Slate Keeps Poaching Senior Lucid Talent Ahead of Electric Truck Launch

Indiana-based EV startup Slate has recruited several high-level executives from Lucid Motors as it prepares for the production launch of its low-cost electric pickup truck. This talent migration occurs as Lucid faces a significant leadership exodus and workforce reductions, while Slate scales up operations with backing from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The shift highlights a critical transfer of manufacturing and sales expertise within the electric vehicle sector as emerging startups challenge established luxury players.

Slate has intensified its recruitment of senior talent from Lucid Motors, most recently hiring David D’Amato as Senior Manager of Plant Vehicle Engineering to oversee the company’s FN truck platform. D’Amato, who spent over five years at Lucid’s Arizona manufacturing complex, joins other key hires including Head of Sales Lynn Yeager and Head of Legal Bernadette Lussier. A LinkedIn analysis reveals that at least 17 current Slate employees transitioned from Lucid, bringing specialized experience in engineering, supply chain, and direct-to-consumer sales models to the Indiana-based startup as it attempts to convert 160,000 reservations into deliveries.

The influx of talent comes at a pivotal moment for Slate as it prepares to unveil the production version and official pricing of its electric pickup at an upcoming event in Los Angeles. The vehicle is designed for extreme manufacturing efficiency, featuring fewer than 800 parts, manual windows, and a body that utilizes wrap films instead of a traditional paint shop. While leaked website code suggested a price point of $24,950, the company previously guided a range between $20,000 and $27,500 for the lithium iron phosphate-powered truck, which offers up to 150 miles of range and a reconfigurable body that can transform the pickup into an SUV.

For Lucid Motors, these departures are part of a broader leadership crisis that has seen the loss of over 14 C-suite and vice-president level officers since late 2023, including the departure of founder-era CEO Peter Rawlinson in February 2025. While Lucid has recently stabilized its leadership under new CEO Silvio Napoli, the company continues to face headwinds, including an 18% reduction in its U.S. workforce and potential cuts of up to 40% in Europe. Conversely, Slate has secured approximately $1.4 billion in total funding, including a recent $650 million round, and is led by former Amazon executive Peter Faricy, aiming to produce up to 150,000 vehicles annually at its repurposed printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana.