Slate Auto Wants to Be Known for Crank Windows

One of the most attention-grabbing things about the admittedly very attention-grabbing 2027 Slate Truck was the decision to employ manual crank windows. Their existence is extremely in line with the truck’s minimalist philosophy, and as MotorTrend learned this week, it was very much implemented with intent.

At a product preview event in New York this week in advance of the 2026 New York auto show, Slate head of interior design Aaron Gould confirmed that the inclusion of crank windows was part of the plan “from the very beginning.”

“We want to make sure that when you turn the window crank down, it feels great,” he said, “because it’s one of your main interaction points. It’s more than just a mechanical piece. It’s a signal of what it means to drive a Slate.”

Once upon a time, most cars had crank windows, but you can’t find a new passenger vehicle equipped with them in the U.S. anymore. (The Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator were the last to phase them out.) Everything has electric windows now, and we largely don’t think about it anymore. Until now.

Crank windows, then, are something of the Slate Truck’s calling card. One of the things it’s already become known for. Which, in this era of touchscreen this and software that, is kinda cool. It’s something tangible you can touch, feel, and maneuver. So of course Slate’s designers worked extra hard to make sure it feels “right” in the hand.

For now, the crank window is the only window mechanism we’ll get. But an electric window option could happen in the future. “We’re looking at it as an accessory,” Gould said. “We’re still focused on the crank for the production, but yeah, we’re looking at different ways to do that.”

Given Slate Auto’s enthusiasm regarding accessorizing basically everything a customer could need or want, we could definitely see an electric window option showing up a little later down the line. But if you don’t want that, you won’t be forced to have it.

Good thing, too, because we were worried there was about to be a whole generation of people who might have never manually rolled their own window down. Now they can!