Tran
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According to Automotive News (as of July 22):
Slate Auto's head count has increased to about 250 at its headquarters in Troy, Michigan. And the company is hiring 90 more workers says CEO Chris Barman.
AI Summary of article:
Slate Auto's head count has increased to about 250 at its headquarters in Troy, Michigan. And the company is hiring 90 more workers says CEO Chris Barman.
AI Summary of article:
Slate Auto Sets Sights on Disrupting the EV Truck Market from Metro Detroit
The company currently occupies two office buildings in Troy and may expand further as it scales. Long-term, Slate is considering the addition of a second production facility to keep up with future demand.
Though it recently debuted its first prototype, Slate has already secured significant investor confidence — including financial backing from Jeff Bezos — and has raised $700 million to date. Despite being a new player, its vision is expansive.
“What sets our truck apart is the simplicity and consistency in how it’s built,” said Barman at the Reindustrialize conference in Detroit. “Every unit starts the same, but it’s engineered to support a wide variety of accessories.”
Unveiled officially in April, the compact two-seater electric truck has captured public interest thanks to its starting price in the mid-$20,000 range. It’s being positioned for customers who might otherwise consider used vehicles or can’t afford the $50,000 average price of new cars today.
Designed for affordability, the truck is intentionally basic: unpainted gray exterior panels, no infotainment, manual windows, and analog controls. Slate is marketing it as a customizable “blank canvas” — with wraps and accessories available to make it your own.
It’s also modular. The standard two-seater can be transformed into a five-passenger crossover and later reverted back, depending on the owner’s needs.
Barman believes this adaptability gives the vehicle long-term value: “It can evolve with your lifestyle, and it’s fully reversible.”
Slate’s entry into the market comes at a pivotal time. On one hand, there’s increasing consumer demand for affordable vehicles, and major automakers like Ford and Toyota are exploring more compact and economical pickup options. On the other hand, challenges loom: the EV sector is cooling, and policy changes are scaling back federal incentives for electric vehicles and battery manufacturing.
Still, Barman said Slate’s business model doesn’t rely on those incentives: “We never built our strategy around tax credits. They’d certainly help make our product even more affordable, but they’re not essential to our plan.”
Despite being early in the game, Slate’s concept has sparked interest — with 100,000 refundable reservations submitted within weeks of launch. While a $50 deposit doesn’t guarantee conversion to a sale, it signals strong curiosity.
Slate is revamping a former 1.4-million-square-foot print facility in Warsaw, Indiana, to house its first manufacturing site. The company evaluated nearly a dozen states for the project but ultimately settled there.
That said, Michigan remains core to Slate’s identity. The Troy headquarters will continue to serve as the center for engineering, design, sales, and business operations. And future production may return to the state.
“We see the potential for a second plant down the line,” Barman noted. “When that time comes, Michigan will definitely be on the shortlist.”
