Another Reason Why Slate Auto Charms Us: Meet CEO Chris Barman
Slate might be the most innovative (un)car company, and this video shows just why
Slate Auto is unlike any other car company, for many reasons, starting with the idea that they are preparing to build trucks and SUVs that are very DIY-able. Buyers will be able to turn this little two-door electric truck into a four-door SUV (a $5,000 upgrade), add a color wrap (from $500) and custom design and print their own accessories (price: Up to you).
Another thing they did differently? Hiring Chris(tine) Barman as CEO. An engineer by training, Chris spent her career in Michigan working for companies like Daimler, Chrysler and HCL Technologies innovating and building and systems to help us get where we’re going.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Meet Chris, the CEO of Slate
Not that long ago, Chris joined Slate Auto as the CEO, leading this up-start startup to build a car (really, a truck or SUV) that’s innovative, clever and affordable.
Slate Auto lifted the veil on its prototypes last spring and won a lot of fans for its novel and clever approach to brining what might be the most interesting and innovative car to market. We’re fans, too; any car that leaves room in the budget for creativity and still delivers all that it needs to keep you safe and get where you need to go is a winner.
Read: Ford Maverick Lobo Brings Street Style to Pickup Trucks—Adrenaline Included
What You Need to Know About Slate
Slate is the brainchild of a group of innovators led by Miles Arnone and investors including Amazon’s Jeff Bezos. It was founded as part of a larger effort to stimulate American manufacturing, though with a “we build it, you make it” spin. The idea keeps costs low by allowing buyers to finish their build on their own time and terms: Slate trucks will be delivered without the usual components, from radios to power windows to paint, and can be customized buy buyers to become exactly what they want. It’s truly a blank ‘slate’ of a car.
Slate promises that the opening price will be about $25,000, putting it at among the lowest-priced cars on the road, and cites the low cost of maintenance of EVs as another cost-savings to the customer in the long run. The company will build its vehicles in a former print plant in Warsaw, Indiana.
Listen: Meet Tisha Johnson, head of design for Slate Auto
This is the Most Charming AMA Video
With more than 150,000 reservations for the first slate of Slates, customers have questions. So Slate execs invited reservation-holders to send in their questions; more than 4,000 did. With so many questions in hand, Chris and team set about answering them, and the result is a Wes Anderson-style video that places her in various locations around the Warsaw plant to deliver answers.
Read: Slate Auto is the Customizable Electric Pickup Truck So Cool, I Ordered One
Like Its Cars, Slate Does Everything Differently
Many of the questions were about customization. Yes, Chris confirmed, buyers will be able to access 3D printable files for parts; so you’ll be able to print your keyfob, wheel covers and more, with a print provided by Slate.
Yes, you’ll be able to swap out the 2-seat pickup style cab for a 5 seat SUV style cab; yes you’ll be able to install a powerful stereo and a head unit.
One questioner stumped her: “I want to be able to lock a 9-ft surfboard inside the Slate SUV. Will it fit?” “I don’t know,” she laughs, looking over to her production team. A graphic on the screen confirms, yes, it fits.
And while Chris didn’t answer the question asking if the Slate’s horn is programmable, she did confirm that “you can print all the funky 3d accessories you want.”
Read: 18 Car Accessories under $20 That’ll Keep Your Car Clean and Fresh
The Best Questions Chris Answered
Slate reservation holders are a clever group and asked a lot of smart questions. These were among them, answered by Chris:
“Does SUV kit support child car seats?” “Yes it does.”
“Will my son want to drive the slate more than our old Jeep?” “Yes. You can just sell that old Jeep.”
‘Will there be a loyalty program for early customers?” “We are seriously thinking about that.”
“Can I tow a light-weight trailer?” “Yes, you can.”
“What is the markup on these vehicles?” “There is no mark-up; the price is the price.”
“Any chance a crash test can be done with the new female crash test dummy?” “Why, yes.”
“Will the average consumer be able to self-install [accessories], or will they need to use an installer?” “It depends; I think everybody can do a Slatelett [pickup truck] but there are some things that a professional may be needed; consult Slate University in the future.
Read: Ask Our Mechanic Before Approving An Auto Repair—It’s Free!
What Would You Do With a Slate?
There’s a lot to love in this cute little modular truck/SUV, not the least of which is its affordability. True, once you’re done adding fancy electronics, a color wrap, the SUV cab and the larger battery (price TBA), it may no longer be the most affordable SUV on the road, but it’ll be yours, the one you designed and perhaps even built.
Individuality is something most other car makers struggle to offer, which makes us love Slate’s approach even more. But we’re not surprised; going off script to hire Chris to run the company, Tisha Johnson to design the Slate and then, producing this very charming video makes us even more excited for this truck’s debut.
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