Why Won’t Canada Get The Slate Truck?

Those north of the border hoping for a cheap truck are out of luck. Slate Auto has no plans to sell its truck or SUV in Canada.  

A spokesperson for the automaker confirmed with Automotive News Canada that it does “not have plans to sell vehicles” in the country. Slate officially announced the truck’s starting price late last month, and it is higher than expected, at $24,850. The SUV is $5,000 more.  

According to the publication, Slate’s spokesperson did not elaborate on why it has no plans to sell the vehicle in Canada. The automaker has billed the bare-bones truck and SUV as affordable options that prioritize personalization and taking care of your stuff.  

Deliveries for the truck and SUV begin later this year in the United States.  

What’s Keeping Slate Out Of Canada?

There’s a good chance that reciprocal tariffs from Canada would make the American-built Slate too expensive for buyers, which the publication also notes. When US President Donald Trump imposed a 25-percent tariff on imported cars from Canada, our northern neighbor responded in kind.  

Another potential issue is the fate of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade pact between the three nations negotiated and signed by Trump during his first term. The president has signaled that the United States would not renew the agreement in its current form even though Mexico and Canada wanted a 16-year extension.  

Without the renewal, the agreement will now undergo annual reviews for the next decade while remaining in force. If the three countries fail to agree to a revised trade pact, it will expire on July 1, 2036.  

That doesn’t create immediate pressure on Slate, but any new agreement will likely include changes that could greatly affect automakers. That’s a level of uncertainty that automakers are living with right now.  

What Slate Offers For $25,000

Photo by: Slate

The Slate Truck and SUV going on sale are different from the ones the automaker first showed. It has a larger 65.0-kilowatt-hour lithium-iron-phosphate battery that offers up to 205 miles of range in the pickup. That’s up from the original 150 miles with a 52.7-kWh pack.

The EV makes 181 horsepower, down from the 201 hp, but torque remains unchanged at 195 pound-feet. The EV can hit 60 miles per hour in 8.0 seconds, with the truck capable of towing up to 2,000 pounds.  

The Slate comes with no features, but it offers a plethora of accessories to kit it out as owners like. Upgrades include stereos, seat covers, roof racks, wraps, and more.  

Each Slate comes with a 10-year, 110,000-mile battery and powertrain warranty, and owners will be able to turn their trucks into SUVs after the initial purpose. Slate promises that owners will be able to repair and upgrade their own vehicles.  

Motor1’s Take: The current economic reality makes it nearly impossible for Slate to sell its EV in Canada at a competitive price. The vehicle’s entire premise is built on affordability, but tariffs make it impossible for Slate to deliver on that promise.