You’ve seen the renders. Those weirdly charming, boxy, unpainted gray slabs on wheels that look like they crawled out of a 1980s sci-fi flick or a Lego bin. People are calling it the "anti-Tesla," and honestly, the hype is getting a bit loud. If you’re tired of $80,000 electric trucks that have more screens than a Best Buy, the Slate Truck feels like a breath of fresh air. But the million-dollar question (or rather, the $27,500 question) is simple: when will the slate truck be available for real?
I’ve been digging through the production filings and the latest updates from Slate Auto—the Michigan-based startup backed by some heavy hitters like Jeff Bezos—and the timeline is finally coming into focus.
The Short Answer: Mark Your Calendar for Late 2026
If you were hoping to driving one of these to the lake this summer, I’ve got bad news. You’re going to be waiting a while. Slate Auto has officially targeted Q4 2026 for the first customer deliveries.
They aren’t just building a car; they are gutting and "re-industrializing" an old printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana. It’s a massive 1.4-million-square-foot facility. Right now, they are in the "putting the machines in the building" phase.
- Production Start: Expected to kick off in the second half of 2026.
- Initial Deliveries: Aiming for the tail end of 2026 (think November or December).
- Full Ramp-Up: They don't expect to hit their 150,000-unit annual capacity until late 2027.
Basically, if you aren't already one of the 150,000 people who dropped a $50 refundable deposit, you might be looking at 2027 or even 2028 before you get your hands on one.
Why is everyone obsessed with this "Blank Slate"?
It’s rare to see this much buzz for a truck that literally doesn't have a radio. Seriously. The base model, which they call the "Blank Slate," is aggressively minimalist.
Instead of a 17-inch touchscreen that controls your windshield wipers, you get a universal phone mount. You use your own phone for maps and music. It has crank windows. It has manual mirrors. It comes in one "color"—unpainted gray polypropylene. If you want it to be blue, you buy a vinyl wrap.
It’s a DIY enthusiast's dream. There are over 100 accessory points. You can buy a kit to turn the two-seat pickup into a five-seat SUV with a fastback or a boxy roof. It’s modular in a way we haven't seen since the old-school Jeeps or the original Land Rover Defenders.
The Specs That Actually Matter
For a "cheap" truck, the numbers aren't half bad. You’re looking at a single rear-mounted motor pushing 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. It’s not going to win a drag race against a Rivian—0 to 60 mph takes about 8 seconds—but that’s plenty for merging onto the highway with a bed full of mulch.
You’ve got two battery options:
- 52.7 kWh pack: Roughly 150 miles of range.
- 84.3 kWh pack: Roughly 240 miles of range.
One detail that actually surprised me? It uses the NACS (Tesla-style) charging port out of the box. No adapters needed for the Supercharger network. That’s a huge win for a startup.
When will the slate truck be available for test drives?
Don't expect to find a Slate dealership in a suburban auto mall. They are leaning into a direct-to-consumer model, much like Tesla or Rivian.
Word on the street is that they’ll start doing regional "pop-up" events in major cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, and Detroit throughout 2025. This is where they’ll let the early reservation holders actually sit in the thing and see if they can live with the "analog" lifestyle.
Actual test drives for the general public probably won't happen until the factory in Indiana is actually spitting out street-legal production units in mid-to-late 2026.
The Price Reality Check
Initially, Slate made waves by saying the truck would be "under $20,000." We need to be real here: that was a marketing move based on the old federal tax credits.
The actual base price is closer to $27,500.
Since the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" shook up the EV subsidy landscape, that $7,500 credit isn't a guarantee for everyone anymore. Even at $27k, it’s still cheaper than a Ford Maverick or a Nissan Leaf, but it's not the "dirt cheap" miracle some were hoping for. If you start adding the SUV conversion kit (about $5,000) or the bigger battery, you’re suddenly looking at a $35,000 vehicle.
Is it worth the wait?
That depends on who you are. If you want a luxury lounge on wheels, you will hate this truck. It’s loud. It’s plastic. It’s small—about the size of a Toyota pickup from the early 90s.
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But if you want a tool? Something you can wash out with a hose and fix with a wrench? The Slate Truck is the only player in that game right now.
Next Steps for You:
If you're serious about getting one, go to the official Slate Auto website and check your reservation spot. Since they already have 150,000 pre-orders and a max capacity of 150,000 per year, a new reservation today likely means a 2027 delivery date. Keep an eye on your email for the "Configurator" launch, which is rumored to go live in early 2026. That’s when you’ll have to decide if you actually want the crank windows or if you're going to splurge for the power locks.