Slate

Slate is developing a radically simple, all-electric pickup truck built around a modular, customizable platform. The vehicle is sold at a low base price, with customers selecting the additions they want rather than purchasing pre-configured trim packages. Owners can add accessories, change colors and reconfigure the body type over time, including switching between a truck and an SUV-like form; the company describes the product as a “blank Slate” that is never fully finished.

The work spans electric vehicle design, manufacturing and automotive engineering, with an emphasis on modularity and vehicle customization. Design activity takes place in California and Michigan, engineering is based in Michigan, and assembly is planned for the Midwest. The company states an intention to engineer and manufacture the vehicle in the United States.

Slate operates in the automotive, electric vehicle and consumer vehicle accessories sectors, with a stated focus on affordability and customer empowerment: a simple base vehicle that buyers configure and reconfigure themselves rather than a finished product defined by fixed packages.