Slate has opened its first showroom in Chicago, giving prospective buyers a chance to see its upcoming $24,950 electric pickup truck in person. Located in the Fulton Market District, the Slate Customer Experience Center occupies a former Tesla store and is staffed by some former Tesla employees. Visitors can explore a prototype, customize interior panels, buy merchandise, and place a $300 deposit on a truck.
The truck on display was an early, hand-built prototype wrapped in black, not a production model. An Ars Technica reporter found the exterior panels well-fitted and the tailgate sturdy, but noted the prototype's seatback recline lever did not work. Slate's assembly line in Warsaw, Indiana, is still making prototyping runs, and the company hopes to begin production models "soon."
Slate offers the truck in a default "Blank Slate" body style, plus two SUV options and an open-air kit. According to Manager of Customer Experience Steve Purdy, most customers are choosing the truck configuration and customizing it in the "Slate Garage." Purdy said the response since opening has been "incredible," though he did not provide specific sales or deposit numbers.