Slate Opened Its First Showroom Where You Can Test Drive Its $24,950 Electric Pickup Truck

Any Chicagoans who want to check out one of Slate Auto's new $24,950 electric pickup can now do so in person, rather than just using the online builder. On Thursday, Slate announced that it had opened its first Slate Experience Center, located at 1053 W. Grant Ave in Chicago.

Slate has diverged from its direct-to-consumer counterparts like Rivian, Tesla, and Lucid by deciding not to build out a network of owned-and-operated service centers. Instead, it's going a more asset-light route by partnering with RepairPal, which vets independent repair shops.

But the startup clearly sees value in having at least some sort of physical footprint where potential customers can learn about its new and very different EV—and maybe even give those crank windows a spin. This inaugural brick-and-mortar location (and future ones like it) could help make this quirky startup more tangible to potential customers, a boon to any new automaker trying to make an impact.

A Slate spokesperson declined to elaborate on the company's plans for future locations or how fast it intends to build them.

Slate says the center is a place where customers can see a truck in person. That'll help customers get an idea of their size, interior space, and build quality. The location will also have options and accessories on hand, so potential customers can see what they can add to their trucks.

Photo by: Tim Levin/InsideEVs

Slate also says that customers will be able to test drive trucks from the Experience Center.

The Slate Truck is set to go on sale by the end of 2026 at $26,400, including a destination fee, making it the country's cheapest electric vehicle. For that outlay, you get a small two-door pickup truck with 205 miles of range from an LFP battery, a basic interior, and no bells and whistles whatsoever. For some extra cash, buyers can slap on accessories or change up the bodystyle entirely to a couple of different types of five-seat SUVs. There's also the Open Air body kit for the pickup, which adds seats to the bed with a rollover bar above rear passengers' heads.

How many Americans will see this totally new concept and hand Slate their money? That's still TBD. But this new physical location might help some people make that decision. 

More Slate Stories

The Slate Truck’s Trailer Hitch Installation Is As Simple As It Gets

Slate Deliveries Could Start As Soon As December: Report

I Drove Slate’s $25,000 Electric Truck. It Could Be A Real Game-Changer

Is The $25K Slate Truck Just Too Basic? I Rode In One To Find Out.