US-based EV Startup Ready to Challenge BYD, Backed by Jeff Bezos

KatadataOTO – The performance of American electric car startups has not been good, and many of them have filed for bankruptcy. For example, Fisker and Canoo.

However, a new startup in the US is ready to present a new electric car option for consumers in Uncle Sam's country starting in 2026. The company is named Slate Auto.

Based on a report from Tech Crunch, quoted Wednesday (09/04), many of the people involved are already experienced in the automotive world. Such as former employees of Ford, Stellantis, Harley-Davidson, and Chrysler.

Slate Auto's headquarters are currently known to be in Michigan and Los Angeles.

Photo : Slate Auto

Interestingly, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is one of its investors. This is not his first time investing in a startup; Bezos is a funder of EV manufacturer Rivian.

Jeff Bezos has also invested in more than 30 companies in fields ranging from AI to robotics. 

Reported by Tech Crunch, Wednesday (09/04), Slate Auto itself actually has connections with other Bezos companies like Re:Build Manufacturing and has been operating since 2022.

Towards the end of March 2025, Slate Auto registered the patent for the slogan ‘We Built It. You Make It.’ Job openings have begun to be posted to fill needed positions at the company.

Slate Auto has a grand vision to produce an affordable electric pickup truck, with a price tag in the range of 25,000 USD or equivalent to Rp 422.5 million in rupiah.

For comparison, the Rivian R1T electric truck in the US is sold starting at 71,700 USD (Rp 1.21 billion) while the Ford F-150 Lightning is 65,000 USD-87,000 USD (Rp 1.09 billion-Rp 1.47 billion).

The price of the electric pickup from Slate Auto has the potential to compete with the BYD Shark, which is sold starting from 47,000 USD (Rp 794.3 million).

Photo : Rivian

Unfortunately, Slate Auto is not yet willing to disclose more about the project. Its official website still consists of a registration form to receive more information about Slate Auto in the future.

With the import tariffs implemented by US President Donald Trump, Slate Auto has the potential to benefit, especially if it is assembled locally and its components are supplied domestically.

Currently, manufacturers from outside the US, especially China, are facing challenges operating in the US due to these import tariffs.