Slate Promises Its Electric Pickup Won’t Track You
▼ Summary
– Slate Auto is building an electric pickup truck in Warsaw, Indiana, with a minimalist design of only 600 parts, two seats, manual windows, and no infotainment system.
– The vehicle uses a smartphone app for settings, drive modes, and charging info, but only through local connection since there is no embedded modem for remote access.
– The company states it will not sell user data collected from the app, using it only for product improvement and customer experience.
– Slate emphasizes privacy as a core part of the product experience, not just a compliance requirement.
– Data collection is limited to specific purposes like diagnostics, maintenance, and support, with clear communication to customers about what is shared and why.
Slate Auto is emerging as one of the most intriguing players in the American automotive sector. Based in Warsaw, Indiana, this startup is rethinking what an electric pickup truck can be. While Ford touts its clean-sheet “skunk works” development, Slate has gone even further, paring its truck down to just 600 total parts. That radical minimalism extends to the cabin, where you will find two seats and manually operated windows, but no infotainment screen. For Ars readers who have long wanted an electric vehicle that respects their privacy, Slate may have the answer.
The experience isn’t entirely analog. A Slate smartphone app handles settings, drive mode selection, and displays range and charging data. However, that connection is strictly local. There is no embedded modem, so remote access is off the table. The company also insists that while it might use app data for product improvement, it will never sell that information.
These details come from a recent report by SAE International’s Roberto Baldwin. “We are building it around ownership value,” Slate explained. “We collect data to make ownership better, not to turn the owner into the product. The app will collect data only when it directly contributes to enabling or improving a customer experience. Privacy is paramount. For Slate, privacy is not a compliance footnote. It is part of the product experience.”
The company elaborated: “Customers should understand what is being shared, why it matters, and how it helps them own the vehicle with more confidence. That may include data needed to support account setup, device-to-vehicle connection, diagnostics, maintenance guidance, service support, charging context, OTA update status, customer support, and product improvement. Slate is being intentional about what the app can do and what data it collects. We would rather be precise and trusted than overpromise connected features or collect data without a clear customer benefit.”
(Source: Ars Technica)
