Slate Auto has appointed Peter Faricy as its new chief executive, replacing the company’s founding CEO months before the planned launch of its first electric truck. The leadership change took effect Monday, according to a company spokesperson.
Faricy most recently served as an adviser at McKinsey & Company and Bessemer Venture Partners. He left his advisory role at Bessemer to join the startup, according to reporting by Newsweek.
Leadership Transition At The EV Startup
Slate Auto’s first chief executive, Christine Barman, will move into a new position as President of Vehicles.
Barman was the first employee hired by the company. She joined when the project was still operating under the internal name Re:Car within Re:Build Manufacturing, a Massachusetts-based organization that supported the early development of the startup.
Barman later became the public face of the company after Slate emerged from stealth in April 2025. She appeared in promotional materials and company videos describing the electric truck project.
In one promotional video released last month, Barman said the company planned to reveal the final price of the base model in June.
According to Slate spokesperson Jeff Jablansky, Barman’s new role will focus on ensuring the vehicle program is delivered “on time and on budget.”
Electric Truck Pricing And Preorders
Slate Auto has raised approximately $700 million from investors including Jeff Bezos and other private backers.
Earlier in its development, the company promoted the electric truck with a starting price below $20,000. That estimate changed after the federal EV tax credit was removed by the US Congress and the administration of Donald Trump.
The company now expects the starting price of the vehicle to fall in the mid-$20,000 range.
Customers will be able to modify the truck through a range of configuration options, including converting the base model into an SUV-style vehicle at additional cost.
The leadership change occurs as Slate prepares to convert its list of refundable reservations into confirmed purchases. According to the company, around 160,000 people have placed preorders for the vehicle.
Amazon Connections Within The Company
Company spokesperson Jeff Jablansky said Faricy’s experience building Amazon Marketplace played a role in the leadership decision.
“Peter’s experience building Amazon Marketplace was really critical for us,” Jablansky said.
Several people associated with Amazon are involved with Slate Auto.
The startup received funding from Jeff Bezos and from former Amazon executive Diego Piacentini. Bezos’s family office also holds a seat on the company’s board.
One of Slate Auto’s co-founders, Jeff Wilke, previously served as chief executive of Amazon’s consumer division.
In addition, leaders overseeing mobility, user experience and interface design, e-commerce, fleet sales, and human resources at Slate previously worked at Amazon.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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