Current state of the Warsaw manufacturing assembly plant (by Barman in Newsweek article)

[Adam W]

Slate Accelerates Toward Full-Scale Electric Truck Manufacturing
https://www.newsweek.com/slate-accelerates-toward-full-scale-electric-truck-manufacturing-12149591

Newsweek interviewed Chris Barman, who gives detailed milestone timelines for the remaining pieces of the manufacturig plant to come online.

Highlights as of July 2026:

• Body shop is fully complete and operational
• E-coating area is 70% installed, will be complete by end of summer
• They're building a trestle to move vehicles from the west building to the East, completion end of summer. It's not real clear what activities take place in the east building.
• General Assembly area nearly complete with four lines
• Seat line starts installation in a week or two.
• Wheel and tire operations in place by end of summer

 

[tubes]

"End of Summer" seems to be the mantra. So, September 20.

Some talk of welds by both Barman and the writer, that is, get those welds right. Ultrasonic inspections, measurements, etc. This may explain the welds seen on the body-in-white in some of the demos. Probably hand made and not indicative of the final outcome.

 

[Frozen North]

Slate Accelerates Toward Full-Scale Electric Truck Manufacturing
https://www.newsweek.com/slate-accelerates-toward-full-scale-electric-truck-manufacturing-12149591

Newsweek interviewed Chris Barman, who gives detailed milestone timelines for the remaining pieces of the manufacturig plant to come online.

Highlights as of July 2026:

• Body shop is fully complete and operational
• E-coating area is 70% installed, will be complete by end of summer
• They're building a trestle to move vehicles from the west building to the East, completion end of summer. It's not real clear what activities take place in the east building.
• General Assembly area nearly complete with four lines
• Seat line starts installation in a week or two.
• Wheel and tire operations in place by end of summer

Good read, thanks for posting that for us hungry Slate information devourerers.

 

[Shrink36s]

The General Assembly area of the plant is nearly ready with all four lines of trim in place. “We're doing a lot of the building of the structure where it's needed around [those lines], ...

The four lines of trim is interesting. Does that mean Blank, Square SUV, Fastback SUV, Open Air or maybe Cargo?
Maybe this is just 4 lines that put on/build out 4 different areas of trim across the one sku?

 

[fxrdr31]

The four lines of trim is interesting. Does that mean Blank, Square SUV, Fastback SUV, Open Air or maybe Cargo?
Maybe this is just 4 lines that put on/build out 4 different areas of trim across the one sku?

They probably all build the base slate but might just install different things on each line. It is still 1 continuous line but zig zags back and forth and each time it's called a new trim line at least that is how a traditional Assembly line is from what I see

 

[CALLIGRA]

The four lines of trim is interesting. Does that mean Blank, Square SUV, Fastback SUV, Open Air or maybe Cargo?
Maybe this is just 4 lines that put on/build out 4 different areas of trim across the one sku?

Unlikely, 4 lines of GA includes stuff like installing brakes, wiring harnesses, dampers, windshields, etc.

If they do build other spec vehicles on the line it will be done by kitting different parts to the line whilst using the same line

Having said that; what is sounding far more likely is that the production line will be building 1 base spec vehicle with an EOL (end of line) team bolting on the add on parts after GA

the EOL area is possibly what we see in this section of the "a new day in Warsaw" having said that this could also be a training area for new assembly or service techs

 

[E90400K]

I still don't understand why Slate is building its own seats.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I sat in a demonstrator last summer and found those seats very comfortable. Those seats didn't have the prominent side bolsters, and I personally prefer the previous version.

 

[Shay]

I still don't understand why Slate is building its own seats.

This has come up in conversation before. Tesla had to build its own seats - they could not find a supplier that would work with them for their needs. There are certain components and structures that suppliers do a certain way and that is all. If you want or need something different, or different quantities than they are willing to contract, you have to improvise.

 

[Trace26]

I still don't understand why Slate is building its own seats.

Because of the big auto mafia.

 

[E90400K]

This has come up in conversation before. Tesla had to build its own seats - they could not find a supplier that would work with them for their needs. There are certain components and structures that suppliers do a certain way and that is all. If you want or need something different, or different quantities than they are willing to contract, you have to improvise.

Yeah, I know the Tesla story, which is no established seat supplier wanted to sell to Tesla because they were an EV fresh start, which drove Tesla to go in-house to build its own seats. Which turned out good in the end for Tesla because they are so innovative, they ended up building a better seat. Being there was nearly zero EV supply chain 15 years ago, Tesla had to vertically integrate much more than a legacy auto manufacturer.

But with Slate, which is trying to go off-the-shelf as much as possible, building its own seats seems off track for the rest of their "horizontal" integration plan. I don't think there is anything particularly new or innovative with Slate's seats, and you'd think by this time nearly 15 years into EV supply chain, the situation of an EV startup would not be an issue at this stage.

Maybe Slate's plan for the seats to have swappable upholstery is outside the norm, but I can't see that as so novel that the industry seat supplier base would find it a block to producing seats for Slate.

On the other hand, being that Warsaw is the "orthopedic capital of the world", the local Warsaw engineering brainbase is going to make really good seats for the Truck.

 

[Adam W]

I don't think there is anything particularly new or innovative with Slate's seats

The double track passenger seat that tucks up under the dash seems unique, as well as the zippered cover design for easy fabric swaps. I'm no automotive interior expert, but those seem like innovations to me.

 

[E90400K]

The double track passenger seat that tucks up under the dash seems unique, as well as the zippered cover design for easy fabric swaps. I'm no automotive interior expert, but those seem like innovations to me.

It will be interesting how the covers work out in the long run. Traditionally, the upholstery covers are attached to the seat framing with hog rings for long-term durability. The foam upholstery looks like it has a sub-cover on it, which I've not seen on any of the car seats I have repaired, maybe the outer cover and the sub-cover work in tandem to keep the outer cover in place.

 

[E90400K]

I'm hoping Katzkin comes up with nice leather replacement covers. $25K roll-up window'd pickup truck with leather seats. LOL.

 

[nahart51]

The double track passenger seat that tucks up under the dash seems unique, as well as the zippered cover design for easy fabric swaps. I'm no automotive interior expert, but those seem like innovations to me.

I had a 1987 Jeep Wrangle that had the same sliding seat for access to the back seats. That being said, it worked really well.