Factory & Production Plans
- Manufacturing site announced
Slate will build its compact electric pickup at a repurposed 1.4 million sq ft former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana. The facility is expected to create over 2,000 jobs, revitalizing the region, and aims to begin production in late 2026, with deliveries shortly after theverge.com+15caranddriver.com+15electrek.co+15wired.com+6businessinsider.com+6slateforums.com+6.
Reservations Surge
- 100,000+ refundable reservations
Within just two weeks of unveiling its minimalistic “Blank Slate” pickup, Slate secured more than 100,000 reservations (each with a $50 refundable deposit), signaling strong consumer interest in a stripped-down, affordable EV nypost.com+2techcrunch.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2en.wikipedia.org+2electrek.co+2insideevs.com+2. - Industry context & outlook
TechCrunch and InsideEVs highlight this early success but caution that reservations may not fully translate to finalized sales slateforums.com+1reddit.com+1thesun.co.uk+15techcrunch.com+15insideevs.com+15.
Vehicle Overview & Pricing
- Target price under $20K
Base MSRP is under $27,500, with a net cost below $20K after federal incentives. Slate emphasizes affordability through manual windows, no paint, optional speakers, and a modular accessory ecosystem slate.autowired.com+13wsj.com+13en.wikipedia.org+13. - Specs & Configurations
- Rear‑wheel drive, 201 hp
- Two battery options: 52.7 kWh (≈150 mi) and 84.3 kWh (≈240 mi) theverge.com+12en.wikipedia.org+12wsj.com+12
- Bed‑to‑SUV conversion kits available
- Payload ≈ 1,430 lb, towing ≈ 1,000 lb thesun.co.uk+4wardsauto.com+4slate.auto+4en.wikipedia.org+4wired.com+4wsj.com+4
Industry & Media Coverage
Slate is gaining mainstream attention, with features from:
- WSJ: “Affordable electric pickup can’t be repeatedly said enough” wardsauto.com+13wsj.com+13electrek.co+13
- Business Insider: Jeff Bezos-backed facility announcement wsj.com+5businessinsider.com+5nypost.com+5
- Wired, The Verge, and others early adopters highlighting its barebones simplicity and highly modular nature slate.auto+7theverge.com+7nypost.com+7