Slate Auto's new EV is as far removed from a Tesla as you could imagine

It's no secret that the best EVs out there are rising to astronomical prices. Most wouldn't even bat an eye at a six-figure price tag hanging in the window of their next four-wheeled beau.

It doesn't have to be that way, though. That's exactly what the folks at EV start up, Slate Auto, thought too. The brand has just announced its first EV – a pickup truck which is pretty much the antithesis of all things Tesla.

Let's kick off with the price – the model is expected to launch at less than $20,000 (approx. £15,000 / AU$31,500). Make no mistake – that's a fantastic price for a brand-new car.

You can sort of see how they get it that low, though. The base model is pretty much devoid of anything you might call a luxury – the windows are manual, there's no central infotainment screen... there's not even any paint!

You can, of course, spec those things in... or at least, sort of. Colours can be added with a range of wrap options, you can pick a range of different tyre and rim combinations, key fob colours and more.

My favourite option comes in the speaker department, with what's called the "Bring your own" speaker mount. That's essentially a clip to hold a Bluetooth speaker, allowing you to simply use the speaker you already own, rather than paying for new ones.

As standard, the car comes as a two-seater pickup truck, but you can even spec a pair of options to turn it into an SUV if desired. It's much smaller than a lot of similar options, too, making it a more useful everyday drive.

You'll go from 0-60 in just eight seconds – broadly similar to the Abarth 500e Turismo I tested last year, though far more impressive in a pickup – with a top speed of 90mph. Range varies from 150-240 miles depending on different spec options, and a NACS charger means a 20-80% charge with a 120kW charger will take less than 30 minutes.

Personally, I'm really excited by the prospect. For the better part of a decade, I've been crying out for a return to 'simple' car making. Do away with the gadgets and gizmos and just give me something simple, mechanical and affordable.

If you'd told me that prophecy would come true at the hands of Jeff Bezos, I might have laughed in your face. But the prospect looks very real, and I for one am excited to see just how Slate Auto EVs can perform in the real world. If they're as good as they sound, we might have a real game-changer on our hands.