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Bezos-Backed Slate Auto Opens $24,950 EV Pickup Preorders

7/4/2026

43 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Slate Auto Preorders

Slate Auto, a Jeff Bezos-backed startup, opened preorders for a two-seat electric pickup at $24,950.
In 2025, under 5 % of new U.S. vehicles sold for $25,000 or less.
The International Energy Agency said plug-in cars were under 10 % of U.S. sales in 2025, versus 53 % in China.
BloombergNEF projects global plug-in sales at 23 million this year and expects the U.S. share to stay below half the average.

Summary

BNEF Downgrades

BNEF now expects plug-in electric vehicle sales to reach 17% of new car sales by 2030, down from 47.5% in 2024.
Analysts say the downgrade follows Congress ending the $7,500 EV tax credit and weakening fuel-economy standards.
The Senate removed California’s waiver for a 100% plug-in rule by 2035, leading to lawsuits and cancellations of models such as the Volkswagen ID.4 and Ford F-150 Lightning.

History

Historical Context

Congress enacted a federal plug-in credit of up to $7,500 in 2009, a key incentive that a 2016 UC-Davis study linked to over 30% of EV sales and that pushed manufacturers past the 200,000-vehicle phase-out point in 2018. Its 2024 removal and the Senate’s repeal of California’s 2035 waiver now curb demand for models such as Ford’s F-150 Lightning.

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Slate Auto Preorders

Slate Auto, a Jeff Bezos-backed startup, opened preorders for a two-seat electric pickup at $24,950.
In 2025, under 5 % of new U.S. vehicles sold for $25,000 or less.
The International Energy Agency said plug-in cars were under 10 % of U.S. sales in 2025, versus 53 % in China.
BloombergNEF projects global plug-in sales at 23 million this year and expects the U.S. share to stay below half the average.

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