Inside The Slate Auto Factory - CleanTechnica

Slate Auto, partially backed by Jeff Bezos, is positioning itself as an "anti-Tesla" in the electric vehicle market by focusing on simplicity and utility rather than high-tech features. Unlike Tesla’s feature-rich electric cars, Slate builds bare-bones electric trucks designed to be tough, practical, and affordable. The base model comes with unpainted, dent- and rust-proof gray polypropylene panels and weighs about 3,600 pounds with a standard 52.7 kWh battery, significantly lighter and smaller than Tesla’s Cybertruck. Customers can customize their trucks with optional upgrades, including kits to convert the vehicle into a five-seat fastback or a squared-off style reminiscent of classic rugged trucks like the Ford Courier or Jeep Wrangler. The starting price is estimated around $25,000, emphasizing affordability and straightforward utility. Slate’s manufacturing approach centers on simplifying production to reduce costs and accelerate market entry. The company is currently hand-building prototypes and pre-production vehicles at a small assembly line in Orion Township, Michigan, while its main production facility is being established in a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana, with a planned capacity of up to 150,000 vehicles per year. Slate’s leadership emphasizes flexibility in their production plans and aims to deliver a new category of electric trucks that meet essential needs without unnecessary complexity. This strategy is intended to disrupt the market by providing honest, no-frills electric trucks at a lower price point, contrasting sharply with the more luxurious and heavier electric trucks currently dominating the market.