Slate Auto is exploring a way to let owners transform their electric pickups into SUVs, offering a potential new level of flexibility for buyers seeking affordable electric vehicles. A newly published patent outlines a modular design that could allow drivers to switch between passenger-carrying and cargo-hauling configurations without permanently changing the vehicle’s underlying structure.
The patent provides a closer look at how Slate might bring its proposed pickup-to-SUV conversion concept to life, although there is no guarantee that the designs will reach production.
Slate Auto’s Affordable Electric Vehicle Lineup
Slate Auto is approaching the electric vehicle market with a strategy built around a basic starting configuration and a wide range of optional add-ons. The base pickup starts at $24,950 and promises approximately 205 miles of driving range per charge.
For buyers seeking a more SUV-like configuration, Slate also offers the Squareback and Fastback versions, both starting at $29,950.
The company has previously explored the idea of allowing owners to convert their pickups into SUVs after purchase. The newly published patent offers insight into how such a system could work.
How Slate Auto’s Reconfigurable Vehicle Design Works
The patent application, numbered 20260307578, was submitted in April and published last week. Titled “Reconfigurable Vehicle,” it describes a system designed to let a vehicle switch between passenger-carrying and cargo-hauling configurations without permanently modifying its underlying structure.
Rather than requiring owners to cut into the truck or use welding equipment, the proposed design features a frame with designated attachment points for body panels and structural components. Bolts, screws and clamps would allow these parts to be installed or removed as needed.
Modular Body Panels Could Enable Multiple Configurations
The design illustrates several potential vehicle configurations, ranging from an open-bed pickup to a fully enclosed rear section. Roof panels, side panels and rear glass could be combined in different ways, allowing owners to adjust the vehicle to their needs.
The proposed system also details a possible approach to installing rear seats. Instead of simply placing a bench in the cargo area, the design describes a hoop-shaped frame incorporating pillars and a crossbar that bolts directly to the chassis.
This arrangement is intended to provide structural support for the additional seating rather than treating the rear seats as an addition to the cargo space alone.
The design also explores different body-panel arrangements, cargo-bed components and accessories. However, these remain concepts, and it is unclear which features, if any, will eventually appear in production vehicles.
Could Owners Convert a Slate Pickup at Home?
The proposed system aligns with Slate Auto’s emphasis on customization. In theory, a single vehicle could be configured to carry building materials one day and transport family members the next, potentially reducing the need to own separate vehicles for different purposes.
However, the design does not specify how long a conversion would take, whether one person could complete the entire process or which tools and equipment would be required.
Structural strength, secure fastening and the safe installation of rear seats would also be important considerations for any vehicle built around interchangeable body configurations.
Slate Auto’s Pickup-to-SUV Concept Remains Unconfirmed
Slate Auto’s proposed design offers a look at one possible approach to converting an electric pickup into a more enclosed, passenger-focused vehicle. Its modular system outlines how removable body panels and structural components could support multiple configurations without permanently altering the vehicle’s underlying structure.
For now, the concept remains unconfirmed for production. There is no guarantee that every configuration will become available to customers.
