The Rise of Slate Auto: A Timeline of the Secretive EV Startup
From stealth mode to 150,000 reservations, here is the trajectory of the Jeff Bezos-backed electric vehicle company
Quick Look
- Slate Auto, a secretive EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has emerged as a disruptive force in the U.S. market with its low-cost, modular electric trucks.
- Despite regulatory shifts impacting tax credits, the company has secured over 150,000 reservations.
AI-generated summary
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.
April 8 – After a year-long investigation, TechCrunch published a story revealing that a secretive EV startup called Slate Auto had been operating for three years with the financial backing of Jeff Bezos and LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter. Unlike other EV startups, Slate had been working on developing an extremely low-cost electric pickup truck that would start at around $25,000.
April 10 – A photo of a nondescript electric truck started circulating on the r/whatisthiscar subreddit. TechCrunch confirmed the photo was a prototype of Slate’s truck parked outside the company’s Long Beach, California design center.
April 21 – Slate began putting concept versions of the Slate EV on public streets to generate marketing buzz. TechCrunch confirmed the company had developed the EV to have “Transformer-like” modular capabilities.
April 24 – Slate made its debut at a launch event in Long Beach, California, where it revealed its customizable electric pickup truck. Slate also announced the truck would be available for under $20,000 — with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. The base version was bare-bones, with 150 miles of range, no power windows, no main infotainment screen, and no paint.
April 25 – TechCrunch reported that Slate had identified a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana as the location for its truck factory.
May 12 – Slate confirmed it had surpassed 100,000 refundable $50 reservations for its affordable EV truck.
July 3 – The Trump administration pushed through a tax-cut bill that set a September end-date for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. Slate pulled the “under $20,000” pricing language from its website.
July 8 – Los Angeles-based Slauson & Co. spoke to TechCrunch about why it invested in Slate Auto during the initial funding round and Series B.
October 30 – Slate Auto CEO Chris Barman sat down for an interview on the main stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, where she discussed the challenges of building an automaker from scratch.
December 16 – Slate Auto crossed 150,000 refundable reservations for its truck and SUV, showing sustained interest despite the loss of the federal tax credit.
