Overview
- Slate opened online preorders with a roughly $300 nonrefundable deposit and a published base MSRP of $24,950, saying deliveries will begin in the fourth quarter and production will ramp at a retooled plant in Warsaw, Indiana.
- The truck is intentionally spartan with two seats, manual windows in base form, no central infotainment screen, a roughly 65 kWh LFP battery, an estimated 205-mile range, and a claimed zero-to-60 time of about eight seconds.
- Slate is actively monetizing add-ons: branded Crayola wrap starter packs are priced at $1,549.99 and the company offers conversion kits and hundreds of accessories that let owners add features over time.
- Independent configurator tests show extensive options can nearly double the advertised price — a fully optioned Fastback SUV build exceeded $46,000 — highlighting a tension between the low entry price and typical customer spend.
- The company says it has about 180,000 reservations and 10,000 confirmed $300 deposits, but faces short-term risks converting interest into paid orders, scaling Warsaw production, and building a service network for owner-installed parts.