Slate Auto, the electric vehicle startup backed by Jeff Bezos and Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, will announce pricing for its low-cost electric vehicle on June 24 and begin accepting non-refundable pre-orders ahead of first deliveries later this year.
The company sent an email to prospective buyers on Thursday, inviting them to make a $50 pre-order now ahead of the $300 pre-order starting next month to ensure “advanced delivery window for non-pre-orders.”
Slate previously said it would announce pricing in June. The FAQ section of the pre-order page published Thursday indicates that the company will announce pricing on June 24th. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
The four-year-old company came out of stealth in April 2025 after TechCrunch revealed its secret plans to build low-cost, no-frills, customizable vehicles. Slate previously touted that the basic version of the company’s EV (priced at 2-passenger trucks that can be converted into 5-passenger SUVs) starts at “under $20,000” with a $7,500 federal tax credit. But that credibility was erased by the Trump administration and Congress late last year, and Slate has remained mum on pricing, saying only that it will cost in the mid-$20,000 range.
The idea of a simple EV with hand-cranked windows and no paint resonated with consumers. Since the company introduced the EV last year, more than 160,000 potential customers have made refundable $50 reservations with the company. But as other EV startups have shown over the past decade, converting reservation holders into actual customers isn’t easy.
To help address this issue, Slate appointed a new CEO in March. The company is currently led by former Amazon Marketplace Vice President Peter Faricy. (Many of Slate’s leadership positions are held by former Amazon executives.)
Slate also has some strong financial resources to take on the difficult challenges of manufacturing and shipping EVs. The company announced in April that it had closed a $650 million Series C funding round. That means it has raised about $1.4 billion so far.
Much of that funding appears to be coming from Mr. Walter’s financial company, TWG Global. Bezos was involved in Slate’s initial funding, but his level of involvement in subsequent rounds was never specified. In May, TechCrunch revealed that his family office manager had resigned from his position on Slate’s board of directors.
This article has been updated to reflect that Slate Auto will announce pricing on June 24th.
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