From Ars Technica · · 3m
Slate opens Chicago showroom for $25,000 electric truck
The startup's first retail space lets customers see and configure its bare-bones pickup before production begins later this year.
In brief
The startup's first retail space lets customers see and configure its bare-bones pickup before production begins later this year. Slate opened its first showroom in Chicago to let customers experience its twenty five thousand dollar electric truck ahead of production starting soon. Originally reported by Ars Technica.
Slate opens first showroom
Slate opened its first showroom last week in the Fulton Market District northwest of the Chicago Loop in a former Tesla store staffed by some former Tesla employees.
What customers can do there
The Slate Experience Center lets would-be buyers examine a prototype, check out customization options, buy Slate merchandise, and pre-order a new Slate Truck with a three hundred dollar deposit.
The Slate Truck specs
The Slate Truck is a bare-bones electric pickup truck retailing for twenty four thousand nine hundred fifty dollars with plastic panels, minimalist interior design, manual window winders, and a projected range of two hundred five…
Strong early interest
The showroom opened October fifteenth with a three-day launch event offering ridealongs.Manager of Customer Experience Steve Purdy said the response has been incredible and the company is very happy with the number of deposits received.
“We're really happy with the number of [$300] deposits we've gotten since we opened”
Only one prototype on display
The showroom has one hand-built, older prototype with a black wrap.The bed and passenger sides are cordoned off, but the driver-side door is open so shoppers can examine the interior and sit in the cab.
Truck size and build quality
The truck is roughly the size of a Hyundai Santa Cruz. The five-foot-long bed floor looks and feels durable. The exterior panels appear well-fitted with doors sitting flush when closed.
Interior features
The cab is spartan with a small instrument panel screen, phone holder, physical climate controls, and manual window winders. The seats are supportive and comfortable with ample legroom after adjustment.
Production timeline
The Slate assembly line in Warsaw, Indiana is still making prototyping runs.The company hopes to start production models soon.
“We will ship some trucks by the end of the year. Those will go to investors and employees, with early-orderers receiving their Slate Trucks in early 2027.”
Customization options
Beyond the default Blank Slate body style, Slate offers two SUV options, the Squareback SUV and Fastback SUV, and an open-air kit.Most customers are going with the truck configuration and customizing in the Slate Garage.
“Most customers are going with the truck configuration. And then they're customizing their trucks in the Slate Garage.”
In-showroom configuration
Staffers at the Experience Center help customers configure customized Slates. A wall displays removable dashboard panels across the color spectrum and miniature cab models with tiny colored panels help customers visualize their truck.
Service and replacement parts
Slate will use RepairPal for service, giving owners access to four thousand shops.Some can service high-voltage electrical systems, others handle body damage.Owners can replace exterior body panels themselves.
Price advantage over rivals
At twenty five thousand dollars, the Slate Truck costs far less than a Rivian R one T, Tesla Cybertruck, Chevy Silverado EV, or any currently shipping battery-electric truck.
Production quality remains uncertain
Tesla had significant quality control problems with early Model Ys and some Cybertrucks shipped with misaligned panel gaps. Slate now faces a production reality check to deliver trucks matching the carefully hand-built prototypes.
The bottom line
Slate opened its first showroom in Chicago to let customers experience its twenty five thousand dollar electric truck ahead of production starting soon.
