Latest news with #SlateEV
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Indian Express
What is Slate Auto, the affordable EV pickup maker backed by Jeff Bezos?
Slate Auto was under research and development for three years, until April this year, when it revealed its Slate Auto 2-door EV pickup. The maiden car from the company made headlines for announcing over 100 customisation options. The company is now gearing up to roll out its EV to customers in the US. Slate Auto is backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter. The 2-door EV pickup has piqued the interest of many EV enthusiasts, as evidenced by the more than 100,000 refundable reservations made following its announcement. It's not an EV which promises insane speeds nor it is a range superstar, and it's unlikely to withstand being shot at. However, one may need not break the bank to own it. This simple car was designed to offer an EV pickup under $20,000 as per the federal incentives. But the car is likely to cost $7,500 more following US President Donald Trump's announcement of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' with a September end date for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. This means the credit will not allow trucks to come in the under $20,000 bracket – a key promise of Slate Auto. Following the announcement, Slate Auto's website made the changes to state that the vehicle will actually start somewhere in the 'mid twenties', meaning it would now cost more than $20,000, even before adding alloy wheels, a larger battery, several body types, extras, or custom wraps. What is Slate Auto? Slate has claimed that it is solely focused on one vehicle. 'We're all about doing one thing really well,' said the company. The Slate EV pickup comes with a 52.7 kWh standard battery pack, with a range of about 150 miles (241 km), and consumers can also opt for an extendable 240 miles (386 km). The single motor powering the rear wheels produces a power output of 201 hp and 264 Nm of torque. Slate's objective behind going back to the basics is to produce more affordable EVs. The pickup features no infotainment but retains the classic roll-down windows along with an HVAC system. Users would have to bring their own phone or tablet to mount the dash if they want any infotainment. It is generally perceived that affordable cars mean the manufacturer will compromise on safety. However, Slate includes eight airbags, a front collision warning system, and emergency braking. Instead of flashy cars, Slate intends to offer an ultra-cheap customisable pickup trucks. The manufacturing facility of the car in Troy, Michigan, is reportedly filled with prototypes and crash-tested vehicles. Additionally, the Slate may be converted into a five-seat SUV with an optional accessory package. Slate is offering the 'unlimited personalisation'option through hundreds of extra components that allow one to customise the truck. It also features custom wraps. Overall, it seems there is a strong DIY bent to the promotion of the Slate vehicle.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Slate Auto: Everything you need to know about the Bezos-backed EV startup
In April 2025, a new company called Slate Auto came out of stealth and shocked the car industry. Not only was this startup focused on making an ultra-cheap, customizable electric pickup truck with funding from Jeff Bezos, but it had also been operating in secret for three years in Troy, Michigan – the backyard of major automakers like Ford and General Motors. TechCrunch was first to the story, reporting in early April about the company's existence, its involvement with the Amazon founder, and its curious and unique business model. The weeks between our report and Slate's official coming out party in late April provided a whirlwind of news, with prototypes of the startup's truck popping up around California. Slate is an aberration in the U.S. EV sector, where bankruptcies, failed product launches, and pivots have become commonplace. And while its current backers, executive lineup, first product, and business model provide a compelling path forward, the road is still riddled with potential hurdles as it pushes towards production in late 2026. Here's a timeline that charts out everything you need to know about Slate Auto, from its origin story and backers to its product, business model, and production plans. April 8 – After a year-long investigation, TechCrunch published a story revealing that a secretive EV startup called Slate Auto had been operating for three years with the financial backing of Jeff Bezos and LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter. Unlike other EV startups, Slate had been working on developing an extremely low-cost electric pickup truck that would start at around $25,000. This truck would be deeply customizable, leveraging the experience of many former employees from Harley-Davidson and Chrysler, two companies that have extensive accessories and aftermarket parts businesses. April 10 – One day later, a photo of a nondescript electric truck started circulating on the r/whatisthiscar subreddit, with Redditors speculating it could be Slate's mystery EV. TechCrunch was able to confirm the photo was, in fact, of a prototype of Slate's truck parked outside the company's Long Beach, California design center. April 21 – Slate began putting concept versions of the Slate EV on public streets to generate marketing buzz ahead of its planned launch event on April 24. Curiously, some of them appeared to be styled more like SUVs or hatchbacks, not just pickup trucks. TechCrunch was able to confirm the company had developed the EV to have 'Transformer-like' modular capabilities, and that this stunt was a way to tease this customization. April 24 – Slate made its debut at a launch event in Long Beach, California, where it revealed its customizable electric pickup truck. Slate also announced the truck would be available for under $20,000 – with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. The base version of the truck was revealed to be very bare bones, with just 150 miles of range, no power windows, no main infotainment screen, and not even any paint. Slate promised essentially everything about the truck would be customizable, even down to the number of seats and the overall silhouette. April 25 – TechCrunch reported that Slate had identified a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana as the location for its truck factory. The 1.4 million-square-foot facility was built in 1958 and had been dormant for around two years. May 12 – Slate confirmed to TechCrunch it had already surpassed 100,000 refundable $50 reservations for its affordable EV truck. It was evidence that the company's ideas had caught on with a wide audience, despite no one knowing about Slate just two months prior. July 3 – The Trump administration pushed through a massive tax-cut bill that, among many other actions, set a September end-date for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. That means Slate's truck will no longer be able to lean on that credit to reach the 'under $20,000' starting price the startup was touting. As such, Slate pulled that language from its website before the bill was even signed into law. July 8 – Slate's 2023 funding round included at least 16 investors – one of them being Bezos. While most of those investors have still not been identified, Los Angeles-based Slauson & Co. spoke to TechCrunch about why it threw in with the EV startup in that initial funding round, as well as Slate's Series B. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Slate's Sub-$20k EV Won't Come Close To That Price
In April, Slate Auto launched an electric truck that it was expecting to sell for less than $20,000 after federal incentives, but with President Trump's so-called "Big Beautiful Bill" bringing an end to EV tax credits after September 30, Slate is being forced to adjust its expectations and pricing. As first noted by TechCrunch, the automaker has quietly updated its website to say that the base "Blank Slate is expected to be priced in the mid-twenties," indicating a price hike of around 20%, if not more, as this estimate is still "subject to change" and excludes "taxes, fees, and accessories." The automaker did not explain the change, but it seems directly tied to the loss of those tax credits. After Slate announced its initial targeted starting price, it amassed over 100,000 reservations in just two weeks. Guessing how much an EV can be sold for long before production begins is extremely difficult, but buyers are clearly starved for affordable options. Now that the price is set to increase by several thousand dollars (or, more accurately, the price will not be discounted by $7,500), Slate will likely lose many of those pre-orders. Between now and Slate's targeted initial delivery date of late 2026, plenty can change, including the cost of batteries, so the start-up may still find a way to keep pricing competitive, but there are pressures from other areas, too. Related: 2026 Nissan Leaf Revealed: Exciting, Affordable, and More Practical Than Ever The Slate EV starts out with just the essentials, which means that many of the everyday features that appear in most mainstream cars will be missing or optional, and once those options are totted up, the price will likely inch closer to $30,000 than many had originally hoped, and that puts the truck in a very competitive range. Chevrolet is building two affordable EVs that are expected to cost around $30k, Nissan is almost ready to bring the new Leaf to customers at an affordable price, and Kia is working on a $30k electric SUV of its own, but even without EVs in the conversation, a mid-$20,000 MSRP puts the Slate truck in the crosshairs of the Ford Maverick, which starts at $28,145 for 2025. By the time Slate begins deliveries, even more rivals will be vying for a piece of the same pie, so this needs to be a compelling product. At over $25,000, is it? We're betting some of our readers put down a deposit, so let us know below if you intend to follow through with the higher pricing if it doesn't swell any further. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
USA Today
04-06-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
Morning Midas, ship carrying 3,000 cars, abandoned after fire on electric vehicle deck
Morning Midas, ship carrying 3,000 cars, abandoned after fire on electric vehicle deck Show Caption Hide Caption Porsche sees market value cut in half amid billions in EV losses Porsche is dealing with financial difficulties after reporting billions of dollars in losses on its electric vehicle investments. Straight Arrow News A cargo ship carrying around 3,000 vehicles, including 800 electric vehicles, caught fire off the coast of Alaska June 3, causing its crew to be evacuated – its operator Zodiac Maritime confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY. The 22 crew members on the Morning Midas were abandoned the ship after they failed to put out the fire, Zodiac said in the June 4 statement. Zodiac said that there were no injuries to crew members, who were evacuated via lifeboat and transferred to a nearby merchant vessel in tandem with the U.S. Coast Guard. USA TODAY reached out to the Guard for comment on the incident Wednesday afternoon but did not receive an immediate response. Smoke was initially seen rising from a deck carrying electric vehicles, the company said. Zodiac did not disclose what specific models the vessel was carrying in its statement. "The relevant authorities have been notified, and we are working closely with emergency responders with a tug being deployed to support salvage and firefighting operations," the statement reads. The Liberian-flagged ship was located 300 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska, the Coast Guard said on its X account, and had left China's Yantai port on May 26 with a final destination of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, according to LSEG data. In case you missed it: Slate EV to take on Elon Musk's Tesla; what to know about the Jeff Bezos-backed EV Electric vehicle fires cause trouble on seas EV-related fires on ships are challenging to extinguish due to the heat generated and risk of reignition, which could persist for days. In 2022, a ship carrying 4,000 luxury cars, including Porsches and Bentleys, sank off the Portuguese Azores archipelago nearly two weeks after it caught fire. Fires onboard vessels, particularly on container ships, car carriers and roll-on/roll-off ships are a big concern for insurers. Such incidents across all vessel segments hit the highest level in a decade in 2024, according to insurer Allianz Commercial. "The reality is the risk remains significant due to the size of these ships and the complexities involved in firefighting and salvage," Allianz said in its 2025 safety and shipping review report. This story has been updated with new information. Contributing: Reuters
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The 'anti-Cybertruck' Slate EV appears off to a strong start
Slate Auto says more than 100,000 people have reserved one of its low-frills electric trucks. The ultracustomizable EVs are expected to start at about $25,000, with deliveries in late 2026. By comparison, the Cybertruck launch in 2019 nabbed 250,000 reservations in less than a week. It's looking like the utilitarian Slate EV pickup truck has struck a chord. The Michigan-based Slate Auto, backed by Jeff Bezos, says more than 100,000 people have reserved one of its low-frills electric trucks in the three weeks since it was unveiled. Those numbers aren't bad, especially for a fledgling company with little brand awareness. By comparison, Tesla's blockbuster Cybertruck launch in 2019 nabbed 250,000 reservations in less than a week (five years later, about 50,000 have been delivered, a March 20 recall filing said), and Rivian's CEO said his company pulled in more than 68,000 reservations in the first 24 hours after announcing the new R2 last year. Slate's ultracustomizable electric trucks are expected to start at $25,000 for models that eschew such niceties as power windows, a radio, and an entertainment system. If applicable, electric vehicle tax credits could bring the final cost to below $20,000. Deliveries are expected to begin in late 2026. Slate's more traditional, minimalist truck design, specs, and low price have some calling it the "anti-Cybertruck," and other automakers are also betting that car buyers are looking for something more practical — and affordable — than Tesla's sci-fi-inspired pickup. Look no further than the new (and rather awkwardly named) ID. Every1, a $22,500 hatchback from Rivian and Volkswagen that aims to prove EVs can be both cheap and high-tech. It's expected to go on sale in Europe by 2027. The company hasn't said whether a US launch is planned. "We would like to enable choice for customers but without such severe compromise in terms of the overall experience," Rivian's chief software officer, Wassym Bensaid, told Business Insider. Tesla, meanwhile, is working on "more affordable" models of its cars, which it recently said are on track to be announced in the first half of this year. While Slate's 100,000 reservations indicate healthy interest in the lower-cost pickup, it's important to note that refundable reservations often don't translate one-to-one into sales, and final pricing for Slate's truck has yet to be announced. But CEO Chris Barman said last month that there are a lot of people out there like her who are nostalgic for a simpler way to haul themselves and their stuff around. "My first car was a 1984 Ford Ranger pickup, with a five-speed manual, manual windows, and no air conditioning," Barman said. "It was basic transportation, but I loved the freedom it gave me to go places and do things." Read the original article on Business Insider
