Slate partners with Smarties for candy-inspired EV truck wraps

Slate’s latest branding partnership

Slate, a manufacturer of barebones electric vehicle (EV) trucks, has partnered with confectionery brand Smarties to introduce six pastel-colored wraps for its vehicles. The wraps are inspired by Smarties candy flavors and are available for customers looking to customize their trucks.

According to Engadget journalist Tim Stevens, the wraps are named after the original Smarties candy flavors—Strawberry (green), Pineapple (yellow), Orange (beige), Grape (lavender), Cherry (pink), and Blue Raspberry (light blue)—rather than their actual hues. The partnership also includes Smarties-branded accessories, such as a key fob charm (called a Slatelet) and a vent charm.

Customization as a strategy

Slate’s EV trucks are sold in a flat grey color but are designed to be easily customized with wraps. This approach allows the company to offer limited-edition collaborations with brands like Smarties and Crayola, which previously released a set of five branded wraps for Slate trucks.

The cost of the Smarties wraps has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether the wraps will be available as standalone purchases or bundled with the vehicle.

Slate’s earlier collaborations

Slate’s partnership with Smarties follows a similar collaboration with Crayola, which introduced five branded wraps for its EV trucks. These partnerships reflect a growing trend of automotive companies leveraging brand collaborations to differentiate their products in a competitive market.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

Slate’s partnership with Smarties is a signal to founders and operators in the automotive and consumer goods sectors about the value of cross-industry collaborations. For Slate, a company with a minimalist product, branded wraps and accessories create a new revenue stream and marketing opportunity without requiring changes to the core vehicle. This strategy could be particularly useful for startups in crowded markets, where product differentiation is critical but engineering changes are costly or slow.

For consumer brands like Smarties, such partnerships offer a way to reach new audiences—especially younger, eco-conscious buyers—through non-traditional channels. Founders in the customization or accessory space may see this as an opportunity to explore similar tie-ups, especially in industries where branding and personalization drive purchasing decisions.

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