Slate Auto

Slate Auto was founded in 2022 as an internal project within Re:Build Manufacturing, originally operating under the name 'Re:Car.' The initiative was spearheaded by Re:Build's leadership, including Miles Arnone and former Amazon executive Jeff Wilke, with a mission to leverage domestic manufacturing efficiency to create a 'no-frills' electric truck. The project operated in stealth for nearly three years while securing talent from major OEMs like Ford, GM, and Tesla. The company gained significant traction through a series of high-profile investment rounds. It raised $111 million in a Series A in 2023, followed by a $600 million round in 2024. Investors include Jeff Bezos’s family office, Mark Walter (CEO of Guggenheim Partners), and venture capital firm General Catalyst. By mid-2026, the company completed a $650 million Series C led by TWG Global, bringing its total capital raised to approximately $1.4 billion. On April 24, 2025, the brand emerged from stealth to reveal its first vehicle, the 'Slate.' The vehicle was introduced with a modular concept that allows the base two-seat pickup to be converted into a five-seat SUV or other body styles using aftermarket kits. This reveal was met with strong market interest, resulting in over 150,000 refundable reservations by early 2026. To support mass production, Slate acquired a 1.4 million square foot former printing facility in Warsaw, Indiana. The company is currently retrofitting this plant with advanced manufacturing robotics while maintaining a corporate and engineering headquarters in Troy, Michigan, and a design studio in Long Beach, California. As of late 2026, the company is moving through the final stages of its 'slow build' validation process, targeting initial consumer deliveries by the end of the year.