Slate Auto announced that its bare‑bones electric pickup will ship without an embedded cellular modem.
The company’s prototype, unveiled at a June 2 press event, will rely on driver‑installed dongles for any connectivity. Slate says the decision eliminates the vehicle’s ability to send location, usage or diagnostic data without explicit user action. Pricing starts at $45,000 and production is slated for 2027, with an initial run of 10,000 units.
Without a modem, over‑the‑air (OTA) software updates must be performed manually, and warranty terms may require owners to keep a compatible dongle active. The move spotlights growing consumer concern over data collection in connected cars, offering a privacy‑first alternative at the expense of convenience.
It’s a trade‑off: you gain anonymity, but you also lose the seamless updates most buyers now expect.