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Slate Auto, a Michigan-based electric vehicle (EV) startup, has received strong backing from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. Launched quietly in 2022, the company is now gaining attention for its plans to develop a budget-friendly two-seater electric pickup truck aimed at making EV technology more accessible to the masses. The vehicle is expected to be priced at around $25,000 (approximately ₹20 lakh).
According to a report, Slate Auto has attracted top talent from major automotive companies such as Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, and Harley-Davidson. The startup has emerged from another Bezos-backed venture, Re:Build Manufacturing, and secured $111 million in Series A funding in 2023.
The company raised additional investments in a Series B round last year, supported by prominent investors including Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter and Thomas Tull, a lead investor in Re:Build Manufacturing. Slate Auto plans to begin production by late 2026 at a facility near Indianapolis, Indiana, although it remains unclear whether this will be a new plant or an existing one.
Slate Auto’s innovative and cost-effective approach comes at a time when several EV startups are struggling financially. Bezos’s investment in Slate Auto marks one of his most direct ventures into the EV space, alongside Amazon’s partnership with Rivian. Over the years, he has invested in over 30 companies across diverse sectors including AI (Perplexity), robotics (Figure), defense (Anduril), and mobility (Uber).
