Bezos-backed Slate Auto Gets Second CEO Before First Truck Rolls Off Line

by Michael Strong

Published: March 10th, 2026

bezos backed slate auto gets second ceo before first truck rolls off line

Slate Auto shuffled the top executives at the fledgling electric vehicle maker, naming a new CEO and moving his predecessor into a new role before the keys to the first small pickup have been given to the buyer.

Backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Slate Auto announced Peter Faricy as its new CEO, replacing the company’s original CEO Chris Barman who is now president of vehicles. Faricy is the former vice president of the Amazon Marketplace, working for the online retailer from 2006 to 2018, reports Automotive News. He was most recently an operating adviser at Bessemer Venture Partners.

Barman joined Slate as CEO in May 2022 and introduced the new pickup to the world via the internet. In her new role, she will oversee manufacturing, design, and engineering. She previously worked at Fiat Chrysler and DaimlerChrysler before that for nearly 15 years.

Slate made its debut last spring, touting its configurability and low price as its biggest draws. The plan was for the small truck — smaller than a Ford Maverick — to have a small price tag. Initially, the goal was to price the pickup for less than $25,000 and then below $20,000 with the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

The only constant in the automotive industry is change, and Slate has been dealing with plenty of it. Since its debut, the tax credit disappeared, and courtesy of Trump administration tariffs and other issues, parts and commodity prices have risen, pushing of the even the bare-bones version of the little electric pickup past the $20,000 mark.

Despite that, it’s expected to be one of the lowest priced vehicles available — if buyers select the Blank Slate, which is what the company has dubbed the entry-level variant. However, buyers can add some options, including the kit to convert it from a small pickup seating two people to a small SUV seating five.

Optioned up, the price quickly scoots past the $30,000 mark. For that price you get a max of 240 miles of range, and it uses the North American Charging System, making it eligible to use the Tesla Supercharger Network.

Production is expected to begin during the fourth quarter this year at its plant in Warsaw, Indiana. The first models will come with only the larger, more expensive batteries getting you the 240-mile range.

[Images: Slate Auto]

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Michael Strong

Michael Strong has spent more than 25 years writing about the automotive industry. A Detroit-area native, he’s written about everything from local car shows to product reviews to financial news. Currently he writes and edits for a variety of national and local publications. He’s also a longtime member of the Automotive Press Association and the International Motor Press Association, and a graduate of Georgia Southern University. Hail Southern! Despite a love for ’70s land yachts and BMWs from the late ’80s and early ’90s, his personal vehicle is neither of those.

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2 of 44 comments

Eaststand on Mar 11, 2026

Nothing says successful company more than replacing your CEO before you even have a product out

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TheEndlessEnigma on Mar 12, 2026

The EV credit is dead and gone....and as a result the Slate selling business plan is dead and gone. Compared to Maverick and other small P/U's that will be hitting the market in the next 3 years, Slate will be over priced for what it is. The base stripped down Slate will not have the volume to sustain the company. Slate, another auto start up with a business plan not based on reality.

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