Electric truck startup Slate Auto is preparing to begin vehicle production later this year at its manufacturing facility in Warsaw, Indiana, after repurposing a historic printing plant that once ranked among the world’s largest of its kind.
The site occupies the former campus of R.R. Donnelley & Sons, later operated by LSC Communications, which specialised in rotogravure printing. At its peak, the facility played a central role in large-scale commercial printing before operations were wound down.
See also: Slate Auto Says EV Truck Reservations Top 150,000 as Pricing Outlook Shifts
Construction of the plant’s original West facility began in 1958, with printing production starting a year later. Slate Auto is now retrofitting the space for electric vehicle assembly, tapping into existing industrial infrastructure as it works to bring its first electric trucks to market.
The company said it is currently tooling up the factory floor but has not disclosed expected production volumes or a precise start date beyond confirming that output is planned for later this year. The move places Slate among a growing number of EV manufacturers choosing to revive legacy industrial sites rather than build new plants from scratch.
See also: Slate Auto Faces Price Hike Challenge as EV Pickup Loses Federal Tax Credit
While details of the vehicle programme remain limited, reservation holders can already access Slate Auto’s online configurator to customise trucks ahead of the planned production launch.
Industry analysts say converting former manufacturing facilities can help reduce upfront capital costs and speed timelines, though challenges often remain in adapting older buildings to modern automotive production requirements.