Jeff Bezos is backing a secretive electric vehicle (EV) startup called Slate Auto, based in Michigan, which could begin production as early as next year. Slate Auto emerged from another Bezos-connected company, Re:Build Manufacturing, and has been operating quietly since its founding in 2022. The company has hired hundreds of employees, many from major automotive manufacturers like Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, and Harley-Davidson. Slate Auto is developing an affordable two-seat electric pickup truck priced around $25,000, with company leaders drawing inspiration from the Ford Model T and Volkswagen Beetle. The startup has raised at least $111 million in a Series A funding round in 2023, with Bezos’ family office involved through Melinda Lewison, who is listed as a director. Slate Auto plans to supplement the low margins of its truck by offering a line of accessories and apparel for customization, similar to strategies used by Harley-Davidson and Stellantis. The company aims to start production in late 2026 at a manufacturing facility near Indianapolis, Indiana. Slate Auto’s approach differs from many EV startups by targeting a ‘first car’ buyer with an affordable vehicle and planning to offer customization options through what it calls ‘Slate University.’ The company’s leadership includes former executives from Harley-Davidson and Stellantis, with CEO Christine Barman, a veteran of Chrysler, at the helm. Slate Auto is also connected to Amazon through various executives and funding sources, including former Amazon executive Diego Piacentini. The startup is ‘challenging the status quo of vehicle design’ and plans to source major components like battery packs and electric motors from external suppliers.
