Redefining affordable: Slate Auto talks plans for Warsaw plant
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Mostly known for its orthopedics hub and robust farmland, Kosciusko County could soon “disrupt” the American automotive industry.
At least, that’s the goal for Michigan-based Slate Auto, which recently announced it will make its flagship product—the Slate Truck—in Warsaw at the former LSC Communications plant on the city’s west side.
The move is expected to bring about 2,000 jobs back to the factory after more than 500 workers were let go by LSC in 2023 as the printing company floundered.
But why did the upstart EV automaker, whose donor list includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, choose northern Indiana for its bold new venture?
According to Jeff Jablansky, Slate’s head of public relations, Warsaw represented a perfect marriage of Slate’s mission and the available space.
“Building in the U.S. was paramount for us. And that was a decision that was early on,” said Jablansky. “And the second piece was, ‘Okay, so we’re going to manufacture here. What can we do so that we don’t have to build a new factory?’ Because reindustrialization is so important to the mission of Slate, not only putting people back to work, but but doing it where we don’t have to build a new factory to bring something back to life.”
Slate CEO Chris Barman grew up in Crown Point, and Jablansky added the company views the site’s industrial history as a positive sign.
“When we looked at this community, we saw the 500 jobs that were lost in 2023 when it closed, and at its peak, when it was around 2,000 jobs. We saw this as a really strong economic indicator that we could come in, do something amazing and then inspire some Hoosier pride,” Jablansky said.
EV market disruptor
Slate began in 2022 but has been operating in “stealth mode” until about a month ago when it publicly revealed plans for the Slate Truck.
The company’s pitch is to build American-made EV trucks that are dramatically cheaper than any other EV offerings currently on the market. Slate plans to offer the Slate Truck for around $27,500, which drops to just $20,000 when a buyer claims the current federal EV tax credit.
In order to offer that sticker price, Slate is cutting out any and all frills in the manufacturing process.
That means the factory doesn’t need a paint shop (which can run in the hundreds of millions of dollars). It also means no touchscreens or fancy controls. But Slate does offer close to a hundred customization options. Some are cosmetic; others can take the base two-seat pickup into a five-seat SUV.
“In so many ways, it’s freeing. You get to spec it exactly the way you want to,” Jablansky said. “So for manufacturing, it allows us to have a smaller footprint, which is one of the reasons we’re so happy to be in the former Donnelly factory.”
For example, the Slate Truck won’t come with any in-car audio. If you’re good with just playing audio from your phone or a portable Bluetooth speaker, then you don’t need to pay anything extra. If you want wired speakers, you can order it through Slate, or install them with a third-party auto shop.
The goal, Jablansky emphasized, is customers should only pay for features they actually want.
Slate is aiming to start production at some point in 2026. Once production gets up and running, the company wants to make 150,000 vehicles a year. Jablansky did not detail the terms under which Slate is using the building. It’s also not clear exactly how much money Slate will spend on renovating the plant for its specific needs or how much the company is receiving in state and local tax incentives.
Kosciusko County Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Peggy Friday has said the agency has an incentive package in place with Slate, but told IIB nondisclosure agreements prevent her from answering questions about it.
Slate is currently accepting reservations on pre-orders for Slate Trucks for $50.