Auto Review: The anti-Tesla? Bezos-backed Slate wants to sell you less car for less money

The Bezos-backed $25,000 EV that should worry Detroit

Slate Auto, the electric vehicle start-up backed by Jeff Bezos, is a grand experiment in whether austerity sells — and a warning for the U.S. auto sector.

Auto Review: The anti-Tesla? Bezos-backed Slate wants to sell you less car for less money

For decades, Detroit has operated on a simple premise: bigger vehicles, more features, higher prices. Trucks and SUVs that once prioritized utility have steadily evolved into rolling luxury suites packed with screens, software, and ever-expanding sticker prices. Affordability, meanwhile, has become increasingly elusive. Which is what makes Michigan-based Slate Auto's arrival so striking. Backed in part by Jeff Bezos, the startup is making a cont…