Slate Truck: Chicago showroom, $26,400 delivered price, range and warranty

© Slate Auto

A former Tesla showroom in Chicago has a new name on the door. On October 15, Slate opened its first Experience Center, giving customers a closer look at its upcoming electric pickup. The base price is $24,950, but the American startup still has no plans to build a traditional dealership network.

According to InsideEVs, visitors can examine the cabin, dimensions, upholstery materials and available accessories. Displays also show how optional kits can transform the two-seat pickup into a five-seat SUV. Those conversions cost extra.

Slate scheduled demonstration rides for October 15–17, with advance reservations required. The official calendar offers a ride in the vehicle, not a chance to drive it yourself. An Electrek reporter who attended the opening confirmed riding as a passenger.

The truck remains a pre-production model. Slate targets around 205 miles (330 km) of range, rear-wheel drive and a 135 kW motor, equivalent to about 181 mechanical horsepower (184 metric hp). Its range figure is still preliminary rather than a final EPA-certified result. Manual windows and the driver’s own smartphone take the place of some conventional equipment and a built-in infotainment screen.

The advertised $24,950 excludes a mandatory $1,450 destination charge. That brings the minimum to $26,400 before taxes, registration or optional equipment. Accessories and body-conversion kits are priced separately.

Servicing follows an unusual model too. Instead of running its own workshop chain, Slate intends to rely on RepairPal. Its FAQ mentions 3,000 certified shops, while another company page refers to more than 3,800 locations. These figures do not mean that every location is already equipped for every Slate repair; technicians need additional training.

Opening a showroom therefore does not settle questions about repair availability and warranty work. Slate plans direct online sales, partner service providers and owner-installed accessories. It advertises a 10-year/110,000-mile battery and powertrain warranty plus basic vehicle coverage for four years or 50,000 miles.

Initial Slate Truck deliveries are scheduled for late 2026. The company has not announced how many permanent Experience Centers will follow. Actual deliveries and service operations will test whether its dealer-free model can work at scale.