Former Tesla Manufacturing Veteran Joins Jeff Bezos-Backed Slate Auto

Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto has hired Tesla veteran Napoleon Reyes as Senior Manager of Plant Vehicle Engineering in its Indiana plant, according to Electrek. Reyes previously led Tesla’s Model Y and Model Y Refresh General Assembly in Fremont from 2022, and he spent five years at the company before joining Slate. The move comes as Slate revealed its $20,000 EV pickup, which the company says has already secured 100,000 reservations. To cut costs, the truck excludes features such as a stereo, power windows, and paint. The price includes a $7,500 Federal EV Credit set to expire September 30th, potentially impacting Slate’s affordability pitch. The IRS has clarified that buyers can still qualify for the credit beyond the deadline if they sign a binding purchase agreement and pay a fee before September 30th. Tesla raised the price of its top-end Cybertruck Cyberbeast to $114,990, up from $99,990.