Slate Isn’t the Only Startup Trying to Build an Affordable New Pickup

REO thinks it can do better than Slate, but with good ‘ole gas power.

Front view of a vehicle with illuminated rectangular headlights and vertical LED daytime running lights in a dark setting.

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Published 1 hour ago

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Updated 11 minutes ago

It appears Slate may already have some gas-powered competition before its first truck even launches. A Texas-based automotive startup just teased the latest pitch for an all-new, affordable tiny pickup.

For REO Industries, such a truck still depends on good ‘ole gas power. And if all goes well, particularly with what the company’s promising to deliver, it could put some legacy automakers on notice.

Inspired by America’s oldest carmaker and the father of the “modern pickup”

Outline of a pickup truck with illuminated front and rear lights on a black background. — REO Industries thinks it can do better than Slate with good ‘ol gas power, specifically with its new “T4X.”

The name REO Industries may ring some bells. But it’s not in any way related to the ’80s pop rock band with the same first three initials (though the band did actually name itself after the company’s most iconic product).

Rather, REO Industries roots its history to the legacy of Ransom E. Olds. And if that name sounds familiar, that’s because Mr. Olds was the founder of Oldsmobile, or America’s oldest carmaker.

After Mr. Olds founded Olds Motor Vehicle Company (which eventually became Oldsmobile), building America’s first-ever mass-produced automobile in 1901, the Oldsmobile Curved Dash, he left his company to embark on his own endeavors in 1905. The result was “REO Motor Car Company.”

Red Massey Harris combine harvester and vintage red truck with yellow cargo bed in a wheat field. — REO Industries roots its history with America’s oldest carmaker in more ways than one.

Through the new company, Olds went on to build the REO Speed Wagon, or what history considers the “ancestor of the modern pickup truck.”

After building passenger cars, commercial trucks and even buses for almost half a century, REO Motor Car Company went bust in 1967. Even by the middle of the next decade, the company had essentially disappeared into the pages of history.

Fast forward to today, a Texas real estate agent and entrepreneur by the name of Zach De Bernardi saw the REO name lingering in limbo and purchased the rights to the original company’s trademarks not too long ago. The result is REO Industries, or the entity that now exists today.

A new beginning for a very storied nameplate

Silhouette of a pickup truck with illuminated front headlight and vertical red rear taillight on a black background. — REO is pledging to build three trucks on a single platform, one of which is this extended cab “T4C.”

Now, Mr. De Bernardo wants to take REO’s storied history and bring it back to relevance. He plans to do so not only by calling on REO’s tradition of innovation but also by honoring it and building the kind of pickup the original company helped invent.

And the kind people want.

The company’s pitch is the REO Runabout. It’s a new, ground-up compact modular truck/SUV platform, similar to Slate. Like Slate, REO plans to offer a variety of body styles and options all on a single platform.

Silhouette of a boxy SUV with illuminated front and rear vertical lights against a black background. — REO plans to build a full SUV variant called the S4C as well.

That helps keep production costs low. It also means the truck’s asking price will remain affordable. As such, REO says its new Runabout will start at $21,500 (there is a larger, extended-cab version for a few grand more).

But from there, the pledged engineering parameters get even more impressive. For instance, REO says its new truck will use a “proven” gasoline port-injected four-cylinder, which will provide at least 25 miles per gallon on average and up to 600 miles on a single tank. It’ll also be able to tow 4,500 pounds.

REO Industries touts an emphasis on physical controls, reliability and direct-to-consumer sales.

Can this be the affordable pickup/SUV of the future?

Truck specifications and comparison chart showing payload, towing, dimensions, fuel economy, and features of REO Runabout, Ford Maverick, and Slate Truck. — Some of the specs REO Trucks is promising. Do you think they can deliver?

It all sounds really promising, what with the company also teasing the designs. REO Industries is currently accepting $25 refundable deposits.

The plan? REO hopes to unveil the Runabout’s full lineup by 2027 with orders and production beginning in 2028.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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