All posts tagged: slate auto

Slate Auto will announce pricing and take preorders for its EV on June 24

Slate Auto will announce pricing and take preorders for its EV on June 24

Published by skeptic

Slate Auto, the electric vehicle startup backed by Jeff Bezos and LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter, will announce pricing and start taking non-refundable preorders for its low-cost electric vehicle on June 24, ahead of the first deliveries late this year. The company sent out emails to prospective buyers on Thursday that encouraged them to make a $50 reservation now ahead of the $300 preorders starting next month, in order to get a “delivery window before non-reservers.” Slate had previously said it would announce pricing in June. An FAQ section of the preorder page that went live Thursday shows the company will announce pricing on June 24. The company did not respond to a request for comment. The four-year-old company came out of stealth in April 2025 after TechCrunch revealed its secretive plans to build a low-cost, no-frills, customizable vehicle. Slate once touted that the base version of its EV — which can be converted from a two-seater truck to a five-seater SUV, for a price — would start at “under $20,000” with a $7,500 federal …

Slate Auto raises 0M to fund its affordable EV truck plans

Slate Auto raises $650M to fund its affordable EV truck plans

Published by skeptic

Jeff Bezos-backed electric vehicle startup Slate Auto has raised another $650 million as the company prepares to put its first affordable pickup trucks into production by the end of 2026. The carmaker said Monday that the Series C funding round was led by TWG Global, a firm run by Guggenheim Partners chief executive (and Los Angeles Dodgers owner) Mark Walter and investor Thomas Tull. Slate Auto’s press release thanked “visionary investors” but the company did not name any others who were involved in the fundraise. The new round means Slate Auto has raised roughly $1.4 billion to date. Previous investors have included General Catalyst, Jeff Bezos’ family office, VC firm Slauson & Co., and former Amazon executive Diego Piacentini, as TechCrunch first reported last year. The company is also loaded with Amazon DNA. Beyond its investors, it was co-founded by Amazon’s former Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke. The heads of Slate’s mobility, user experience/user interface, e-commerce, fleet sales, and HR teams all used to work at Amazon. And, the company recently installed former Amazon Marketplace VP …

Slate Auto: Everything you need to know about the Bezos-backed EV startup

Slate Auto: Everything you need to know about the Bezos-backed EV startup

Published by skeptic

In April 2025, a new company called Slate Auto came out of stealth and shocked the car industry. Not only was this startup focused on making an ultra-cheap, customizable electric pickup truck with funding from Jeff Bezos, but it had also been operating in secret for three years in Troy, Michigan — the backyard of major automakers like Ford and General Motors. TechCrunch was first to the story, reporting in early April about the company’s existence, its involvement with the Amazon founder, and its curious and unique business model. The weeks between our report and Slate’s official coming out party in late April provided a whirlwind of news, with prototypes of the startup’s truck popping up around California. Slate is an aberration in the U.S. EV sector, where bankruptcies, failed product launches, and pivots have become commonplace. And while its current backers, executive lineup, first product, and business model provide a compelling path forward, the road is still riddled with potential hurdles as it pushes toward production in late 2026.  Here’s a timeline that charts …