Survey Sunday: will the Ford Fathom steal Slate Auto’s thunder?

This is an auto industry story with no direct home-energy angle, but worth a quick note for anyone weighing an electric truck purchase. Ford has announced an upcoming electric pickup called the Fathom, priced around $30,000 and just a few thousand dollars more than the bare-bones electric truck coming from startup Slate Auto (backed by Jeff Bezos). Electrek asked readers whether Ford's cheaper, dealer-backed truck would undercut Slate before Slate even ships its first vehicle. Nearly 2,700 people responded, and most said it's too early to tell or that a few thousand dollars still matters to buyers on a budget.

Readers who did take a side were split. Some argued Ford's nationwide dealer network, often seen as an advantage, could backfire through markups and a bad sales experience, giving Slate room to compete despite being a new company. Others compared Slate's stripped-down, customizable design to Ford's own Model T and Falcon, suggesting Ford has succeeded before with simple, affordable vehicles and could do it again. One commenter raised a different concern: Slate doesn't need the Fathom to be a better truck to hurt Slate's sales — just the announcement that it's coming could make shoppers hold off on ordering a Slate while they wait to compare.

Nothing here changes any current EV rebate, charging, or ownership information for homeowners. It's simply a look at how two upcoming affordable electric trucks are being compared before either has actually reached buyers.