REO Returns: A $21,500 Gas Pickup Built for Reliability and Repair
REO Trucks I4 4WD Pickup Truck Starts at $21,500
We are bringing REO back to build the affordable American truck the market is missing. Our new Runabout features a gasoline engine, mechanical 4WD, and a body-on-frame design built to last 500,000 miles. Sold directly without dealers, we prioritize physical controls, no subscriptions, and a guaranteed right to repair. Reservations are now open for a vehicle designed to outlast its loan.
The buyers didn't leave. The products did.
- temporallobe
Would be nice to see actual pics instead of silly silhouettes. I am in the market for exactly this kind of truck (especially a manual) but this doesn’t inspire me to want to buy it.
- agensaequivocum
> Physical Controls
Levers, rockers, and real analog gauges. One small screen for diagnostics and CarPlay — nothing more. No subscriptions. No feature locks. Ever.
> Right to Repair
Every panel off in under five minutes with common tools. Plain-English diagnostics on a $30 scanner. A 20-year public parts catalog at fair prices. No parts-pairing — in writing.
I'm very excited about this and pray it is successful.
- Jordan-117
I'm not up on the Maverick, but the comparison chart for the Slate EV feels pretty misleading:
- the Slate's range is now 205 miles across the board, not 150/240
- both the REO and Slate start as 2-door 2-seaters with pricier models adding capacity, but the chart boasts the REO seats "up to 6" while the Slate seats "2 (5 costs extra)"
- for repair costs, the REO just says "mechanical - affordable" (?) while labeling the Slate as "battery pack - $$$$". But an electric powertrain is far simpler and requires virtually no maintenance for 100,000+ miles, while an ICE engine requires regular oil changes, brake pads, timing belts, transmission work, etc.
- completely skips the cost of fuel over electric charging; between that and maintenance, the TCO of the REO is significantly higher
- thatcherc
It's weird to see a new vehicle announced like this that's not an EV. I wonder what it's like launching a gas truck when new battery-powered trucks are looming in the distance (or already here).
- skippyfish
My first reaction after seeing a website with vibecoded aesthetics was to wonder if this is even real, but apparently, it is - at least to the extent of getting some press coverage:
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/startup-wants-build-sma...
https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a71667299/reo-industries-r...
- iambateman
Do I want to own one of these? No. I want my mechanic to be bored when I show up and need service…I guess that makes me a market laggard.
But I do love the pressure this (and Slate) puts on Toyota to restore some sanity to truck prices. There is a market of people who want reliable transportation without spending $40k++.
- wronex
They portray 5h charging at home as a downside. Something to scorn at. But, how long does it take to fill up a diesel truck at home? I haven’t gone to a gas station since getting an EV a few years ago. It trickle charges while I sleep. This is easily the biggest convenience.
- prmoustache
I am pretty sure that if you need an inexpensive car with a decent charging bed, you are better of buying a regular passenger car and tow a small trailer when you need it.
My dad bought one years ago and tow it with his corolla minivan whenever he needs it. Chance is that if you only need the bed a couple of times a year or are space constrained you are better of renting it.
I never understood those US mountainbikers who awkwardly wrestle their bike on a truck bed when they could more comfortably mount them on an hitch rack of a regular car or inside a van. VW Multivan must be the most popular van amoung mountainbikers here in europe.