The primary automobile by the mysterious electrical automobile startup named Slate Auto has surfaced on-line, and it seems to be an early model of the corporate’s low-cost pickup truck. {A photograph} posted Wednesday on Reddit by u/discostranger09 reveals a small, darkish grey, two-seat pickup truck on a flatbed trailer, reportedly being unloaded from a transport container close to Los Angeles. TechCrunch, citing an nameless supply accustomed to Slate’s automobile design, confirmed the truck is certainly linked to the startup. It’s believed to be an idea automobile for investor demonstrations at Slate’s design studio in close by Lengthy Seaside, California, and the pickup will go downmarket as a foil to the dear Rivian R1T.
A Glimpse of the ‘Clean Slate’?
The truck itself presents a easy, unadorned aesthetic. Its silhouette bears a passing resemblance to the Jeep Comanche, with its easy, arduous angles. There additionally look like a number of cues borrowed from the R1T – not essentially shocking since Slate’s head of exterior design reportedly had a short cease at Rivian. The dearth of flashy styling parts additionally appears to be intentional, aligning with Slate’s obvious technique. The corporate goals to shake up the EV market by affordability and personalization.
As beforehand reported by TechCrunch, Slate Auto is focusing on a low beginning worth of roughly $25,000 for its two-seat electrical pickup. It has been probably referred to internally because the “Clean Slate,” in line with one trademark submitting. To make the low-cost truck viable, Slate supposedly plans to lean closely on higher-margin equipment, attire, and probably even service. This may be much like enterprise fashions utilized by Harley-Davidson and Stellantis’ Mopar division. The corporate has stuffed key govt roles, together with CEO Christine Barman (a Chrysler veteran) and Govt Chairman Rodney Copes (ex-Harley-Davidson and Rivian), who’re skilled in these areas. This philosophy additionally seems to return by within the trademark phrase, “We constructed it. You make it.” Job listings have hinted at a buyer schooling and modification program known as “Slate College.”
Secretive Startup’s Large Backers and Daring Plan
Working quietly since its founding in Michigan in 2022, Slate Auto has assembled a group with deep roots within the conventional auto business, hiring extensively from Ford, Basic Motors, Stellantis, and the aforementioned Harley-Davidson. The corporate originated inside Re:Construct Manufacturing, an incubator with its personal ties to former Amazon executives and funding.
Slate’s objective to launch a $25,000 EV pickup has attracted vital funding. Bezos’ household workplace participated in a Sequence A spherical that raised a minimum of $111 million in 2023. Paperwork additionally hyperlink Mark Walter, the controlling proprietor of the LA Dodgers, and Thomas Tull, a lead investor in Re:Construct Manufacturing, to the corporate’s board.
The corporate goals to start manufacturing in late 2026, probably at a facility close to Indianapolis, Indiana. Slate’s technique can also be fairly daring. It inverts the standard EV playbook adopted by Tesla and others, which concerned launching high-end fashions with excessive margins earlier than shifting downmarket. Slate goals to seize first-time consumers with its low entry worth, drawing parallels to the Ford Mannequin T or Volkswagen Beetle. Whereas the identify of the truck stays unconfirmed, the corporate is reportedly solely weeks away from formally revealing its plans. As of publication, Slate Auto has not responded to requests for remark.
Sources: Tech Crunch, Reddit
