Jay Leno Drives the Slate Pickup: The EV Truck Everyone Is Watching | Taha Abbasi

Jay Leno just got behind the wheel of one of the most anticipated electric vehicles in the market, and Taha Abbasi — a fellow truck enthusiast and real-world technology tester — is breaking down what it means. The Slate pickup truck, which has generated massive anticipation through spy photos and prototype sightings, finally got its first real-world driving footage courtesy of Jay Leno’s Garage.

Why the Slate Matters

The electric pickup truck segment has been defined by premium pricing. The Tesla Cybertruck starts at $79,990. The Rivian R1T begins at $69,900. The Ford F-150 Lightning, while more accessible, still starts above $50,000 for models with reasonable range. The Slate pickup enters this conversation with a radical proposition: a capable, affordable electric truck that doesn’t require a luxury budget.

For Taha Abbasi, who has extensively tested the Cybertruck in {internal_link(‘taha-abbasi-cybertruck-autonomous-delivery-van-tesla-commercial-2026’, ‘real-world conditions’)}, the arrival of affordable competition is exactly what the market needs. The Cybertruck proved that electric trucks can be genuinely capable. Now the Slate needs to prove they can be genuinely accessible.

Jay Leno’s First Impressions

Leno, whose authority on vehicles spans decades and thousands of cars, gave the Slate a thorough evaluation. The driving footage reveals a truck that handles confidently, with the instant torque delivery that makes electric trucks so compelling for both work and daily driving. The interior appears functional rather than flashy — a deliberate choice that keeps costs down while delivering what truck buyers actually need.

What stood out in the review was the Slate’s ride quality. Electric trucks can feel heavy and disconnected if the battery pack isn’t well-integrated into the chassis. The Slate appears to have solved this, delivering a ride that Leno described as composed and predictable — critical attributes for a vehicle that will be used for towing, hauling, and daily commuting.

The Affordable Electric Truck Gap

As Taha Abbasi has analyzed throughout his coverage of the EV market, there’s a massive gap between the $80,000+ electric trucks currently available and the price point where most truck buyers actually shop. The average new truck transaction price in the US is around $55,000, but millions of buyers are in the $35,000-$45,000 range. That’s where the Slate is targeting, and that’s where the real volume lives.

Rivian is addressing this with the smaller R2, due in 2026. Tesla has hinted at a more affordable Cybertruck variant. But the Slate could beat them all to market in the accessible truck segment. First mover advantage in this price tier could be enormous — truck buyers are brand loyal, and whoever captures them first may keep them for decades.

What We Still Need to Know

Jay Leno’s drive answered questions about driving dynamics but left others open. Range figures, towing capacity, charging speeds, and exact pricing haven’t been officially confirmed. For truck buyers, towing capability is often the deciding factor — an electric truck that can’t tow a boat or trailer is a deal-breaker regardless of how good it drives unladen.

Taha Abbasi will be watching for these details as Slate moves toward production. The electric truck revolution needs affordable options to go mainstream, and the Slate is positioning itself as the people’s electric truck. Jay Leno’s endorsement carries weight, but the real test will be whether the Slate delivers on the promise of capability at a price real truck buyers can afford.

---

About the Author: Taha Abbasi is a technology executive, CTO, and applied frontier tech builder. Read more on Grokpedia | YouTube: The Brown Cowboy | tahaabbasi.com