This EV Truck Won't Track You—Just 600 Parts, No Modem

Imagine buying a brand-new electric vehicle that can't spy on you even if it wanted to. That's exactly what Slate Auto in Warsaw, Indiana is building, and it might change how we think about privacy on wheels.

The Slate Truck strips everything down to basics: 600 parts total, two seats, manual windows, and absolutely no infotainment system. There's no embedded modem either, which means the truck physically cannot transmit your location, driving habits, or personal data to anyone.

You can still use a smartphone app to check your range and adjust settings, but here's the clever part. The app only works when connected locally to the vehicle, and Slate promises never to sell whatever minimal data it does collect. Leave your phone at home, and you're as untraceable as someone driving a 1985 Toyota pickup.

The timing couldn't be better. A 2023 Mozilla Foundation investigation found that car manufacturers collect massive amounts of customer data with shockingly poor security. General Motors got caught in 2024 selling driver data without clear consent, prompting Federal Trade Commission warnings across the industry.

Most automakers now view your personal information as an extra revenue stream. They track everywhere you go, how fast you drive, even how hard you brake. Then they package and sell that data to insurance companies and advertisers.

Why This Inspires

Slate Auto chose a different path entirely. "We collect data to make ownership better, not to turn the owner into the product," the company told SAE International. Privacy isn't just a compliance checkbox for them; it's the actual product experience.

The minimalist approach extends beyond privacy too. Fewer parts mean easier repairs, lower costs, and less environmental impact from manufacturing. The modular design lets customers configure exactly what they need without paying for features they'll never use.

Sure, connected services make some vehicles more convenient. Chinese EVs particularly integrate smartphone-like features that American boosters say blow domestic cars out of the water. But surveys show US buyers understand the privacy trade-offs; they just haven't had better options.

Now they do. Everyone who's ever complained about surveillance on wheels can finally put their money where their mouth is. Whether enough people actually will remains the big question, but at least one company believes ownership shouldn't cost you your privacy.

The Slate Truck proves technology can empower drivers instead of exploiting them.