Slate plans to have upward of 150,000 vehicles roll off its lines every year
When it recently emerged from stealth startup mode, the Slate truck captured the attention of the auto industry for all the right reasons. Now, in an attempt to help “re-industrialize” the United States, Slate is confirming it will manufacture its vehicles in a former printing building in Warsaw, Indiana. The facility was shuttered in 2023 by its former occupant, LSC Communications, a company that employed about 500 people in the area.
Slate is set to lease the 1.4 million-square-foot facility for an undisclosed sum. Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO) officials toldthe local news outlet News Now Warsaw that Slate, which they did not name, has also agreed to an incentive package and would add “up to” 2,000 jobs to the local economy.
Slate
What we know about Slate’s manufacturing plans
Slate is taking a logical approach to selling vehicles. Instead of offering a standalone model with all the bells and whistles, Slate will bring a barebones vehicle to the masses, allowing each buyer to customize their vehicle granularly with over 100 options. The base model won’t even have a stereo, cup holders, or a center console. Everything is extra on a Slate vehicle.
It will offer pre-designed builds, of course, with several truck and SUV builds to choose from. Each of those builds can also be customized, and you can remove items from pre-existing builds if you like. Each of those builds is based on the basic Slate truck, which is where most of the attention is focused.
Slate Auto
Slate’s base model truck is a sub-$20,000 (after federal tax rebates) vehicle that is reminiscent of the second-generation Chevy Luv truck from the 80s. Like the Luv, the Slate truck is a single-cab pickup that is content with being adequate. It has a projected range of 240 miles, another ho-hum feature that has people oddly excited. The company wants to begin production next year, and it’s unclear how long it may take to get fully ramped up for making 150,000 vehicles per year out of its Warsaw, Indiana, facility.
Slate is following the lead set by Hyundai, Rivian, and others
It should be noted that Slate’s concept isn’t new. Many established automakers, like Hyundai, are building modular manufacturing facilities as automakers move to electrify their lineups. As the needs for EVs evolve, so will the machinery needed to create and install components on vehicles with rapidly evolving platforms.
Rivian took over a former Mitsubishi plant in Normal, Illinois, to produce its EVs; Tesla’s Fremont, California, facility was originally a joint venture for Toyota and GM, capable of producing 650,000 vehicles annually. While Slate is a novel take on auto sales and manufacturing, it follows tried-and-true methods for quickly getting an auto production line up and running.
Slate Auto
Final thoughts
If Slate scales beyond its projected 150,000 annual vehicle output, chances are it will need a second facility. During its announcement, Slate showed an overhead image of the facility it was set to call home, which we now know is in Warsaw, Indiana. That image doesn’t show much room for expansion, but a low-cost EV with a decent range is on the wishlist for many car buyers, and Slate is set to deliver just that.