Bezos-Backed Startup Slate Launches US-Made Electric Pickup
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A Jeff Bezos-backed startup aims to appeal to American car buyers鈥 patriotism and pocketbooks.
Slate Auto plans to debut a small electric-powered, American-made pickup for less than $20,000 with federal subsidies. The bare-bones, two-seater truck is designed to make a splash in a market where demand for EVs has softened 鈥 due in part to high prices that Cox Automotive estimates averaged $59,205 in March, 25% more than a gas vehicle.
The startup, which counts Amazon.com founder Bezos among its key investors, is headquartered in the Detroit suburb of Troy, Mich., and employs about 400 people, Jeff Jablansky, a company spokesman, said April 25.
Its base model lacks creature comforts like power windows and the battery 鈥 which Korean Economic Daily reports is supplied by SK On Co. 鈥 has a maximum range of about 240 miles. It will be assembled at a plant in Indiana, the company said, with the first vehicles delivered as soon as late 2026. Kits will be sold separately to modify the truck into an SUV.
We're about to save you a lot of cheddar. 鈥 Slate Auto (@slateauto)
鈥淭he definition of what鈥檚 affordable is broken,鈥 Chris Barman, Slate鈥檚 CEO, said at an event late April 24. 鈥淲e are building the affordable vehicle that has long been promised but never delivered.鈥
The low sticker price relies on EV tax incentives President Donald Trump aims to eliminate. Slate Auto鈥檚 spokesman said the truck will still be competitive and affordable without such federal support, but he did not specify a price without those incentives.
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