In April 2025, a new company called Shale It came out of secrecy and was shocked by the car industry. Not only did this start focuses on the construction of an extremely cheap, customized electric truck funded by Jeff Bezos, but it had also been secretly operating for three years in the Troy of Michigan-the courtyard of major automakers such as Ford and General Motors.
Techcrunch was the first in history, citing early April about the company’s existence, its participation in the Amazon founder and its curious and unique business model. The weeks between our exhibition and the official Slate’s party released in late April provided a news fir, with original start -up truck emerging in California.
Slate is a diversion in the US EV sector, where bankruptcies, failed product launches and turns have become accustomed to. And while its current supporters, executive composition, first product and business model provide a fascinating route forward, the road is still full of potential obstacles as it pushes to production in late 2026.
Here is a timetable that records everything you need to know about Slate Auto, from the history of origin and its product supporters, business model and production plans.
Inside the EV boot that is secretly supported by Jeff Bezos
April 8 – After an annual study, TechCrunch published a story that reveals that a secret EV start -up called Slate Auto had been operating for three years with the financial support of owner Jeff Bezos and La Dodgers Mark Walter.
Unlike other new EV companies, Slate worked to develop an extremely low -cost electric truck that would start at about $ 25,000. This truck would be deeply customized, utilizing the experience of many former Harley-Davidson and Chrysler employees, two companies with extensive accessories and post-purchase spare parts businesses.
Slate Auto truck was found in wild
April 10 – One day later, a photo of a non -massive electric truck began to be released on r/whatISTHISCAR SUBREDDITWith the guess of Redditors being the mystery of Slate’s.
TechCrunch managed to confirm that the photo was, in fact, an original Slate truck parked outside the company’s long beach, California Design Center.
An EV that can change as ‘transformer’
April 21 – Slate began to put on Slate EV publications on public roads to create Buzz Marketing in front of the scheduled launch event on April 24. Curiously, some of them seemed to be more like SUV or hatchbacks, not just trucks.
TechCrunch was able to confirm that the company had developed the EV to have articulated capabilities with a “transformer” and that this trick was a way to tease this adjustment.
The analogue EV truck which is decisively anti-tsel
April 24 – Slate debuted at a launch event in Long Beach, California, where he revealed the customizable electric truck. Slate also announced that the truck will be available for less than $ 20,000 – with federal tax credit of $ 7,500.
The basic version of the truck was revealed to be very bare bones, with just 150 miles of range, no power windows, no main entertainment screen and not even color. The slate substantially promised everything for the truck would be customizable, even up to the number of seats and the total silhouette.
A former Indiana printing plant looked at EV truck production
April 25 – TechCrunch said Slate had identified a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana as the location for its truck plant. The installation of 1.4 million square feet was built in 1958 and was inactive for about two years.
Slate Auto crosses 100,000 returning reservations in two weeks
May 12 – Slate confirmed to TechCrunch that it had already exceeded 100,000 refunds of $ 50 reservations for the affordable EV truck. It was proof that the company’s ideas had caught a wide audience, despite the fact that no one knew about Slate just two months ago.
Slate Auto Drops “Under $ 20,000” Posting After Trump Administration ends Federal EV Tax Credit
July 3 – Trump’s administration pushed a huge tax bill that, among many other actions, set the final date of September on Federal Tax Credit of $ 7,500. This means that the Slate’s truck will no longer be able to lean on this credit to reach the price of “under $ 20,000” where the starting was touting. As a result, Slate pulled this language from its website before the bill is even signed in the law.
Why this LA -based VC company was an early investor in Slate Auto
July 8 – The funding tour of Slate 2023 included at least 16 investors – one of which was Bezos. While most of these investors have not yet been identified, Slauson & Co. Based in Los Angeles, he talked to TechCrunch about why he threw EV on this initial funding round, as well as the B. series of Slate B.
