next year, and there are reasons to be optimistic it’ll hit that goal.

After that, Casey Johnston, who writes the She’s a Beast newsletter (and has a book coming soon!), tells us about her screen time journey. Casey has spent months rethinking the way she uses he …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Q. What is unique about Slate Auto’s approach to launching its new car company?
A. Instead of building a fancy and expensive car, Slate Auto is building a sub-$20,000 pickup with minimal features.

Q. How much will the Slate Truck cost?
A. The Slate Truck is expected to be available for under $20,000.

Q. What are some of the notable features that are missing from the Slate Truck?
A. The Slate Truck has no stereo and no paint options.

Q. Why is Slate Auto placing an emphasis on customizability in its manufacturing process?
A. (Not explicitly stated in the text) However, it can be inferred that the company wants to offer customers more flexibility and control over their vehicle.

Q. Will the Slate Truck be available next year?
A. Yes, according to Tim Stevens, the car is supposed to be available sometime next year.

Q. What is Casey Johnston’s newsletter called?
A. The She’s a Beast newsletter.

Q. Is Casey Johnston writing a book?
A. Yes, she has a book coming soon.

Q. How long did Casey Johnston spend rethinking her screen time habits?
A. (Not explicitly stated in the text) However, it can be inferred that she spent months rethinking her approach to screen time.

Q. What is The Vergecast?
A. (Not explicitly stated in the text) However, based on the context, it appears to be a podcast or video show hosted by The Verge.

Q. Who is Tim Stevens and what does he do?
A. Tim Stevens is a freelance tech and auto journalist who joined The Vergecast to discuss the Slate Truck.