Vintage Printing Truck Originated from an Indiana-Based Workshop
Slate Truck: Affordable Electric Pickup to Create 2,000 Jobs in Warsaw
Slate Auto, an American electric vehicle manufacturer, is set to make a significant impact with its debut model, the Slate Truck. The pickup, which boasts a distinctive retro design and high modularity, has already garnered over 100,000 pre-orders within a few weeks of its spring 2025 presentation.
The Slate Truck is expected to be the most affordable pickup in the U.S., with a base price of $27,500 or approximately €23,600, making it an attractive choice for many consumers. The production of this affordable electric vehicle is set to create up to 2,000 new jobs in Warsaw, Indiana.
Slate Auto will revamp a former printing plant site in Warsaw for the production of the Slate Truck. The site, which measures approximately 130,000 square meters, was originally opened in 1958 and ceased operations in 2023, employing around 500 people at the time.
Slate Auto's choice to repurpose existing production sites is in line with a trend among American electric vehicle manufacturers. In fact, Rivian's main plant in Normal, Ohio, was a previous Mitsubishi factory, and Tesla's first Gigafactory was originally part of the "New United Motor Manufacturing" joint venture between General Motors and Toyota.
The Warsaw production site has two factory halls, each approximately 56,000 square meters in size. Slate Auto has not yet announced how much space it will need at the Warsaw location for its production.
Slate CEO Chris Barman has stated that the company aims to reuse the closed-down facility to revitalize the community, a sentiment shared by many electric vehicle manufacturers repurposing existing sites.
The Slate Truck will offer two versions with a range of either 241 or 386 kilometers. Deliveries to customers are expected by the end of 2026. Interested parties only had to pay $50 to secure a pre-order for the Slate Truck.
With demand high for the Slate Truck, it's clear that Slate Auto's first own production site in Warsaw, Indiana, is poised to make a significant contribution to the electric vehicle market and the local community.
The establishment of Slate Auto's production facility for the Slate Truck in Warsaw, Indiana, signifies a vital step in the business realm, merging finance, technology, and the growth of the local economy. This tech-oriented project, estimated to create up to 2,000 jobs, also represents a strategic move in the competitive electric vehicle business market.
