Slate Understands That Gray Is Dull, Therefore It’s Debuting With Authentic Crayola Wraps.

      Slate

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      The Slate electric pickup focuses on simplicity—rather than excitement. From the outset, the startup has promoted wraps as a means to enhance the standard unpainted gray body panels, and it is reinforcing this concept through a surprising partnership. While Ford has Carhartt, Slate is teaming up with Crayola.

      This week, Slate unveiled five Crayola color wraps: Cerulean (blue), Fern (green), Jersey Tomato (orange), Dandelion (yellow), and Razzmatazz, a pinkish shade that might just claim the title for best car color name. These colors will be available as “starter packs,” which include the wrap itself, decals that mimic the Crayola crayon wrapper designs, a key fob cap, and a clip-on crayon trinket that can be attached to the windshield.

      Each pack is priced at $1,549.99, making it a premium choice considering basic wraps start at $500 (“specialty” colors are also available for $669.99), with an extra installation fee targeted at $500. Less expensive partial wraps are also offered, along with decals like racing numbers and stripes. Slate claims to have over 100 wrap colors available, with even the basic selection featuring some quite vivid options.

      Slate has recently opened preorders for the truck itself, requiring a $300 nonrefundable deposit against the $24,950 starting price. This deposit ensures a delivery timeframe; customers can then fully customize their trucks as the delivery date approaches. Slate anticipates beginning deliveries in the fourth quarter of this year.

      The base price includes a 65-kilowatt-hour (63 kWh usable) battery pack, providing an estimated range of 205 miles, a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds, and a payload capacity of 1,550 pounds. With a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 5,689 pounds, the pickup’s curb weight of 4,048 pounds leaves minimal margin for error in payload calculations. A kit to convert the pickup into an SUV is also available, but this added weight reduces towing capacity to 1,824 pounds and payload capacity to 1,263 pounds. Unloaded, the 181-horsepower motor can accelerate the pickup from zero to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds.

      Buyers will also receive a retro interior featuring crank windows and no screen, but the ride itself belies the cabin’s simplicity. This detail is significant, as a fully equipped model with the SUV kit and numerous accessories costs around $35,000. It wouldn’t be surprising if more trucks are customized in this manner rather than as basic models. Slate will likely need many customers to opt for various choices—including these Crayola wraps—to achieve profitability as it increases production.