Slate Auto will start taking orders for its low-cost EV on June 24

Slate Auto, the electric vehicle startup backed by Jeff Bezos and LA Dodgers owner Mark Walter, has announced that it will officially start taking orders for its low-cost electric vehicle on June 24, ahead of the first deliveries late this year. The company sent out emails to prospective buyers on Thursday that encouraged them to make a reservation now ahead of “preorders” starting next month, in order to get a “delivery window before non-reservers.” Slate still has not announced the starting price for its EV, though. Previously, Slate said it would reveal final pricing in June. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The four-year-old company came out of stealth in April 2025 after TechCrunch revealed its secretive plans to build a low-cost, no-frills, customizable vehicle. Slate once touted that the base version of its EV — which can be converted from a two-seater truck to a five-seater SUV, for a price — would start at “under $20,000” with a $7,500 federal tax credit. But that credit was killed by the Trump administration and Congress late last year , and Slate has remained tight-lipped about pricing, only saying the vehicle will start in the mid-$20,000 range. The idea of a simple EV with hand-crank windows and no paint has resonated with consumers. More than 160,000 potential customers have made refundable $50 reservations with the startup since it revealed the EV last year. …