Mini utes are the hottest new trend in motoring, and a brand new name has been added to the crush of bite-sized workhorses.
Slate Auto is a new electric car company backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and its first vehicle will be the modular Slate Truck. It was first revealed in April, 2025, but there has been crickets every since ... until now.
The Slate Truck is a little single-cab ute that can be converted into an SUV.
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It is a bare bones proposition with a starting price of US$24,950 ($36,200), which is several thousand more than originally promised.
Turning it into an SUV with seating for five, but still two doors, lifts the price to US$29,950 ($43,450).
The Slate Truck uses a 63kWh Lithium-Ferro-Phosphate (LFP) battery that delivers a driving range of up to 330km. It can absorb up to 120kW via a DC fast charger or 11kW when connected to a compatible AC charger.
Power comes from a single rear electric motor that produces 135kW and 264Nm.
It has a handy payload of 700kg, which drops to 570kg for the heavier SUV, with the tray a similar length to a dual-cab ute. It can tow up to 900kg.
Its rear-wheel-drive layout means there is a useable cargo area under the bonnet, which trumps any diesel- or petrol-powered ute out there.
Slate will begin delivering Trucks at the end of the year in the US. There is no word on if the vehicles will be exported to Australia.
Slate is preparing to sell their vehicles direct to customers, with no conventional dealerships. This could make expanding globally easier, especially given Bezos' expertise in global e-commerce.
The Slate Truck isn't the only small ute in the world, with BYD, Ford and Toyota all building new work ponies.
This new breed of small utes isn't built on a rugged ladder frame that is designed to handle serious off-roading, but are car-based utes in a similar vein to the old Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon utes.
Ford's new electric small ute has been spotted testing in the US and is the first vehicle from its new Skunkworks, which was created to develop the new low-cost electric vehicle platform.
It is due to launch in 2027, with Ford aiming for a circa-US$30,000 (A$42,600) price tag.
This would join its hybrid Maverick ute, which has been a smash hit in the US.
Toyota has been caught testing a new Corolla Cross-based ute in South America, and is again expected to launch in Latin America next year.
It is expected to be based on the company's TNGA-C platform, which would grant it access to the Prius' plug-in hybrid set-up, as well as the tried-and-tested 2.0-litre self-charging hybrid set-up.
BYD has also confirmed the Mako ute, which is expected to burst out of South America.
In Brazil, the Mako is a plug-in hybrid producing an expected 175kW, and promising a circa-100km EV-only driving range, along with a choice of two- or all-wheel drive.
A European launch also seems likely - though under the name Shark 5 - given patent filings have appeared in the EU. Reports also point to a flagship 1.5-litre PHEV variant producing 200kW of power being developed.