The industry has spent a decade telling us that affordable cars are no longer viable in America. Meanwhile, MSRPs climbed, screens got bigger, and complexity became the primary path to profit. The formula was simple: more features, more margin. Now, Slate Auto is betting against that entire philosophy. With a $24,950 electric truck, hand-crank windows, and over 160,000 reservations. It asks a critical question: Do consumers truly prefer expensive, feature-heavy vehicles, or have they simply been denied the choice of radical, affordable simplicity? If Slate succeeds, the ripple effects could force a fundamental re-evaluation of OEM product roadmaps, which have largely abandoned the entry-level market. Watch the full episode at the link in our bio.