Everything You Want To Know About Slate EV Pickup - by Autoline

[BahamaTodd]

Autoline Network - Everything You Want To Know About That Slate EV Pickup.




Comprehensive Summary (generated by AI)

🔥 The Secret Genesis of Slate Motors

• Quiet Revolution: Hidden behind a nondescript building in Troy, Michigan, Slate Motors orchestrated a major automotive project largely unknown to the public and industry insiders.
• Strategic Secrecy: With 400 team members, including 150 seasoned engineers, the company managed to evade leaks — an extraordinary feat in the automotive world.
• Mission-Driven Development: Slate was founded not just to create another EV but to revive American manufacturing and offer an EV within reach of average American households, embodying a patriotic industrial mission.

🚙 Design: A Study in Modular Simplicity

• Dual Configuration Flexibility: Customers can buy a two-door pickup that converts into a five-passenger SUV by adding different rear caps — emphasizing function over form while offering stylistic options (upright for cargo, fastback for sportiness).
• Structural Innovation: Slate merges body-on-frame strength, unibody integration, and skateboard platform battery distribution — an unusual fusion designed for maximum durability and minimal production complexity.

⚡ Performance Specifications: Function Over Flash

• Battery and Range:
  • 52.7 kWh: 150 miles — ideal for urban commutes.
  • 84.3 kWh: 240 miles — suited for rural and working environments.
• Motor:
  • 150kW (~201 horsepower).
  • 0-60 mph: 8 seconds.
  • Top speed: 92 mph.
• Load and Tow:
  • 1,400 lbs payload.
  • 1,000 lbs towing capacity.
• Compact but Mighty: Shorter than the Ford Maverick by 2 feet, yet it boasts a larger bed and greater width, offering superior utility without bulk.

🎨 A Radical Cost-Saving Approach to Vehicle Production

• Unpainted Body Panels:
  Molded polypropylene panels replace traditional metal bodywork — no expensive paint shops needed, and customers customize with durable wraps.
• Bare-Bones Interior:
  Manual crank windows, smartphone-based infotainment (no built-in screen), rotary HVAC knobs — a throwback to utilitarian design, removing unnecessary complexity.
• OTA (Over-the-Air) Innovation:
  Despite simplicity, important updates like powertrain adjustments are delivered wirelessly via smartphones.

👩‍💼 Leadership Team: Experience Without Bureaucracy

• Chris Barman (CEO): Former Chrysler VP, deep experience in vehicle program management.
• Eric Kyper (Head of Engineering): Veteran in OEM and startup integration.
• Tisha Johnson (Head of Design): Former Volvo executive, emphasizes Scandinavian minimalism.
• Jeremy Snyder (CCO): Ex-Tesla executive with extensive experience in global business development.
• Investor Backing: Heavyweights like Mark Walter, Thomas Tull, and even Jeff Bezos invested early — signaling serious financial muscle.

🏭 Slate’s Unique Manufacturing and Business Model

• Factory Footprint: Repurposed a 1.5 million square foot empty warehouse in Warsaw, Indiana — dramatically lowering startup costs.
• Production Philosophy:
  • Design for Manufacturing (DFM) shrinks part complexity (500 parts vs 2,500 traditional).
  • Multiple virtual builds (three, not one) to catch flaws early.
  • Pilot builds (72 pre-production trucks) built in final sequence to stress-test processes.
• Direct-to-Consumer Sales: Slate will sell directly online, bypassing dealerships — a bold Tesla-like move — but it risks challenges in distribution and service.

👨‍🔧 Customer Relationship Philosophy

• Slate University:
  Customers will learn DIY maintenance, helping to keep ownership costs down and fostering community pride and brand loyalty.
• 3D Printing Accessories:
  Customers can personalize their vehicles over time with 3D printed parts, stickers, wraps, and modular add-ons.
• Multiple Ownership Cycles:
  Slate intentionally designed the vehicle for second and third owners to continue customization, extending product life and customer satisfaction.

🚨 Strategic Risks and Challenges

• EV Tax Credit Dependency:
  If the federal $7,500 rebate disappears, Slate's $27,000 price tag could jump too close to competitors like the Ford Maverick — killing its core advantage.
• Scaling Pains:
  Producing 140,000 trucks a year is aggressive, especially for a startup. Even Ford’s beloved Maverick "only" moved 130,000 units in 2023.
• Market Perception Risk:
  Will working-class buyers, who are traditionally skeptical of EVs, embrace an unknown brand over a tried-and-true gas pickup?

 

[Mad Mac]

One thing that is never mentioned.
Indiana is a Right to Work State.

 

[E90400K]

Another thing not often mentioned is old production facilities are rarely sold and repurposed because any lingering environmental cleanup impacts become the responsibility of the new owners.

 

[YDR37]

Another thing not often mentioned is old production facilities are rarely sold and repurposed because any lingering environmental cleanup impacts become the responsibility of the new owners.

That is a valid concern, but there are ways to deal with it. Sometimes the previous owner will retain liability for any environmental impacts that occurred before the sale date. So any lingering cleanup efforts remain the responsibility of the previous owner; the new owner is not liable (unless, of course, the new owner causes a new impact after the sale).

Another way to avoid liability for historic environmental impacts on a property is to lease, rather than buy. That way, the new occupant is only a tenant and not the owner. That appears to be the path that Slate is taking:

Slate Auto, the buzzy new EV startup that broke stealth this week, is close to locking in a former printing plant located in Warsaw, Indiana as the future production site for its cheap electric truck, a review of public records shows.

The company is expected to lease the 1.4 million-square-foot facility for an undisclosed sum.