Slate production line w/ frames! Current status video (5/19/26)

[atx_ev]

New video posted by Slate is showing vehicle frames. Can anyone get any useful information from the video of the frames?

 

[cadblu]

It looks like the first (5) frames are in the robotic welding cell. Could they be the first to enter into production?

I do like the flying drone video!

 

[sodamo]

Idea
Jun 22 -video montage of Blank Slate being built, progressing down the production line ending with finished Slate coming off the line, declaring status and announcing price, blazened across front $22,000.

 

[ScooterAsheville]

I was interested that the second firewall was darker than the others. Also, you can see the footwell cutout in the bed area. I was wondering where the battery pack goes? At bottom of course, but at what part of the vehicle. My wild guess would be that it's beneath the passenger compartment/footwell area.

Just looking at the upper frame, a few thoughts. A simple manual sunroof looks doable. Four doors is interesting, because there's an upper frame rail in that space. But I'm sure the engineers already have that figured out.

What would be cool (Slate Marketing, are you listening?) is an animated exploded view where you could scroll to see the parts explode out and then back in to their assembled state.

Nice to see something at last that looks real.

 

[Kopsis]

Could they be the first to enter into production?

Not likely. They'll be slated for things like weld inspection (some of which will be destructive), structural stress testing, etc. Odds of having a robotic chassis assembly line "good enough" on the first try are pretty low. This is normal procedure. Build a small lot (enough that you can get statistically significant results), test, tweak the process, repeat. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes a dozen small runs to get the bugs worked out.

 

[TPL]

I like the frame rate shown in this video!

 

[Adam W]

I was interested that the second firewall was darker than the others.

You can see that the second one isn't under overhead lights like the others are when the drone flys past.

It looks to me like the last one has the date "April 22, 2026" written on it, along with *maybe* the text "No. 81" So it might be the case that these are actually from a full month ago.

 

[E90400K]

I'm thinking nice subwoofer spot on the right side footwell... it'll fire right into the frunk.

 

[slateya]

Such a tease, this video is.

 

[Luxrage]

I'm thinking nice subwoofer spot on the right side footwell... it'll fire right into the frunk.

Depending on how the pickup cab lines up with the 'footwell' of the rear passenger area, that might also make for a great flush mount box spot.

 

[Shrink36s]

In the video, it appears the foot well does not not connect into the main cab. It could be a good place for some additional storage in the pickup setup. Maybe an opportunity for 3rd party cover replacement that is easier to open and close, and weather seal.
In SUV mode, I do wonder how much that impedes foot room. No sliding your feet under the seat in front of you going on here. As a speaker box enclosure, not much use if it doesn't connect to the cab. Unless you are building a show truck with a crazy sound system for car shows. Is that still a thing?

 

[ElectricShitbox]

If anyone is unclear on where the rear seat and footwell are, it's been discussed.

https://www.slateforums.com/forum/threads/truck-bed-secret-storage.14202/post-214141

We get our first look at the area under the back seat, and it appears there is a small area. Only a few inches deep, which confirms my suspicion that the "hump" in the battery pack is under that area. Hopefully the seat is designed to flip up to access it. In truck mode, we'll see how accessable it is. It would definitely be useful as storage for tow straps or stuff like that.

 

[Shrink36s]

Yeah, closer look at the video, 3-d model and a video of the 4 people going to play pickle ball, it does appear what I thought was the foot well will be under the the back seats, and the footwell it’s the back floorboard of the front cabin. Good catch.

 

[Vehicle Nanny]

When I sat in one at an event in Michigan last year, I noticed the left front wheelwell made it awkward for taller drivers to rest their left foot. It's wider and farther back than most other vehicles I've driven. It doesn't cause me to rule out the vehicle, just realize it may be a production characteristic I need to get used to. If you think it might be a concern to you, find an event or other opportunity to sit in one.

 

[ElectricShitbox]

When I sat in one at an event in Michigan last year, I noticed the left front wheelwell made it awkward for taller drivers to rest their left foot. It's wider and farther back than most other vehicles I've driven. It doesn't cause me to rule out the vehicle, just realize it may be a production characteristic I need to get used to. If you think it might be a concern to you, find an event or other opportunity to sit in one.

Looking back at this video, it does look like it intrudes a fair amount. If you put your left foot there, how does it feel compared to a typical "dead pedal"? Is there enough space between that and the brake pedal to add a dead pedal (where a clutch pedal would be, if that wasn't clear)?