We now know when Slate plans to start building its $25,000 truck

Slate's patient fans have been wondering when we'd see a production build for the EV truck. Now, we have a better answer. Ben Shimkus/Business Insider Slate's $25,000 electric truck is about to take its biggest step toward reality. Kenda, the carmaker's tire supplier, wrote in a press release last week that an EV-specific tire will launch on the Blank Slate "when the vehicle enters production in November 2026."The statement offers the clearest public timeline yet for Slate's production launch. The startup has previously said its first deliveries were expected in the fourth quarter of 2026, without naming a month. In September, Business Insider reported that Slate had told some preorder customers they could receive their vehicles as soon as December.Slate has been offering ride-alongs to potential buyers across the US since August. Customers who spoke to Business Insider about their test runs said that Slate employees made it clear that interior panels and finishes on those trucks were prototypes — not the final production versions.Late last month, Ars Technica reported that Slate's factory in Warsaw, Indiana, was still producing prototype models, but would transition to production units "soon."That all sets up a crucial test for the Jeff Bezos-backed EV startup. Slate is promising a $24,950 electric pickup with no direct rivals in the US auto industry. It's equipped with throwback-grade tech — no radio, no music speakers, and manual-crank windows — all wrapped in a two-door, two-seat small-truck body. Slate's also betting on customization. It has a marketplace with hundreds of accessories shoppers can add on, like an SUV kit with a second-row bench seat, color wraps, and interior accouterments. Slate's big bet: customers will customize their EVs after delivery. It's partnered with brands like Smarties (left) and Crayola (right) on registered accessories, including color wraps. Slate, Ben Shimkus/Business Insider More than 180,000 people placed $50 reservations for the Slate, the automaker said in June. The company hasn't disclosed how many shoppers have sent $300 to enter a preorder queue.Benjamin Palazzo, a Slate follower and avid poster in the company's subreddits, told Business Insider he plans to wait until 2028 before buying one — and said he expects the startup's earliest vehicles to be works in progress. "The first Slates are going to be the worst Slates in history, because it's going to get continually better," Palazzo said. "But I believe in the Slate mission. That's why I want to buy one." Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Ben Shimkus is a reporter for the Business News desk. He writes about cars, transportation, retail, and jobs. Ben's reporting has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Verge, Automotive News, USA Today, AutoBody News, LGBTQ Nation, TopSpeed, and Out Magazine. He's also held staff writing positions at The U.S. Sun and the Daily Mail. He graduated from NYU with a Master's in journalism in 2024. Email Ben at bshimkus@insider.com or message him privately on Signal at bshimkus.41.