Ford Fathom vs. Slate Truck: A $28,000 Electric Pickup Showdown

Ford has officially named its upcoming affordable electric pickup: the Fathom. It starts at $28,350 before destination, which brings the total to $29,945 with Ford's $1,595 delivery fee. That puts it a few thousand above the Slate Truck, which starts at $24,950, or $26,400 once you add its $1,450 delivery charge.

If you've got roughly $28,000 to spend on an EV pickup, which one gets your money?

Slate is the more defined option right now. 1 cubic feet of cargo space, a seven-cubic-foot frunk, a 1,550-pound payload rating, and a 2,000-pound towing capacity. Those are solid work-truck numbers for a vehicle that's only 175 inches long. But Slate got there by stripping out nearly everything nonessential: crank windows, no factory touchscreen, no infotainment, no stereo.

It comes in gray composite bodywork and seats just two unless you buy a conversion kit. Some will see that as honest simplicity; others will wonder why they're paying $25,000 for what feels like a truck-shaped starter kit.

Ford has shared fewer Fathom details, but what's known paints a different picture. The Fathom launches as a four-door crew cab, unlike the Slate's two-door regular cab. The base version is rear-wheel drive with an LFP battery of undisclosed capacity. A bigger pack and an all-wheel-drive model are planned, though timing is unannounced.

5 seconds, far quicker than the Slate's roughly eight-second run. Ford also says the cabin will offer more passenger room than a Toyota RAV4, plus a touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, navigation, power windows, and an audio system. What's missing: range, payload, towing, and exactly what the $28,350 version includes.

It could be a bargain, or it could climb past $30,000 once you add expected features. So, Slate or Ford, and why?