There's a reason you don't cars from new startups hitting the road every day. Building an auto manufacturer from scratch is really, really hard. It's expensive. There's tons of regulation. Manufacturing is complex. And getting people to spend serious cash on a car with no track record is tough. 

Slate thinks it can break through by placing several bets at once. It's betting there's a market for a $24,950 truck that's as basic as can be. It's betting Americans—or enough of them, at least—are ready for an EV with a little over 200 miles of range, bucking the trend toward ever-higher ratings. And it's betting that it can win over shoppers who've never seen a car that's so endlessly customizable. 

With a final price announced and preorders underway, the Slate Truck is closer to reality than ever. On this week's Plugged-In Podcast, we discuss the latest and whether Slate can thrive. I went to a media event hosted by Slate this week, where I got to sit in a few vehicles, take a ride in one, and speak with company executives about their plans for batteries, accessories, and more. You won't want to miss this one.