Screenless GPS: Slate Auto says, “Remember the road atlas”





no sextant required

Screenless GPS: Slate Auto says, “Remember the road atlas”

What’s more fitting than a spiral-bound map for a bare-bones two-door pickup?


Jonathan M. Gitlin

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A road atlas and a sticker pack

No built-in GPS is not a problem, you just have to remember how to read a map.


Credit:

Jonathan Gitlin

No built-in GPS is not a problem, you just have to remember how to read a map.


Credit:

Jonathan Gitlin




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Whether it’s nostalgia or a sense that technology has gotten a bit too pervasive, there’s no denying that Slate Auto appears to be tuned into the particular moment. The startup has a simple pitch: an affordable electric truck with just the basics, leaving owners to DIY and BYOD for everything else, all for a sub-$25,000 starting price.

Among the things Slate does without is an embedded infotainment system. The small digital display on the dashboard that shows your speed and range is also where the backup camera appears if you engage reverse, and there are two USB-C ports that provide power but not connectivity, and that’s that. But there is a solution to getting lost, and it’s called “Screenless GPS.” Even though we don’t have a Slate truck to test it with, the OEM sent us a unit to review.

That’s right, it’s a good old spiral-bound road atlas! “We believe you should use the devices you know and love,” Slate says, and it reckons that maps worked just fine for past generations, so they should still work now.


A road atlas page showing New Mexico

Remember these?



OK, so it’s not turn by turn, I accept that.

The Rand McNally 2027 Road Atlas isn’t quite as detailed as the maps being made for automotive navigation by companies like HERE. Those are designed to be read by computers, not people, with rich data on not just places of interest but also live traffic, road conditions, and the accuracy required for assisted and autonomous driving systems. Any OTA updates to the atlas must be applied by Post-it note, and its 154 pages cover the United States, Canada, and Mexico, in full color.

The system is entirely portable, and it’s vehicle-agnostic: you can use it as easily in a Ford, Ferrari, or Fisker as in a Slate. Some might find the idea a little contrived, but having spent some time behind the wheel of the refreshingly simple truck, I think it fits the vibe perfectly. The automaker has added its screenless GPS system to its store for a limited time, and the review copy Slate sent Ars, along with the sticker pack, will be up for grabs in our end-of-year charity drive.

Photo of Jonathan M. Gitlin


Jonathan M. Gitlin

Automotive Editor
Jonathan is the Automotive Editor at Ars Technica. He has a BSc and PhD in Pharmacology. In 2014 he decided to indulge his lifelong passion for the car by leaving the National Human Genome Research Institute and launching Ars Technica’s automotive coverage. He lives in Washington, DC.


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