Slate Truck could switch between pickup and SUV bodies

© Slate Auto

Slate Auto has patented a way to convert a two-seat electric pickup into a five-seat SUV without welding, drilling the frame or permanently altering its structure. A separate support frame carries the rear seats, while removable panels and a roof enclose the cabin. One-person assembly in about four hours is a proposed scenario, not a verified production capability.

Patent application US20260307578A1, titled Reconfigurable Vehicle, was published on October 8, 2026. It describes the modular Slate Truck architecture, in which mounting points for optional components are built in at the factory, avoiding cutting or welding load-bearing parts.

The central element is a structural hoop with two vertical uprights and a crossmember. It attaches to factory mounts in the pickup bed sides and floor. Rear seats and their supports connect to this structure so passenger loads can be transferred to the vehicle frame rather than simply placing a bench in the cargo bed.

The patent also describes longitudinal supports, detachable side panels, a roof and rear glazing that create an enclosed passenger compartment. Removing them could return the vehicle to its open-bed pickup configuration, allowing the same vehicle to serve as a utility truck or a family SUV.

The proposed conversion uses factory threaded connections and ordinary hand tools, without specialist welding equipment or a large team. Assembly by one person in roughly four hours remains a design goal; the actual labor required by a production kit has not been established.

Slate Auto lists multiple body configurations for its planned electric vehicle. The two-seat Blank Slate Truck starts at $24,950 in the US, while the five-seat Squareback SUV starts at $29,950. The $5,000 difference excludes delivery, taxes and options. Slate separately quotes a $1,450 destination charge.

That $5,000 price gap is not a confirmed price for converting a previously purchased pickup into an SUV. The complete retrofit kit has no confirmed standalone price, and final requirements for installation and inspection of passenger safety systems have not been disclosed.

The distinctive idea is that modularity extends beyond body panels to the rear passenger structure itself. If Slate brings these solutions to production, owners could change the vehicle’s purpose without permanently modifying the frame. The patent demonstrates an engineering concept, not a guarantee that every described part will be sold.