Slate Auto will assemble its electric pickup truck line in a former printing plant facility in Warsaw.
The company expects to bring more than 2,000 jobs back to the Kosciusko County factory, Jeffrey Jablansky told The Journal Gazette on Wednesday. He answered emailed questions on behalf of the company.
Production is expected to begin in late 2026, he said.
Why Warsaw?
“Slate is committed to the reindustrialization of America, and we are fortunate to be able to rehabilitate the shuttered factory and bring back jobs,” Jablansky said in a statement.
Warsaw’s population is a little more than 16,000. The city promotes itself as the Orthopedic Capital of the World. Zimmer Biomet Holdings is based there as well as numerous small orthopedic companies and suppliers.
Kosciusko County’s jobless rate was 3.3% in March, compared to the state’s 3.4%, the most recent data available. The national rate was 4.2%. The Kosciusko labor force included 39,198 participants that month.
Slate is a privately held company backed by Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. Its truck design caters to both minimalist and maximalist electric vehicle customers.
The company’s basic, two–seat pickup is expected to sell for $25,000. Although the company’s marketing materials don’t list a top price tag, it outlines some potential upgrades, including converting the standard frame to a five-seat SUV.
More than 100 accessories are available in optional packages, the company says. Slate describes its vehicles as “radically customizable.”
The target range is 150 miles on a basic charge and 240 miles with an optional, more powerful battery pack.
Accessories can be added at the time of vehicle assembly or later as owners’ needs change, company officials say. The basic model doesn’t have exterior paint, a stereo or power windows.
The market includes a wide range of options. A Silverado electric pickup made by General Motors starts at $73,100, for example, according to GM’s website.
Slate CEO Chris Barman commented on what makes the company different from competitors. For one thing, vehicles will be sold directly to consumers, eliminating the need for a dealership network – and the profit margin typically charged by dealers.
“The definition of what’s affordable is broken,” Barman said in a statement provided in marketing materials. “Slate exists to put the power back in the hands of customers who have been ignored by the auto industry.”
Future consumer demand for electric vehicles is uncertain, however. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed Unleashing American Energy, an executive order that called for electric vehicle tax breaks to be eliminated, among other policies.
