Slate Auto, the electric vehicle startup supported by Jeff Bezos, has appointed former Amazon Marketplace vice president Peter Faricy as its new CEO. This transition comes just months before the anticipated launch of Slate’s affordable electric truck.
Faricy, who previously served as an advisor at McKinsey and Bessemer Venture Partners, officially assumed his role on Monday, according to Slate spokesperson Jeff Jablansky as reported by TechCrunch. The outgoing CEO, Christine Barman, a long-time Chrysler veteran, will now serve as the President of Vehicles within the company.
Barman, one of the few women CEOs in the U.S. automotive industry, had been prominently featured in Slate Auto’s public appearances since the company emerged from stealth mode in April 2025. Under her new role, Barman will focus on ensuring the timely and cost-effective delivery of Slate’s electric truck, which is set to be customizable in various ways, including an SUV conversion option.
Slate Auto, which has garnered substantial funding from Bezos and other investors, previously aimed for an electric truck priced below $20,000 but had to adjust its target to the mid-$20,000 range due to changes in federal EV tax credits. With a substantial pre-order list of around 160,000 individuals, Faricy steps in at a crucial juncture as the company begins converting these preorders into actual vehicle orders.
Source: TechCrunch