Slate Auto, a brand new EV startup backed by Jeff Bezos, has poached a key Tesla manufacturing chief to construct its electrical pickup truck manufacturing unit in Indiana.
Napoleon Reyes is a US Marine from Indiana who obtained a level in mechanical engineering from Purdue after leaving the drive.
He then labored just a few years at Subaru and Wabash earlier than becoming a member of Tesla’s manufacturing workforce on the Fremont Manufacturing facility in 2020.
There, he grew to become a part of the Mannequin Y manufacturing ramp and was rapidly promoted to guide the Mannequin Y Normal Meeting in Fremont in 2022.
Reyes led Mannequin Y GA, some of the essential components of car manufacturing, for greater than a 12 months earlier than being promoted once more to guide new pilot processes on the manufacturing unit.
Most just lately, he led the launch of the overall meeting line for the Mannequin Y refresh.
The brand new engineering supervisor introduced this week that he’s leaving Tesla to affix Slate:
A bit late on the publish however after practically 5 years working at Tesla in Fremont, I made the troublesome resolution to go away the Firm and transfer nearer to dwelling with my household. It was an unimaginable expertise being a part of a number of line expansions and a number of Mannequin Y program launches. Main and managing the Mannequin Y Refresh launch for GA in Fremont this 12 months examined me professionally nevertheless we finally succeeded as a result of our wonderful cross practical workforce collaboration. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such nice folks, and I’ll eternally be proud and grateful for all the pieces we achieved collectively.
I can be taking over a brand new function as Senior Supervisor, Plant Automobile Engineering at Slate Auto in Warsaw, In.
Slate emerged from stealth mode earlier this 12 months to unveil a brand new kind of electrical pickup truck that includes modular customization and an reasonably priced worth.
The corporate raised over $700 million via two rounds of investments from a number of completely different buyers, together with Jeff Bezos. It’s at the moment elevating extra, which mainly ensures that it will likely be capable of attain manufacturing.
The startup acquired a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana. It’s at the moment changing to fabricate its electrical pickup with a workforce from legacy automakers and in addition a number of former engineers and leaders from Tesla.
Wealthy Schmidt, an early Tesla manufacturing director, is the top of producing.
