ELKHART — Slate Auto says it will begin deliveries of its future electric pickup trucks from its plant in Warsaw beginning in December.

Slate Auto’s Christian Kreipke, who serves as the company's Government Sales Lead, also said Wednesday that details about reservations and distribution will be announced on June 22 in Warsaw.

Kreipke made the comments during a speech on sustainability that was part of a luncheon hosted by MACOG, the Michiana Area Council of Governments, at the Matterhorn Conference Center in Elkhart.

The startup auto company is not aligned with any dealerships and is thereby cutting out the middleman to keep the pricetag to a minimum.

“The bottom line is, we chose to do direct-to-consumer (distribution) so we can control the price,” Kreipke said. “For a vehicle at this cost, it could easily get out of hand with increased price, service agreements.” 

The company announced last year that it intends to employ nearly 2,000 people with operations beginning this fall at the old RR Donnelley and Sons plant on Old Road 30.

More than 160,000 people have put down a $50 deposit.

Slate is seeking to disrupt the auto market with a lower-than-normal price point for its electric vehicles, which are highly customizable.

The vehicles don't rely on steel parts, won't rust, and are designed to last.

He said he envisions parents can eventually hand off the vehicle to their children, who can then customize it to their preferences.

"What we're really talking about here is building the future of sustainability on many, many facets from the powertrain and materials that are sustainable," he said. "EV tends to be really conducive to longer term because there's much less parts, there are a lot less moving parts, and they're a lot easier to fix."

James Turnwald, the executive director for MACOG, says it's good to have another major manufacturer in the region.

“To be able to then have, hopefully, a lower cost electric vehicle that the general consumer could purchase, I think that is wonderful, and I hope that they do very well,” Turnwald said.

So sustainability here goes just beyond emissions to now talk about having a vehicle that isn't going to contribute to the Rust Belt.

Many of the parts can be added or adjusted by the owner, or they can opt for a professional.

Slate has turned to Repair Pal to work with local retailers to provide parts and expertise.

“If AutoZone wants to sign up for RepairPal, then they would be our authorized dealer. And so what we would do then is we would train them (and) offer our catalog to them,” Kreipke said.

The Clean Air Luncheon celebrated air quality improvements in the region.

Three groups were honored — the South Bend Link Trail, Seed to Feed, and the South Bend City Church.

The South Bend City Church is working to advance energy efficiency with the renovation of its new location, a building that was once home to a South Bend Tribune printing press.

The church installed a 44kW solar array that utilizes Crossroads Solar panels, a local manufacturer of solar panels in South Bend that employs citizens returning to the workforce. 

The Link Trail is recognized for providing a bike and pedestrian option to residents. The city of South Bend, Visit South Bend Mishawaka, and the University of Notre Dame collaborated to develop the Link Trail, a shared-use pedestrian and bicycle trail connecting downtown South Bend to the Notre Dame campus. 

Seed to Feed is recognized for driving sustainability forward with impactful initiatives. The organization continues to transform local food systems through an innovative, community-driven model that grows and shares more than 100,000 pounds.

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