rmc523 Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 Slate Auto Raises $650M as $25K Electric Pickup Nears Launch - Autoblog Slate Auto initially drew attention with plans to sell electric vehicles for under $20,000. However, that pitch shifted after the loss of the $7,500 federal tax credit last September 2025, prompting the company to revise its expected starting price to the mid-$20,000 range. Even so, Slate Auto continues to show signs of momentum, including backing from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The latest is a $650 million Series C funding round led by TWG Global, according to Automotive News. It will help support manufacturing at the startup’s plant in Warsaw, Indiana, as the company works to deliver its first electric pickup truck later this year. A report from TechCrunch states that Slate Auto has raised roughly $1.4 billion to date. TWG Global has been investing in the company since 2024, with its most recent funding round seen as a boost as production nears. In addition to securing funding, the startup has also made a structural change by appointing Peter Faricy as its new chief executive officer. Faricy, a former vice president of Amazon Marketplace, is expected to help build a similar platform that makes it easy for customers to purchase vehicle accessories. Chris Barman, who served as CEO when the brand launched in 2022, has since shifted to overseeing manufacturing, engineering, and design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 The CEO and management team need their golden parachutes for when this thing flops and gets sold to another EV company.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willwll313wll Posted April 14 Share Posted April 14 Still DOA imo unless they really do something spectacular with their business model. I hate to give free business advice but Actually reduce the entry cost to at or below $20k, allow orders, deliveries, and financing through Amazon/Prime. Allow accessories/components available through Amazon as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted April 15 Author Share Posted April 15 13 hours ago, Willwll313wll said: Still DOA imo unless they really do something spectacular with their business model. I hate to give free business advice but Actually reduce the entry cost to at or below $20k, allow orders, deliveries, and financing through Amazon/Prime. Allow accessories/components available through Amazon as well. I agree. I've said from the beginning the pricing won't make sense once you look at competitors and the features they come standard with. Sure, some folks will buy completely stripped Slate models, but the pricing is too close to forgo those options, IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willwll313wll Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 9 hours ago, rmc523 said: I agree. I've said from the beginning the pricing won't make sense once you look at competitors and the features they come standard with. Sure, some folks will buy completely stripped Slate models, but the pricing is too close to forgo those options, IMO. And with just 150 miles of range standard! DOA… unfortunate because I built one on their site and loved it! Almost reserved one until the emotional appeal wore off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 (edited) 23 hours ago, Willwll313wll said: Still DOA imo unless they really do something spectacular with their business model. I hate to give free business advice but Actually reduce the entry cost to at or below $20k, allow orders, deliveries, and financing through Amazon/Prime. Allow accessories/components available through Amazon as well. I truly doubt youll EVER be able to order and get delivery of an Automobile through Amazon...imagine the returns...oh, and the porch Pirates...then theres DMV and original signatures required on specific paperwork... Edited April 15 by Deanh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan20 Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 1 hour ago, Deanh said: I truly doubt youll EVER be able to order and get delivery of an Automobile through Amazon...imagine the returns...oh, and the porch Pirates...then theres DMV and original signatures required on specific paperwork... Hyundai USA allows customers to order and get delivery of an automobile through Amazon, though franchised new car dealerships act as intermediaries in the transaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 I keep thinking these startups should follow the “ghost kitchen” model, but with dealerships. Strike a deal with Stellantis or someone and pickup/drop off service at existing stores (without ever having to bring your Slate to Dodge etc). When Ford had their Rivian stake, and planned on using the R1 platform I’d hoped they’d have done this as well. Rivian would be the only option if I had to replace my Lightning, but the service situation makes me nervous (Same with the R2, which my wife would like to eventually replace her Maverick with). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeluxeStang Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 3 hours ago, Willwll313wll said: And with just 150 miles of range standard! DOA… unfortunate because I built one on their site and loved it! Almost reserved one until the emotional appeal wore off. We followed a very similar journey. When these were first revealed, I thought they were awesome and a built a few on their site. Then the appeal wore off. Basically the only think I like is all the customization options, but Ford management has hinted CE1 EVs will have a lot of customization themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanh Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 (edited) On 4/15/2026 at 5:57 PM, morgan20 said: Hyundai USA allows customers to order and get delivery of an automobile through Amazon, though franchised new car dealerships act as intermediaries in the transaction. On 4/15/2026 at 5:57 PM, morgan20 said: Hyundai USA allows customers to order and get delivery of an automobile through Amazon, though franchised new car dealerships act as intermediaries in the transaction. nope..you still have to go to the Dealer too finalize...its just a shopping tool...the car is NOT delivered to your doorstep by Amazon. es, you can order cars through Amazon via Amazon Autos, which allows you to browse, compare, and initiate the purchase or lease of new and used vehicles from local dealerships. The process involves selecting a car online, arranging financing, and picking up the vehicle at a local dealership, with transparent, haggle-free pricing....just another buying service of which there are many..COSCO for instance. If its delivered to your house, its NOT by AMAAZON, it would be by a Dealership employee or a licensed and Insured delivery service....and that would be AFTER all the paperwork is signed, we literally do that now. Edited April 17 by Deanh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted May 29 Author Share Posted May 29 Slate Wants $300 From EV Truck Buyers Before Revealing The Final Price - Autoblog Slate Auto has officially announced it will open its order books on June 24 for its highly anticipated electric pickup truck. However, the ambitious EV startup is asking buyers to commit real money before knowing the exact final sticker price, a Slate Forums post reveals. The company currently promises a starting price in the mid-$20,000 range, with the official pricing numbers dropping on the same day orders go live. This next phase requires customers to submit a $300 non-refundable deposit, though existing reservation holders can credit their initial $50 fee toward the total. More than 160,000 eager hand-raisers will have a strict 30-day window to lock in their priority delivery slots. This transition marks the latest chapter in a wild four-year journey for a company whose initial target was upended by shifting federal tax credit policies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenKohnen Posted May 29 Share Posted May 29 "Mid-$20000 range" is VERY loose. Technically, $20000.01 to $29999.98 is "mid-$20000 range". Let's assume a standard base model comes in at $25k. OK, that's great, I'm much more interested in the rest of the story. Other than the folks who are fine with manual windows/locks/etc*, how much for one a normal person would actually want to own? *There's plenty out there. I see them frequently. Precisely zero of the ones I see have any interest in any vehicle that doesn't have a gas motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan20 Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 The big shots at Slate claim they ain't interested in the connected vehicle, selling customer data business model according to SAE Automotive startup Slate doesn't see data as a business plan. Yes, its app will collect information, but a Slate spokesperson, when asked if collected data will be sold for additional revenue, told SAE Media a flat “No.” “Slate is not building the app around data extraction,” the company said. “We are building it around ownership value. We collect data to make ownership better, not to turn the owner into the product. The app will collect data only when it directly contributes to enabling or improving a customer experience. Privacy is paramount. For Slate, privacy is not a compliance footnote. It is part of the product experience. Customers should understand what is being shared, why it matters, and how it helps them own the vehicle with more confidence. That may include data needed to support account setup, device-to-vehicle connection, diagnostics, maintenance guidance, service support, charging context, OTA update status, customer support, and product improvement. Slate is being intentional about what the app can do and what data it collects. We would rather be precise and trusted than overpromise connected features or collect data without a clear customer benefit.” That companion app is the only way Slate connects to its upcoming pickup/SUV models. The electric vehicles do not have a modem. It can't phone home to share your location or driving style. For the startup, a modem is just another additional expense that adds cost to the end product. If people want to be connected, they have a smartphone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Just wait until they find out exactly how much companies are willing to pay for that anonymized data. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 4 minutes ago, akirby said: Just wait until they find out exactly how much companies are willing to pay for that anonymized data. I'm pretty sure Bezos already knows that. He's made much of his fortune on that! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted June 5 Author Share Posted June 5 22 hours ago, morgan20 said: The big shots at Slate claim they ain't interested in the connected vehicle, selling customer data business model according to SAE Automotive startup Slate doesn't see data as a business plan. Yes, its app will collect information, but a Slate spokesperson, when asked if collected data will be sold for additional revenue, told SAE Media a flat “No.” “Slate is not building the app around data extraction,” the company said. “We are building it around ownership value. We collect data to make ownership better, not to turn the owner into the product. The app will collect data only when it directly contributes to enabling or improving a customer experience. Privacy is paramount. For Slate, privacy is not a compliance footnote. It is part of the product experience. Customers should understand what is being shared, why it matters, and how it helps them own the vehicle with more confidence. That may include data needed to support account setup, device-to-vehicle connection, diagnostics, maintenance guidance, service support, charging context, OTA update status, customer support, and product improvement. Slate is being intentional about what the app can do and what data it collects. We would rather be precise and trusted than overpromise connected features or collect data without a clear customer benefit.” That companion app is the only way Slate connects to its upcoming pickup/SUV models. The electric vehicles do not have a modem. It can't phone home to share your location or driving style. For the startup, a modem is just another additional expense that adds cost to the end product. If people want to be connected, they have a smartphone. Meh, they'll probably be "order through Amazon" where the data will go anyway.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted June 5 Author Share Posted June 5 Carvana May Have A Foot In Bezos’s Slate Auto Already | Carscoops While Carvana is best known as a used-car retailer, it has recently been expanding into new-car sales, snapping up several former Stellantis dealerships across the country. Last year, it was given a warrant to purchase shares in Slate Auto at roughly the same time the car manufacturer started organizing its Series C funding round, which raised $650 million. Filings with Delaware’s division of corporations have exposed the connection between the two companies, but they stop short of confirming whether Carvana actually exercised the warrant, and if it did, how many shares it walked away with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 On 6/4/2026 at 6:12 AM, fordmantpw said: I'm pretty sure Bezos already knows that. He's made much of his fortune on that! I forgot it was Bezos. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherminator98 Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 On 6/4/2026 at 9:58 AM, morgan20 said: That companion app is the only way Slate connects to its upcoming pickup/SUV models. The electric vehicles do not have a modem. It can't phone home to share your location or driving style. For the startup, a modem is just another additional expense that adds cost to the end product. If people want to be connected, they have a smartphone. So does the App directly connect to the vehicle in someway? Also having a modem in a vehicle helps as an anti thief device, helping with insurance costs. Also are software updates done through the app? Lots of questions on that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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