Slate's truck needs a $275 add-on for remote access
Slate's $24,950 Blank Slate truck has no modem, so remote access needs a $275 Telematics Module with one year of service, according to Engadget.
The facts
- The Slate Telematics Module costs $275 and includes one year of service, according to Engadget. It adds the cellular link the base truck lacks, which Slate told SAE Media has no modem.
- The module is not needed to drive the truck, and Slate says its upcoming free app is not mandatory either. Owners can install the module themselves in 30 minutes to two hours.
- Slate has not said what connectivity will cost after year one, what stops working if you don't renew, or what data the module will send or store. It also hasn't defined what "remote access" covers. Battery pre-conditioning is the clearest confirmed use.
- The Blank Slate costs $24,950 plus a $1,450 destination fee, and pre-orders are limited to U.S. residents.
Case notes · Danny's take
Why it matters
Cars are slowly turning into subscriptions. Slate is doing something different: connectivity is a separate part you choose, not a default you can't switch off. That's a cleaner deal, but only if the price after year one is clear. A $275 upfront cost is easy to read. The recurring bill is the part nobody has published yet.
For builders
Optional telematics is a product pattern worth watching. If you build connected-device software, expect buyers to ask what is sent, what is stored and what breaks when a subscription lapses. Slate hasn't answered those yet, and that gap is the opening.
Not financial advice. Do your own investigation.
This story was summarised with AI from Engadget's reporting and checked against our editorial policy. Danny's take reflects his views. Disclaimer.
Danny Walter
Founder of Moon Republic, Volt Terminal and Moon Republic Academy. Author of The Market Is a Crime Scene and After the Applause.