U.S. electric vehicle startup Slate Auto has appointed former Amazon executive Peter Faricy as its new chief executive, replacing founding CEO Christine Barman just months before the planned launch of the company’s affordable electric pickup truck.
Faricy took up the role this week, company spokesperson Jeff Jablansky told technology outlet TechCrunch. Faricy previously served as vice president of Amazon Marketplace and later worked as an adviser at McKinsey & Company and Bessemer Venture Partners. The company said his experience building Amazon’s marketplace platform played a key role in the appointment, particularly as Slate Auto counts Amazon founder Jeff Bezos among its high-profile investors.
Barman, a longtime executive at Chrysler and the startup’s first employee, will move into the newly created role of President of Vehicles. In this position, she will focus on the development and delivery of the company’s first vehicle programme.
According to the company, Barman will oversee efforts to bring the electric pickup to market “on time and on budget.”
Slate Auto operated largely out of public view before emerging from stealth in April 2025. The company has positioned its first product as an affordable electric pickup aimed at broader market adoption. The vehicle, simply called Slate, is designed to be modular and can be modified with a range of add-on kits, including a conversion into a five-seat SUV.
The pickup will be offered with two battery options—52.7 kWh and 84.3 kWh—delivering estimated ranges of 150 miles and 240 miles under the EPA cycle, respectively. The model will initially be available with a single powertrain consisting of a 150 kW electric motor driving the rear axle.
Battery cells will be supplied by SK On from a U.S.-based production facility. Despite the vehicle’s relatively low price target, the company said the batteries will use nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemistry, rather than lithium iron phosphate.
The pickup is built on a platform measuring 4.44 metres in length, 1.80 metres in width and 1.75 metres in height. Slate plans to manufacture the core vehicle structures at a new facility in Indianapolis, while customization will be completed off-site through retail partners or by customers themselves using a catalogue of modular upgrades.
The vehicle has attracted attention for its targeted price point. Slate initially indicated the electric truck could start at under $20,000, but that estimate was made before the removal of the federal EV tax credit in the United States. The company is now aiming for a starting price in the mid-$20,000 range, with final pricing expected to be announced in June.
Faricy assumes leadership as the startup prepares to convert early interest into confirmed orders. Slate Auto said it currently holds around 160,000 refundable preorders for the electric pickup.
