Indiana Startup Builds Privacy-First Electric Pickup Truck

Imagine driving an electric truck that doesn't know where you've been, who you called, or what you're listening to. That's exactly what Slate Auto is building in Warsaw, Indiana.

The startup's approach is refreshingly simple. Their electric pickup has just 600 parts, manual windows, two seats, and zero infotainment systems. Most importantly, there's no cellular modem broadcasting your every move to corporate servers.

You can still use a smartphone app to check range or adjust settings, but only when you're standing next to the truck. The connection is local only. Leave your phone at home, and you're as private as someone driving a 1985 Toyota.

Slate Auto isn't shy about why they made this choice. "We collect data to make ownership better, not to turn the owner into the product," the company stated. They'll only gather information that directly improves your experience, like diagnostics or charging status, and they promise never to sell it.

This stands in stark contrast to most automakers. A 2023 Mozilla Foundation report found that car companies collect massive amounts of customer data, often with poor security. General Motors even got caught selling driver data in 2024, sparking an FTC warning to the entire industry.

Why This Inspires

Slate Auto is giving customers something rare in modern life: a genuine choice about privacy. They're not lecturing anyone about surveillance or preaching about digital rights. They're simply building a product for people who want to drive without being tracked.

The company admits this might not spark an industry revolution. Surveys show most car buyers are aware of privacy concerns but don't prioritize them. Chinese EVs win praise partly because of their connected features, not despite them.

But Slate proves it's possible to build modern electric vehicles without treating customers as data sources. They're demonstrating that "smart" doesn't have to mean "surveilled," and that old-fashioned ownership can coexist with new technology.

For everyone who's ever said they'd buy a privacy-respecting EV if one existed, Slate just called your bluff. The truck is real, the privacy is built in, and the choice is now yours.