2027 Slate Truck EV vs. 2025 Ford Maverick: How They'll Compare

Car and Driver

5 days ago

As big trucks continue to get bigger and more expensive, some room has opened up at the other end of the pickup spectrum for manageably sized haulers. Ford has proved this with the success of its Maverick pickup, and newcomer Slate hopes to capitalize on the desire to go small with its aptly and simply named Truck EV. Much about the Slate will be simple, in fact; it will come just one way from the factory, sparsely equipped with only the essentials, letting owners customize the look and functionality through a wide array of accessories.
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Ford
2025 Ford Maverick.
There are no other baby electric pickups on the market right now, so the Slate's closest analogue is the Ford Maverick. Based on what Slate has shared about its debut product, we've compared the specs on these mini trucks to see what the matchup will look like when the startup's offering hits production, currently planned for late 2026.
Ford
2025 Ford Maverick.
Slate
2027 Slate Truck prototype.
Powertrains
Today, Ford sells the Maverick with a choice of two powertrains. The base setup is a 191-hp hybrid connected to a CVT and front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available. For a little more, you can get a 250-hp turbocharged four-cylinder that uses an eight-speed automatic and comes standard with AWD. In our testing, a front-drive hybrid version needed 7.7 seconds to hit 60 mph, while the turbo four did the same in a snappy 5.9 seconds.
The Slate Truck's initial solitary spec includes a single electric motor good for 201 horsepower and powering the rear wheels. (We have to imagine there's an all-wheel-drive powertrain in the plans at some point, but this single-motor layout should help Slate meet its thrifty goal for the launch product.) Slate claims a preliminary 0-to-60-mph time of 8.0 seconds. And that's with the 47-kWh standard-capacity battery; if you opt for the 75-kWh pack, which adds 302 pounds to the Truck's 3600-pound starting weight, acceleration is bound to be slower. Assuming things stay the same, the Ford will have the accelerative advantage.
Fuel Economy
These two little guys operate on different fuel, so examining their energy use is a bit of a Gala-to-Fuji comparison. What makes it even more difficult is that Slate hasn't shared any energy-consumption estimates for the Truck. All we know is that the small-pack version has a projected range of 150 miles and Trucks with the larger-capacity battery are forecast to go 240 miles on a charge.
Range is less of a consideration with the gas-fed Maverick. In its shortest-range configuration—the new-for-2025 Lobo, which comes with the turbo engine—it'll still do 396 miles on a tank of fuel. The most miserly Maverick, the front-drive hybrid, has EPA ratings of 43 mpg in the city and 35 on the highway, while the least efficient of the bunch, the Tremor, comes in at 21/27 mpg city/highway. If you want an EV, you'll go one way; if not, you'll be visiting gas stations.
Ford
2025 Ford Maverick.
Slate
2027 Slate Truck.
Interior and Cargo
It's inside where things get really interesting for the Slate. From the factory, the Truck is configured as a two-seat, single-cab pickup with a five-foot bed. But Slate will sell two kits to turn it into an SUV—one with a boxy rear end and the other with a fastback roofline. The kit comes with a three-person rear bench seat, a roll bar, seat belts, and everything else needed to transform the Truck into an SUV. Slate hasn't shared full interior dimensions yet, but we know its frunk should measure 7 cubic feet and its bed has a claimed volume of 35 cubes.
The Maverick, on the other hand, starts and ends as a four-door, five-passenger pickup. (A Maverick in SUV form is called a Bronco Sport.) The Ford's wheelbase is about a foot longer than the truly diminutive Slate's, and it's a couple feet longer overall, but its bed is about a half-foot shy of the EV's. That said, the Maverick can carry more than two people while remaining a pickup, whereas the Slate makes you choose one or the other. Again, different strokes for different (numbers of) folks.
Ford
Ford Maverick.
Sean C. Rice
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Car and Driver
Slate Truck.
Towing
Slate says the Truck will have a towing capacity of about 1000 pounds. The Maverick, on the other hand, has a 2000-pound tow rating in standard form, while an available Tow package ups the max to 4000. If you plan to pull anything more than a toy or small enclosed trailer, the Ford is the pick.
Price
With all of the fluctuations that Maverick pricing has seen over the years (remember when it launched with a sub-$23,000 base MSRP?), there's a good chance that number will be higher once the Slate Truck arrives. There's also a high probability that the $7500 federal tax credit that Slate likes to tout will no longer be a thing, but even then the startup automaker should have the lower price.
As things stand now, the cheapest 2025 Maverick goes for $29,840. Slate is promising a pre-incentive price of around $27,000. It's not a huge potential savings, especially when you consider the Truck does without a sound system, power windows, and paint. Regardless, we like choice. We're looking forward to the coming mini-truck wars and seeing how buyers end up equipping their blank Slates post-purchase.
David Gluckman
Contributing Editor
Ever since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he's driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he's back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David's not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs. Read full bio