Slate revealed its barebones cheap electrical truck to the plenty final night time. It is an fascinating automobile, able to changing to a small five-seat SUV for hauling individuals as a substitute of cargo. Judging by the feedback shared throughout our debut livestream, we suspect many potential Slate clients are largely eager about cargo.
That brings us to the timeless measure of a truck’s functionality as a workhorse. Can the Slate haul a 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of plywood? The straightforward reply is sure. However there is a bit extra to it than that.
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Supply: Slate
Throughout the Slate EV’s debut, the corporate stated the mattress will maintain “a full sheet of plywood.” That is a typical 4×8 sheet, and with a most payload capability of 1,433 kilos, the truck may carry fairly a number of. The minimal mattress width is 50.0 inches, simply vast sufficient to accommodate a 4-foot (48-inch) vast piece of wooden, in order that checks out.
Here is the place issues get a bit extra difficult. The mattress size is 5 ft on the nostril. That is 60 inches, effectively wanting a typical piece of plywood. So you will not haul it with the tailgate up with out all types of overhang. Drop the gate and the mattress ground extends to 81.6 inches, which equates to six.8 ft. That is additionally not lengthy sufficient to completely help an enormous sheet of plywood, however that is no massive deal. Most full-size vans haven’t got a full 8-foot mattress anymore, so a foot of overhang for plywood or lengthy 2x4s is just about the norm as of late. Stick a flag on the again, strap all of it down, and you have to be good to go.
Nevertheless, we’re uncertain at this level how effectively these massive plywood items are supported within the mattress. The gap between the wheel wells is just 42.9 inches. That is not sufficient for plywood to sit down flat, so it’d have to sit down on the wheel wells. The highest parts of the effectively look flat, which is nice for preserving the panels steady. However they don’t seem to be very vast, leaving a lot of the sheet unsupported. That should not matter a lot for thicker plywood sheets, however quarter-inch plywood is loopy versatile. And skinny 4×8 paneling might be sketchy, too.
Picture by: Slate
Ford has the same setup on the Maverick, which truly has a barely shorter mattress in comparison with the Slate. Nevertheless, the Maverick’s wheel arches are longer, wider, and nearer to the mattress. Ford additionally has notches within the aspect so as to add help beams throughout the mattress. From what we see within the configurator, Slate would not have the identical sort of help.
Nonetheless, the aptitude is there. And since this truck is electrical, there is a bit extra storage up entrance within the frunk. If the mattress is occupied by a weekend’s value of DIY venture lumber, you’ll be able to nonetheless carry a 12-pack within the entrance.
Will probably be some time earlier than we are able to put this truck’s cargo capabilities to the take a look at. Slate expects manufacturing to start in the direction of the tip of 2026. However judging by the numbers, it ought to be fairly darned succesful for its dimension.
