A New Player on the Affordable Truck Scene

"What if the Slate Truck had an internal combustion engine?" I'm apparently not the only one who's asked that question--and startup REO Trucks is offering an answer.Between REO's website and The Autopian's rather extensive interview (linked below), there's a lot of interesting info available on this new affordable truck targeted to be in owners' hands in late 2028. The basic facts are intriguing:

• Body-on-frame construction with mechanical 4WD

• Existing L4 engine (preferably with port injection, not direct injection--and so potentially tough to find), with 6MT and 6AT options

• Three models: $21,500 T4X 2-seat regular cab with a steel dropside bed, $25,000 T4C 5-seat crew cab, and $28,500 S4C 6-seat SUV (with side-facing jump seats)

• To be built in Texas and (like Slate) sold directly online

• Simple, straightforward design; every panel off in under five minutes with common tools, and plenty of physical controls inside

• Support right to repair, with parts sold through vetted sellers and a “public catalog guaranteed for 20 years, sold straight to owners”

The performance and capability numbers appear competitive: 4,500lbs towing, 1,200lbs payload, 25mpg, ~600mi range--although I’d expect those numbers to vary based on the bodystyle. No word yet on performance, which makes sense given that the engine apparently hasn’t been selected yet. The full reveal is supposed to happen later this year; as you can see, the T4X profile appears rather close to the Slate (which is about 5 inches shorter). Based on the silhouettes shown on the website, the crewcab appears to have a ~4.5-foot bed, comparable to a Maverick. And, like Scout, they are leaning into heritage; they have trademarked Speedwagon, and their initial vehicle, Runabout, is also an REO nameplate. They also have the endorsement of the R. E. Olds Museum in Lansing, Michigan.

With all of that, there are some concerns and questions...

• There’s no info on the site on who else is involved, and, while the founder’s “car guy” status is a plus, his background in real estate suggests he’s going to need people with industry experience to pull this off. So far, I can’t find the company on LinkedIn, so the rest of the team is a mystery.

• The CEO explains “the company is funded to where it needs to be right now,” which is a good place to be in. But we all know the financial challenges any startup faces; additional funds are going to have to come from somewhere to actually build the truck.

• Slate has partnered with RepairPal for service, and will have an as-yet-unannounced logistics/distribution partner. I think REO will need a similar setup--I, for one, don’t have the skills to repair my own truck, no matter how many enablers are there.

So, like Slate, at the end of the day, there’s a lot to be excited about but several serious questions remain. I look forward to hearing more...

#reo #slate #truck #affordable #automotive #automotivenews #autoperspectives