Ford Just Announced A New Truck That Could Make Slate's Pickup Obsolete

Electric cars have come a long way in a short amount of time. Today, you can buy plenty of reliable electric vehicles if you know where to look. Electric pickup trucks are the next big evolution, and currently, Slate's Blank Slate truck holds the title of the most affordable offering, even though it is only open to pre-order. However, Ford will soon give that truck a run for its money.

Earlier today, Ford announced the Fathom (not to be confused with the Fathom AI Notetaker), the next generation of electric pickup trucks. The company made many claims about the Fathom and how it will surpass rival vehicles. These include "more passenger volume than the Toyota RAV4" and a touchscreen display that supports features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Oh, and the most important feature is the Fathom's new iteration of BlueCruise, which is a driving assistance program that takes control of the wheel for you in designated areas (for $49.99 a month, that is).

Since Ford only just revealed the Fathom, we don't know much about its packages, but the company did say the EV's price will start at $28,350, not including destination and delivery fees or taxes. This isn't as affordable as the Blank Slate's base model, which begins at $24,950 (again minus fees and taxes), but it's still less expensive than the Cybertruck.

Previously, we reported that Ford provided some information about an upcoming $30,000 electric pickup, which is now confirmed to be the Ford Fathom. While the actual vehicle will be less expensive than the original predicted price of $30,000 (for the base model, at least), we can safely assume that its listed capabilities are more or less accurate.

According to the information we could find, the Fathom will run on a lithium-iron-phosphate battery that provides 300 miles of range and reach 60 mph in under 4.5 seconds (under ideal conditions). More importantly, the car will be built using Ford's Universal Electric Vehicle (UEV) platform. As its name suggests, the UEV platform will be used as the skeleton for an entire family of electric vehicles, and at "the best cost," according to an email sent by a Ford spokesperson.

While the Blank Slate is comparatively cheaper, it is also more barebones, albeit by design. The vehicle will only travel 205 miles on a single charge and won't include Android Auto or Apple CarPlay compatibility, just standard Bluetooth functionality. Plus, the manufacturer basically encourages customers to customize their orders with wraps, decals, speakers, and wheel sets. Oh, and Slate wants buyers to channel their inner Ikea, because customers need to install every add-on themselves. Want your Slate to come in a color other than basic Games Workshop miniature gray? The Blank Slate will include a DIY wrap for an extra $600. Adding additional seating to give the Blank Slate as much storage as the Fathom will make the price rocket even higher, and all these little options add up. Of course, there's so much we don't know about the Ford Fathom, but what we do know makes it sound like a better overall deal.