Hand-cranked windows and a DIY dashboard join a high-tech electric vehicle platform in the affordable, customizable Slate Truck.

In other words, the SUV’s seats, structure and roof make it heavier, increasing energy consumption. But its streamlined shape also makes it slice through the air more efficiently. At the end of the day, you can expect a “small percentage” more driving range in the SUV, Keipper said.

Slate is talking a big game, and has revealed lots of details about its Slate Truck (yes, that's the name) today, but while there are lots of answers, there are lots of questions still yet to be clarified. We’ll start with the basics of what we know.