Since Slate Auto came out of stealth mode last week, the internet has been abuzz with speculation about the finer details of the ultra-barebones electric Truck, which is set to cost just $20,000 when it enters production next year — assuming our federal EV incentives are still in place by then.

Slate Auto, an electric vehicle startup backed by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, unveiled its inaugural truck the company says starts at a price of $20,000 for the most bare-bones version, a lower price than competitors including Elon Musk’s Tesla vehicles.

With the average cost of a new car now edging closer to $50,000, the dream of affordable transportation is slipping away for many Americans. Basic, reliable vehicles—the kind that get