What Slate Auto does

Slate Auto is a U.S.-based electric vehicle startup founded in 2022 (spun out of Re:Build Manufacturing LLC) and headquartered in Troy, Michigan, with a manufacturing facility under construction in Warsaw, Indiana and a wrap-kit production site in Louisville, Kentucky. The company designs and builds a radically simplified, modular electric pickup truck (the Blank Slate) on a platform of fewer than ~600 parts, using a single rear-mounted 150 kW motor, a 52.7 kWh LFP battery sourced from Gotion (~205-mile EPA range), a native NACS charging connector, unpainted plastic body panels, analog HVAC controls, and 100+ Slate Attach Points that enable owner-installable body-style conversion kits (Squareback SUV, Fastback SUV, Open Air, Cargo Kit), wrap kits, and accessories. Production capacity is targeted at ~150,000 vehicles per year with break-even expected at ~80,000 units.

The company's business model is a direct-to-consumer hardware sale at a starting MSRP of $24,950 for the base 2-seat pickup, $29,950 for the Squareback SUV, and $31,950 for the Fastback SUV, supplemented by an accessories marketplace (wraps from ~$500, SUV conversion kits $5K-$7K), branded merchandise, in-house vehicle and accessory financing, and a dedicated B2B fleet sales channel. Distribution is DTC only—no dealerships—with service delivered through RepairPal's 4,000+ certified independent shops and charging via Tesla's Supercharger network through the native NACS connector. As of June 24, 2026, Slate had accumulated 180,000+ refundable reservations and opened $300 non-refundable preorders, with first customer deliveries scheduled for late 2026.

Slate has raised approximately $1.4B across three venture rounds (Series A $111M in 2024, Series B ~$589M in 2025, Series C $650M led by TWG Global in April 2026), plus a $5M Michigan state grant. Investors include Bezos Expeditions, Mark Walter and Thomas Tull via TWG Global, General Catalyst, and T. Rowe Price. The company employs ~325 people currently and plans to scale to 2,000+ at the Indiana factory. Customers are mass-market U.S. buyers across five identified segments: affordability-driven individuals, small-business and trades buyers, outdoor/lifestyle enthusiasts, fleet/commercial buyers, and privacy-first consumers.

Name

Slate Auto

Legal name

Slate Auto

Website

https://slate.auto

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Slate Auto is a U.S. electric vehicle startup building a radically simplified, modular electric pickup truck (base MSRP $24,950) that owners can reconfigure into SUV, open-air, or cargo configurations via aftermarket kits, sold direct-to-consumer and produced at a planned 150,000-unit factory in Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Pickup Trucks

NAICS

Heavy Duty Truck Manufacturing (336120), Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (33621)

SIC

Truck & Bus Bodies (3713)

akta.pro primary industry

Pickup Truck Manufacturing (Commercial/Work Configurations) (IMACABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Truck Body & Upfitting Manufacturing (Box Bodies/Service Bodies/Cranes/Liftgates) (IMACABAI)

Keywords

• Electric pickup trucks
• Modular EV platforms
• Direct-to-consumer vehicles
• Affordable electric trucks
• Vehicle accessories marketplace

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Vehicle sales (Blank Slate Truck): Direct-to-consumer one-time hardware sale of the Slate Truck at a starting MSRP of $24,950 (base 2-seat pickup), $29,950 (Squareback SUV), and $31,950 (Fastback SUV). Customers preorder with a $300 non-refundable deposit applied to the final purchase price.
2. Accessories Marketplace (mods, wraps, kits, audio): Ongoing sales of OEM and Slate-curated accessories — wraps (from ~$500), SUV conversion kits ($5,000–$7,000), Cargo Kit, lift kits, wheels, audio/phone mounts, lighting, Bluetooth speaker holders, and more. Purchases can be financed through Slate at the time of vehicle purchase. Marketplace supports add-on purchases before delivery, at delivery, or anytime post-sale.
3. Fleet / business vehicle sales: Dedicated B2B fleet sales channel — small businesses can purchase multiple vehicles online in a single transaction; medium and larger fleets work directly with the Fleet Sales team ([email protected]) for customized orders of vehicles, wraps, roof racks, Cargo Kits, and other work-site accessories.
4. Vehicle financing and ancillary services: Slate intends to offer its own competitive vehicle financing at time of purchase, plus financing for chargers and accessories when bundled with the vehicle purchase. Plans to partner with a nationwide service provider for home charger hardware and installation.
5. Branded merchandise and apparel: Slate-branded merch (snapbacks, apparel, accessories) sold through the Slate online store as a secondary revenue and brand-building stream.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Slate Auto designs, manufactures, and sells the Slate Truck, a radically simple, modular, customizable electric pickup truck with a starting MSRP of $24,950. The base 2-seat pickup can be transformed via owner-installable kits into a 5-seat Squareback SUV, Fastback SUV, Open Air configuration, or Cargo Kit, with ongoing sales of wraps, accessories, and modular upgrades through the Slate Maker online marketplace. The vehicle is sold direct-to-consumer via slate.auto with a privacy-first design (no embedded modem or touchscreen in the base model), native NACS charging, and LFP battery technology delivering approximately 205 miles of EPA-estimated range.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Slate Truck: The flagship, single-model electric pickup truck platform (also referred to as the Blank Slate in base form), transformable via modular kits into a 5-seat Squareback SUV, Fastback SUV, Open Air Kit, or Cargo Kit configuration.
• Blank Slate
• Slate Maker
• Slate Certified Service

Products and services

• Blank Slate Truck (Base 2-seat electric pickup) The base Slate Truck is a radically simple 2-seat electric pickup built from fewer than 800 parts with a rear-mounted 150 kW / 181 hp motor and a 52.7 kWh LFP battery delivering approximately 205 miles of EPA-estimated range. Designed for affordability and DIY serviceability with analog HVAC controls, no infotainment screen, and a privacy-first connected architecture. Targeted at individual consumers, small businesses, and fleet buyers priced out of mainstream new vehicles.
• Squareback SUV (5-seat configuration) The Squareback is a 5-seat SUV variant of the Slate Truck with classic upright SUV proportions, available either as a factory pre-installed configuration or as an owner-installable conversion kit for the base pickup ($5,000-$7,000). Designed for families and consumers who want a flexible SUV body style from the same modular platform.
• Fastback SUV (5-seat configuration) The Fastback is a 5-seat SUV variant of the Slate Truck with a sportier sloped-roof silhouette, available either as a factory pre-installed configuration or as an owner-installable conversion kit ($5,000-$7,000). Targets active-lifestyle buyers who want a more athletic SUV body style from the modular platform.
• Slate Accessories Marketplace (wraps, conversion kits, and modular upgrades) The Slate Accessories Marketplace is an online storefront for OEM and Slate-curated modular upgrades, including pre-cut vinyl wrap kits (~$500), SUV conversion kits ($5,000-$7,000), Open Air Kits, Cargo Kits, lift kits, wheels, audio systems, phone mounts, lighting, Bluetooth speaker holders, and roof racks. Available before, at, or any time after vehicle delivery, with financing available when bundled with the vehicle purchase. Designed for individual owners and small/medium fleet buyers seeking to personalize or upgrade their Slate Truck.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major — primary battery cell supplier for production, minor — grant funding tied to job creation in michigan, minor — aftersales content and tooling, minor — exploratory oem integration of solar tonneau covers, flagship — service backbone of the entire customer-experience model and flagship — built-in charging access for every vehicle.

• Gotion (battery cells)major — primary battery cell supplier for productionTechnology or Integration · 24 June 2026Slate switched from NMC chemistry to LFP and is sourcing lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery cells from China-based Gotion, with assembly at Gotion's Illinois factory approximately 90 miles from Slate's Indiana plant. The switch cut battery costs ~40% and increased range from 150 to 205 miles on the base 52.7 kWh pack.
• Michigan Business Development Program (MEDC / State of Michigan)minor — grant funding tied to job creation in michiganOthers · 21 May 2026Slate Auto won a $5-million performance-based grant from the Michigan Business Development Program to expand its North American headquarters in Troy, Michigan. Combined with a $10.4M capital investment, the expansion is expected to create at least 392 new jobs over five years (Slate currently employs 325 across Michigan). Separately, Michigan also awarded Slate a $5M Class 2a EV pickup grant.
• Tweddle Groupminor — aftersales content and toolingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 22 April 2026Tweddle Group is developing a comprehensive aftersales technical-support package for the Slate Truck — tools and deliverables designed to enable both EV owners and technicians to perform user-serviceable repairs and modifications on the vehicle, complementing Slate U's DIY content library.
• Worksport Ltd. (NASDAQ:WKSP)minor — exploratory oem integration of solar tonneau coversOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 29 January 2026Worksport is in active OEM integration conversations with Slate to embed its SOLIS solar tonneau cover and COR portable energy system with Slate vehicles (alongside Hyundai and Rivian). Worksport's products are shipping and could provide Slate owners with solar-augmented tonneau and portable power options.
• RepairPalflagship — service backbone of the entire customer-experience modelStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2025Slate has partnered with RepairPal to build a nationwide network of more than 4,000 (planned 3,000+ additional certified by end of 2027) independent certified service shops that handle warranty service, EV repairs, accessory installation, and high-voltage work for Slate owners. RepairPal leads certification and onboarding of partner shops, and Slate provides additional vehicle-specific training through its upcoming Slate University program. Replaces the traditional company-owned service-center footprint.
• Tesla (Supercharger / NACS)flagship — built-in charging access for every vehicleTechnology or Integration · 28 October 2025Every Slate Truck ships with a native North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector giving owners direct access to Tesla's Supercharger network — the largest national network of fast chargers with 27,500+ stalls nationwide. Tesla Supercharger access was a key product pillar announced in Slate's June 24, 2026 launch.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hyundai Santa Cruz: Hyundai's Santa Cruz is a compact lifestyle pickup competing in the same affordable-compact-pickup segment. ICE powertrain today but with announced electrification plans, making it a near-term direct competitor for Slate's small business and lifestyle buyer segments.
• Tesla Cybertruck: Tesla's Cybertruck is the flagship electric pickup competitor. Competes in the same EV-truck category but at a meaningfully higher price point and with different design philosophy, sharing Slate's EV-truck target buyer but not its affordability positioning.
• Rivian: Rivian manufactures electric pickup trucks (R1T) and SUVs (R1S) targeted at lifestyle and outdoor enthusiasts. Most directly comparable electric pickup competitor to Slate, though positioned at a higher price point and with greater performance/capability.
• Ford Maverick: Ford's Maverick is the closest direct competitor by price and form factor—a compact, affordable pickup targeted at buyers priced out of full-size trucks. Hybrid powertrain rather than BEV, but occupies the same affordable-compact-pickup market position Slate targets.

Broad incumbents

• Nissan Leaf: Nissan's Leaf is an established affordable EV competing for the same price-conscious EV-curious buyer. Legacy OEM incumbent with traditional dealer network, contrasting with Slate's direct-to-consumer model and modular configurability.
• Chevrolet Bolt EV: Chevy's Bolt EV is the closest incumbent affordable EV competitor. Sold by a major OEM through traditional dealerships, it competes for the affordability-driven individual consumer segment Slate targets, though as a hatchback rather than truck.

Emerging players

• VinFast: VinFast is an emerging EV manufacturer building US-market electric SUVs and pickups. Comparable as a newer EV entrant targeting mass-market US buyers, though with different brand positioning and a broader vehicle portfolio than Slate's single-platform focus.
• Lordstown Motors: Lordstown Motors developed an electric pickup (Endurance) targeting commercial fleet buyers. Comparable as a US-based EV-pickup startup that struggled through capital and execution challenges—serves as a cautionary peer for Slate's pre-revenue scaling path.
• Telo Trucks: Telo Trucks is a pre-production startup developing a compact electric pickup with similar urban/lifestyle targeting. An emerging, earlier-stage peer sharing Slate's small-footprint EV-truck thesis but without Slate's manufacturing scale or capital base.

Others

• Worksport: Worksport is an existing Slate partnership for solar tonneau covers (SOLIS) and portable power (COR). Acts as an ecosystem/supply-chain peer providing complementary aftermarket products, with disclosed OEM integration conversations alongside Hyundai and Rivian.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@slateauto
• Facebookfacebook.com/slateauto
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/slateauto
• Instagraminstagram.com/slateauto
• TikToktiktok.com/@slateauto
• Xx.com/slateauto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Slate Auto