Kenda Lands Factory Tyre Deal for Slate Auto's Electric Pickup

Slate Auto has locked in another piece of its launch puzzle. Kenda will supply the factory tyres for The Blank Slate, the startup’s electric pickup, when assembly kicks off in November 2026 — and it will also furnish the accessory tyres buyers can add to the truck.

The chosen rubber is Kenda’s Klever S/T EV, a tyre engineered alongside Slate’s own team around the pickup’s weight, torque, ride quality and range goals. Kenda’s technical centre in Akron, Ohio handled much of the development support.

Built for the EV diet

Two priorities shaped the design. A low rolling resistance compound is there to squeeze more miles out of each charge, while a reinforced carcass deals with the heft and instant shove of an electric drivetrain.

That combination matters for a vehicle like Slate’s, where every efficiency gain feeds directly into the range figure — and into the price tag.

Quick Specs: Klever S/T EV tyre · developed with Slate engineers · low rolling resistance · reinforced construction for EV weight and torque · factory fit plus accessory line

Personalisation is the product

Slate has staked its entire pitch on affordability, simplicity and customisation, so the accessory side of this deal is arguably as important as the factory fit. Kenda gets a role in the modification business, not just the assembly line.

For Slate, signing a tyre partner also plugs one more supply-chain hole with production only weeks away. Small milestone, but a necessary one.

Brandon Stotsenburg, Vice President of Automotive at American Kenda Rubber, framed the agreement as evidence of the company’s expanding original equipment business: the Klever S/T EV was built to tackle the weight, torque, efficiency and comfort demands that electric vehicles bring, he said, and the joint work with Slate let Kenda deliver a tyre that supports both performance and the truck’s affordability targets.

The bigger picture

Tyre supply rarely makes headlines, yet for a young manufacturer it signals that the pieces are actually coming together. Kenda joins a supplier roster that Slate needs in place before the first trucks roll off the line. Whether buyers notice the badge on their sidewalls is another question — but the deal keeps the launch timeline honest.