Slate's $25,000 Electric Truck Enters Production
Image: AI-generated illustration for Gearvoniq
Slate electric truck production is now set to begin in November 2026, according to the clearest public timeline yet for one of the most closely watched new vehicles in the United States. The date came not from Slate Auto itself, but from Kenda Tire, its tyre supplier, in a press release on 28 October 2026.
Slate had previously said only that first deliveries were expected in the final quarter of 2026, without naming a month. The Kenda announcement narrows that window considerably. It ties the start of production to November and links a new tyre launch directly to the first customer trucks.
For buyers who have waited since the Blank Slate was first revealed, this is a welcome sign of progress. Slate is promising a $24,950 electric pickup with no direct rivals in the US auto industry, and more than 180,000 people have already placed reservations.
Key Takeaways
- Slate's $24,950 Blank Slate electric pickup enters production in November 2026, according to tyre supplier Kenda Tire.
- Kenda is Slate's official original equipment tyre supplier, and its KLEVER S/T EV tyre was engineered specifically for the Slate truck.
- More than 180,000 people placed $50 reservations, Slate said in June 2026.
- Slate had said only that first deliveries were expected in Q4 2026; Business Insider reported in September 2026 that some customers were told December.
- The trucks will be assembled at a reindustrialised factory in Warsaw, Indiana, still building prototypes in late October 2026.
How the November Date Came to Light
The date emerged in a Kenda Tire press release dated 28 October 2026. Kenda announced it had been chosen as the original equipment supplier for Slate Auto's all-new Blank Slate electric pickup. The release said the Kenda KLEVER S/T EV tyre will launch as original equipment on The Blank Slate when the vehicle enters production in November 2026.
The wording matters. Kenda did not present November as a target or a rough estimate. It presented the tyre launch and the start of vehicle production as linked events, with availability aligned to Slate Auto's production schedule. For a supplier to put that date in a public release suggests confidence in the schedule behind the scenes.
It is also a reminder of how much a new car launch depends on suppliers. A vehicle cannot enter production until its suppliers are ready, and suppliers often have their own announcements tied to the same date. Here, the tyre supplier gave the clearest public confirmation that production is about to begin.
What the Blank Slate Is
The Blank Slate is Slate Auto's first vehicle, a small electric pickup priced from $24,950. That price is central to the whole project. Most electric pickups on sale in the United States today are large, well-equipped, and priced far above that figure. Slate is taking the opposite approach: a smaller, simpler truck within reach of far more buyers.
Slate has described the Blank Slate as having no direct rivals in the US auto industry, and the price alone helps explain why. There is no other new electric pickup in the American market at anything close to $24,950. That gives Slate a clear point of difference, but it also raises the stakes.
Slate was established in 2022, making it a young company by car industry standards. It does not have the manufacturing scale of an established carmaker. Its idea is simple: a basic, affordable electric truck that buyers can use as it comes, or shape to suit their own needs.
Image: AI-generated illustration for Gearvoniq
A Tyre Built for an Electric Pickup
The Kenda announcement is about more than a date. It explains that the KLEVER S/T EV tyre was engineered specifically for the Slate truck, to handle the weight of an electric vehicle and the instant torque that electric motors deliver. Those are two defining features of an electric pickup, and they place particular demands on tyres.
Electric vehicles are typically heavier than comparable petrol or diesel vehicles, because of the weight of the battery. That weight affects braking, handling, and tyre wear. Instant torque, the immediate pulling power an electric motor delivers from a standstill, also puts extra stress on the tyres when the driver accelerates.
Kenda said the tyre was developed with its American Technical Center in Akron, Ohio. That underlines the American focus of the project: a truck for the US market, assembled in the United States, with a key component developed at an American technical centre. Kenda will also supply Slate's accessory tyre offerings.
Image: AI-generated illustration for Gearvoniq
More Than 180,000 Reservations
The scale of interest is already clear. More than 180,000 people placed $50 reservations for the truck, Slate said in June 2026. That is striking for a vehicle from a company that had not yet delivered a single customer truck, and for a brand established only in 2022.
A $50 reservation does not guarantee that every reservation will turn into a sale. Some people will change their minds, some will wait to see the finished truck, and some will decide the timing is not right. Even so, a queue of more than 180,000 names is a powerful signal that the idea of an affordable electric pickup has struck a chord.
Slate has been offering ride-alongs to potential buyers across the US since August 2026. Those events let people who have placed a reservation, or are thinking about doing so, experience the truck in person before committing. For a new brand without a traditional dealer network, that direct contact is an important way to build trust.
Inside the Warsaw, Indiana Factory
The Blank Slate will be assembled at a reindustrialised factory in Warsaw, Indiana. Rather than building a brand-new plant from scratch, Slate is bringing an existing industrial site back into use for vehicle production. That can save time and money, and it brings manufacturing jobs back to a place with an industrial past.
Ars Technica reported in late October 2026 that Slate's factory in Warsaw, Indiana, was still producing prototype models but would transition to production units soon. That fits neatly with the November date given by Kenda. Prototypes are the final test vehicles, built to prove the design, the production process, and the quality of the finished truck.
That transition is one of the hardest steps for any new carmaker. Building a handful of prototypes is very different from building thousands of identical trucks, day after day, to a consistent standard. The factory, the workers, the suppliers, and the quality checks all have to work together, and the Warsaw plant was in the final stages of that preparation in late October.
What Buyers Should Expect Next
If production begins in November 2026, the next question is when the first buyers will receive their trucks. Slate previously said only that first deliveries were expected in the fourth quarter of 2026. In September 2026, Business Insider reported that Slate had told some preorder customers they could receive their vehicles as soon as December.
That December date now looks more plausible. A November start would give Slate time to build the first customer trucks, complete final checks, and begin deliveries before the end of the year. The earliest reservation holders could be driving their trucks within weeks of production starting.
Image: AI-generated illustration for Gearvoniq
Buyers should still expect a gradual ramp-up rather than an instant flood of deliveries. New car production rarely starts at full speed. The first weeks are usually about building a steady flow, checking quality, and making sure every truck leaving the factory meets the standard. Early customers may receive their vehicles in small numbers at first.
For the US car market, the Blank Slate is worth watching even for people with no plans to buy one. If Slate succeeds, it will show that a small, affordable electric pickup can be built and sold in America at a price previously thought impossible. November 2026 is the month when the talking stops and the building begins.
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