A new electric vehicle startup, Slate Auto, teased its first model by parking a prototype on the streets of popular beach town Venice, Calif., before a formal reveal April 24, according to The Autopian.
David Tracy, editor in chief of the online publication, found the Slate Auto vehicle wearing a colorful vinyl wrap for a fictitious business called CryShare. The tactic, he said, was an unusual marketing maneuver.
“Slate went wacky and just showed the car off by dropping a design buck on the side of Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a popular shopping destination in always-trendy Venice,” Tracy wrote in an April 20 story.
Tracy said in the story that he couldn’t say more about Slate because he was bound by a nondisclosure agreement. Other versions of the vehicle have appeared in public, including a two-door pickup, he said.
TechCrunch, an online publication specializing in startups, reported in April that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is a investor in the secretive EV company based in Troy, Mich., citing unnamed sources.
TechCrunch said Slate Auto and Bezos did not respond to requests for comment.
TechCrunch said the EV startup has been operating quietly since its founding in 2022 and has hired industry veterans, including some from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.
On LinkedIn, several Slate Auto executives included their roles and work history on their public profile pages.
Erik Fields listed his title on LinkedIn as head of manufacturing at Slate since August 2022. Previously, he was vice president of manufacturing at Rivian Automotive.
Ryan Green listed his role as CFO at Slate since May 2023. Previously, he was CFO at May Mobility for four years and CFO at Rivian for three years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Amazon is a major investor in Rivian, which makes electric delivery trucks in Normal, Ill.
TechCrunch said Slate’s plans included a two-seat pickup with a starting price around $25,000, with production starting in Indiana as early as next year.
In a collaboration between Slate Auto and Newsweek on April 15, the EV maker provided some information on its plans.
“Coming to market soon: A new American electric vehicle company. Slate is poised to disrupt the new car market with a radically simple solution to the common affordable car,” according to the brief article.
Newsweek said it was invited to design a camouflage wrap for the Slate electric pickup.
“Founded on the principle of redefining cost-effective transportation, Slate aims to beat Tesla to the punch with an inexpensive compact electric vehicle for the everyman,” the article said.
