On April 13, 2026, Slate Auto announced it had closed a $650 million Series C funding round, bringing total investment to roughly $1.4 billion. The money will flow to a factory in Warsaw, Indiana, where the company plans to build the Slate truck, an electric pickup that Slate priced at $24,950 when it opened preorders on June 24, 2026.
Half the leadership team came from Amazon.
Key Takeaways
- Starting price: $24,950 base MSRP plus a $1,450 destination charge (no federal EV tax credit available)
- Range: An estimated 205 miles from a 65 kWh battery, up from the 150 miles Slate targeted at its April 2025 reveal
- Power: 181 hp (135 kW), 195 lb-ft from a single rear motor; rear-wheel drive only at launch
- Modular platform: Converts from two-seat pickup to five-seat SUV, fastback, or open-air configuration
- Production timeline: First deliveries expected in the fourth quarter of 2026; preorders opened June 24, 2026 with a $300 deposit
- Funding: $1.4 billion raised total; $650M Series C led by TWG Global
- The team: Co-founded by former Amazon Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke; new CEO Peter Faricy is ex-Amazon Marketplace VP
- Factory: Warsaw, Indiana; ~$400 million facility investment; 2,000+ jobs planned
The Slate truck in its base “Blank Slate” configuration. The squared-off design borrows visual cues from the original Ford Bronco and early Toyota Land Cruiser. Photo: Slate Auto
The Pizza of Trucks
Slate calls its approach “the pizza of trucks.” A pizza starts as dough, sauce, and cheese. You add what you want. You don’t pay for toppings you’ll pick off.
The base Slate truck arrives as a two-seat, two-door electric pickup with a five-foot bed and no frills: no paint, no conventional radio, no leather, and no massive touchscreen. The company sells wraps instead of factory paint, offers accessories through its “Slate Maker” configurator, and lets owners swap components after buying rather than locking everything in at the point of sale.
The Slate’s modular configuration path as planned in April 2026. The chart’s $27,500 base price and battery choice predate the June 2026 figures: one 65 kWh battery, $24,950 for the pickup and $29,950 for the SUV. Body configurations remain swappable after delivery.
Ordering the Slate as an SUV adds $5,000, for a $29,950 starting price, and brings a hardtop, rear bench seat, and five-passenger capacity. A different kit makes a fastback, and another takes the doors off for open-air driving.
Stripping out features strips out cost, and Slate can then sell an electric truck for nearly half the average new vehicle transaction price, which hit $48,644 in March 2026 according to Kelley Blue Book.
The Amazon Brain Trust
Jeff Wilke co-founded Slate Auto. Before that, he ran Amazon’s entire consumer operation as CEO of Worldwide Consumer. He reported directly to Bezos. When Wilke left Amazon in early 2021, he was responsible for everything customers touched: logistics, marketplace, Prime, devices, grocery.
Peter Faricy, who became Slate’s CEO in March 2026, spent years at Amazon building Marketplace from scratch. He scaled it to support millions of third-party sellers across 14 countries. Before Amazon, he worked at Ford during the Jacques Nasser era. After Amazon, he ran Discovery’s direct-to-consumer business and served as chairman and CEO of SunPower, the solar company.
Chris Barman, who moved from CEO to President of Vehicles when Faricy arrived, has spent nearly four years developing the truck itself. The heads of Slate’s mobility, UX/UI, e-commerce, fleet sales, and HR divisions are all Amazon alumni.
The Slate truck is a platform, designed the way Amazon designs platforms: start with the simplest possible base, let customers configure on top of it, and make accessories swappable rather than permanent.
The “Slate Maker” configurator works like browsing Amazon: select what you want, skip what you don’t, change your mind later. The direct-sales model skips dealerships entirely, the same way Amazon cut out retail middlemen.
The Slate interior is minimal on purpose. A phone mount replaces the infotainment screen. Physical knobs handle climate. The gray panel across the dashboard is a blank surface for aftermarket accessories. Photo: Slate Auto
Slate Truck Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Base MSRP | $24,950, plus $1,450 destination |
| Motor | Single electric motor, rear-mounted |
| Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive (AWD planned for future model) |
| Horsepower | 181 hp (135 kW) |
| Torque | 195 lb-ft |
| 0-60 mph | ~8.0 seconds |
| Top Speed | ~90 mph |
| Battery | 65 kWh (LFP chemistry) |
| Usable Energy | 63 kWh |
| Estimated Range | 205 miles (Slate estimate) |
| DC Fast Charging | Up to 120 kW; 20-80% in ~30 minutes |
| Level 2 Charging | Up to 11 kW onboard charger |
| Charge Port | NACS (Tesla Supercharger compatible) |
| Length | 174.6 inches |
| Width | 70.6 inches |
| Height | 68.0 inches |
| Wheelbase | 108.9 inches |
| Bed Length | 5 feet (35.1 cu ft) |
| Frunk | 7 cu ft |
| Max Payload | ~1,550 lbs |
| Towing Capacity | ~2,000 lbs |
| Seating | 2 (pickup) / 5 (SUV kit) |
Where the Slate sat among electric vehicles on its April 2026 figures, with the two battery options Slate planned then connected by the dashed line. The truck now has one battery, priced at $24,950 with an estimated 205 miles of range.
The NACS charging port means Slate owners can use Tesla‘s Supercharger network, which remains the largest and most reliable fast-charging infrastructure in North America. That single decision removes one of the biggest practical objections to buying from a startup.
What the Base Price Gets You
The base Slate arrives without paint. Buyers choose wraps through the configurator, which Slate sells separately. There is no built-in infotainment system. A phone mount on the dashboard serves as the screen. Climate controls are physical knobs. The interior materials are durable but plain.
Most manufacturers advertise a base price that nobody pays, then load on packages and destination charges until the real transaction price sits $8,000 to $15,000 higher. Slate is telling you exactly what $24,950 buys, before a $1,450 destination charge: a functional electric truck, two seats, a bed, and nothing else you didn’t specifically choose.
For $24,950, the standard safety roster is long: traction control, electronic stability control, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, a backup camera, full-length side curtain airbags, and two-stage driver and passenger airbags all come standard. Slate says it’s targeting a five-star NCAP crash rating.
The $7,500 EV credit that would have pushed the effective price below $20,000 was eliminated by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in September 2025. Slate had been advertising the sub-$20,000 figure prominently. To the company’s credit, it stopped making that claim after the legislation passed. Some state and local incentives may still apply depending on where you live.
The SUV configuration adds a hardtop and rear bench for five-passenger capacity. A Slate ordered as an SUV starts at $29,950, $5,000 more than the pickup. Photo: Slate Auto
What You’re Giving Up
Rear-wheel drive only. There is no all-wheel-drive option at launch. Slate says AWD is planned for a future version, but has not committed to a timeline. For buyers in northern climates who need winter capability, or anyone planning to use the truck on job sites with unpaved surfaces, this is a significant limitation.
Towing capacity is about 2,000 pounds. Slate doubled the rating from the 1,000 pounds it targeted at its April 2025 reveal, and the company says the new figure covers a pair of jet skis. It is not enough for a camper or a loaded construction trailer. The payload, raised from about 1,400 pounds to 1,550, handles most daily hauling, but won’t satisfy anyone who regularly moves heavy materials.
Top speed sits around 90 mph. On long highway stretches in western states where traffic flows at 80, the margin shrinks to almost nothing.
One battery, estimated at 205 miles, is the only choice. The 65 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate pack replaces the 52.7 kWh standard battery and its 150-mile target, and cold weather or highway speeds will reduce the range. The 84.3 kWh pack with a 240-mile target, which Slate listed as an accessory at its April 2025 reveal, does not appear in the specifications the company published in June 2026.
None of these compromises are unreasonable at $24,950. The question is whether the buyer who wants a $24,950 truck can live with them, or whether the options and accessories needed to make the Slate truly practical push the real cost into territory where a gas-powered Ford Maverick starts looking competitive.
The Money Behind It
The $650 million Series C was led by TWG Global, the investment firm run by Mark Walter and Thomas Tull. TWG was already an existing investor. Other backers include General Catalyst, Jeff Bezos’ family office, Slauson & Co., and Diego Piacentini, a former Amazon executive.
The Warsaw, Indiana factory is a former printing facility that Slate is “reindustrializing,” to use the company’s term. The investment in the plant is expected to reach $400 million and create over 2,000 jobs in Kosciusko County. Slate projects a $39 billion economic impact on Indiana over 20 years. That’s an ambitious projection, but the factory and the jobs are concrete commitments.
“Our Series C round of funding will enable Slate to reach the next stages of production this year: on time and on budget,” CEO Peter Faricy said in a statement.
Chris Barman, now President of Vehicles, added: “Slate will deliver trucks at nearly half the cost of the average new vehicle, as promised.”
Slate had 160,000 refundable reservations at $50 each when the round closed. That’s $8 million in deposits and, more importantly, a signal of market demand that investors can point to. The count had passed 180,000 by June 24, 2026, when Slate closed reservations and opened preorders with a $300 deposit that is not refundable. Whether those reservations convert to actual orders at $24,950 without the federal credit remains the open question.
How the Slate Truck Compares
The Slate doesn’t have a direct competitor. It’s smaller than every electric truck currently on sale and less expensive than most gas-powered compact pickups.
| Feature | Slate Truck | Ford Maverick | Tesla Cybertruck | Rivian R2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $24,950 | ~$28,400 | ~$79,990 | ~$45,000 |
| Powertrain | Electric (RWD) | Hybrid / Gas (FWD/AWD) | Electric (AWD) | Electric (AWD) |
| Range / Fuel Economy | 205 mi (est.) | 42 mpg combined (hybrid) | 250-340 mi | ~300 mi (est.) |
| Horsepower | 181 hp | 191 hp (hybrid) | 315-845 hp | ~300 hp (est.) |
| Towing | ~2,000 lbs | 2,000-4,000 lbs | 7,500-11,000 lbs | ~5,000 lbs (est.) |
| Bed Length | 5 ft | 4.5 ft | 6 ft | N/A (SUV) |
| Length | 174.6 in | 199.7 in | 223.7 in | ~182 in (est.) |
| Seating | 2 (5 w/ SUV kit) | 5 | 5 | 5 |
The Slate undercuts every vehicle in the chart, which shows the $27,500 estimate from April 2026; the price is now $24,950. The dashed gold line marks the average new vehicle transaction price of $48,644, according to Kelley Blue Book.
The Slate is dramatically smaller than any truck currently on sale. At 174.6 inches, it’s closer to a compact car than a traditional pickup.
The Slate is 25 inches shorter than a Ford Maverick and nearly four feet shorter than a Cybertruck. It sits in a segment that essentially doesn’t exist yet: a sub-compact electric pickup priced below $30,000. The closest gas-powered comparison might be a Hyundai Santa Cruz or the Maverick, but both are larger, seat five passengers standard, and carry higher maximum tow ratings.
At $24,950 for an electric vehicle with an estimated 205 miles of range, the Slate competes with compact EVs like the Chevrolet Equinox EV and the base Nissan Ariya. The truck bed is the differentiator.
The Open Air Kit removes the doors and roof for a Bronco-like experience. Slate sells multiple configuration kits that owners can swap at any time. Photo: Slate Auto
How to Preorder a Slate Truck
Slate takes preorders through its website at slate.auto for a $300 deposit, or $250 for anyone who held one of the $50 refundable reservations before that window closed on June 24, 2026. The preorder deposit is not refundable, counts toward the price of the truck and locks in a delivery window. Buyers choose pre-installed accessories, wraps, and any configuration kits closer to delivery, when they complete the order.
The company follows a direct-to-consumer sales model with no franchise dealerships. Slate plans limited pickup centers and provides home delivery for an additional fee. Service is handled through RepairPal’s network of more than 3,000 certified independent shops rather than company-owned service centers.
The Bottom Line
The Slate truck skips record-setting acceleration, a massive touchscreen, and stainless steel body panels. It is a small, affordable electric pickup built by people who spent their careers figuring out how to get products to customers efficiently at scale.
Whether Slate can deliver trucks by late 2026 at $24,950 is the $1.4 billion question. EV startups have an unforgiving track record. Rivian lost billions before reaching stable production. Lordstown Motors and Fisker both went bankrupt. The graveyard of companies that promised affordable electric vehicles and failed to deliver is crowded.
But Slate’s Amazon DNA gives it something most startups lack: leadership that has scaled logistics and manufacturing operations serving hundreds of millions of customers. The factory exists, the funding is in place, and the reservations suggest demand. The trade-offs in the product are deliberate and transparent rather than the result of running out of money.
If you need a truck for heavy towing or all-weather capability, the Slate isn’t for you. If you want a simple, inexpensive electric vehicle that happens to have a bed, and you’re willing to bet on a startup, a $300 preorder holds a delivery window, and unlike the $50 reservation it replaced, the deposit is not refundable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Slate truck cost?
The base Slate truck starts at $24,950, and Slate adds a $1,450 destination charge. Slate set the price on June 24, 2026, when preorders opened; this article reported an earlier $27,500 estimate when it was first published in April 2026. The base model arrives without paint (wraps are sold separately) and without a traditional infotainment system. The federal EV tax credit that would have reduced the price below $20,000 was eliminated in September 2025.
When can you buy a Slate truck?
Slate expects first deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2026. Preorders opened on June 24, 2026 at slate.auto with a $300 deposit that is not refundable, or $250 for holders of the earlier $50 reservations.
What is the Slate truck’s range?
Slate estimates 205 miles of range from a 65 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery, up from the 150 miles it targeted in 2025 with a 52.7 kWh pack. The 84.3 kWh, 240-mile battery Slate planned as an option is not in the specifications it published in June 2026. Real-world range will vary with driving conditions, temperature, and speed. DC fast charging at up to 120 kW charges from 20% to 80% in roughly 30 minutes via the NACS connector, which is compatible with Tesla’s Supercharger network.
Does the Slate truck have all-wheel drive?
No. The Slate truck launches with rear-wheel drive only, powered by a single rear-mounted electric motor rated at 135 kW, about 181 horsepower, and 195 lb-ft of torque. Slate has confirmed that AWD is planned for a future version but has not announced a timeline or pricing.
How much can the Slate truck tow?
The projected towing capacity is around 2,000 pounds, with a maximum payload of about 1,550 pounds, up from 1,000 and about 1,400 at the April 2025 reveal. This is sufficient for light utility trailers, small recreational equipment, and everyday hauling but falls well short of what full-size trucks offer.
Can the Slate truck convert to an SUV?
Yes. Slate offers a modular platform with multiple configuration kits. The SUV version, which starts at $29,950 or $5,000 more than the pickup, adds a hardtop enclosure and rear bench seat for five-passenger capacity. Other available configurations include a fastback SUV and an open-air version with removable doors and roof panels. Owners can swap configurations after taking delivery.
Who owns Slate Auto?
Slate Auto was co-founded by Jeff Wilke, the former CEO of Amazon’s Worldwide Consumer division. Investors include Jeff Bezos’ family office, TWG Global (led by Mark Walter and Thomas Tull), General Catalyst, and former Amazon executive Diego Piacentini. Current CEO Peter Faricy previously served as VP of Amazon Marketplace. The company has raised approximately $1.4 billion in total funding.
Is Slate Auto publicly traded?
No. Slate Auto is a privately held company as of April 2026. It has not announced any plans for an initial public offering. The most recent funding round was a $650 million Series C led by TWG Global.
Where is the Slate truck manufactured?
Slate is building its trucks at a reindustrialized factory in Warsaw, Indiana (Kosciusko County). The company expects to invest approximately $400 million in the facility and create over 2,000 jobs in the region. The factory was formerly a printing facility.
How does the Slate truck compare to the Ford Maverick?
The Slate truck is 25 inches shorter than the Ford Maverick, seats two passengers in its base configuration versus the Maverick’s five, and tows about 2,000 lbs, the low end of the Maverick’s 2,000-4,000 lbs. The Slate is fully electric with an estimated 205 miles of range, while the Maverick offers a hybrid powertrain achieving 42 mpg combined. The Slate starts at $24,950 before a $1,450 destination charge, and the Maverick at approximately $28,400.
What is the Slate truck’s 0-60 mph time?
Slate estimates a 0-60 mph time of about 8.0 seconds. The single rear-mounted motor is rated at 135 kW, about 181 horsepower, and 195 lb-ft of torque; Slate’s 2025 specifications listed 150 kW, or 201 hp. Top speed is roughly 90 mph. These are not performance-oriented numbers; the powertrain is tuned for efficiency and affordability rather than acceleration.
How many Slate truck reservations have been placed?
Slate said it had more than 180,000 reservation holders on June 24, 2026, when it closed the $50 refundable reservations and opened preorders, up from 160,000 in April 2026. Reservation holders pay $250 to preorder, and everyone else pays $300.
Sources and Data
- Slate Auto Series C Press Release, PR Newswire, April 13, 2026
- Slate Auto Official Specifications, slate.auto
- Slate Auto Official Website, slate.auto
Michael Kahn
Michael Kahn is the writer, photographer, and publisher behind The Weekly Driver. He cares about how cars drive and what they're like to own. He covers automobile industry news, car shows and events, and new car reviews. The reviews come from behind the wheel: day trips that favor back routes, treating a good meal as half the reason to go. He directs and produces the visual media, matching each car to a setting and mood that fit it. When he's not reviewing new cars, Michael races paddleboards, camels, and ostriches, along with the occasional exotic car on the racetrack, and has driven in every state and country visited.
https://theweeklydriver.com