Inside Slate’s radical design process to build a $24,950 EV truck you won’t be embarrassed to drive

Slate Auto began taking preorders this week for its $24,950 electric truck, a vehicle designed with radical cost-saving measures that omit features like infotainment screens, radios, carpeting, and power windows. The company's factory in Warsaw, Indiana, avoids expensive components such as paint shops and standard stamping equipment, contributing to the truck's affordability. Slate Auto's head of design, Tisha Johnson, stated that the company aimed to recreate the appeal of affordable, useful two-door trucks by questioning conventional automotive design assumptions. The company's approach focused on essential features, repairability, and user customization, offering options like wraps and conversion kits to transform the truck into an SUV. Slate Auto has raised $1.46 billion to date from investors including General Catalyst and Jeff Bezos's family office, Bezos Expeditions. The company is currently building design validation vehicles and programming robots for the final production, with trucks expected to roll out later this year.