Slate poaches Tesla engineering manager

[motorolas]

Slate poaches key Tesla manufacturing leader to build its electric pickup truck
https://electrek.co/2025/08/22/slat...pboard&utm_content=electrek/magazine/Electrek

Napoleon Reyes is a US Marine from Indiana who got a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue after leaving the force.

The new engineering manager announced this week that he is leaving Tesla to join Slate:

A bit late on the post but after nearly 5 years working at Tesla in Fremont, I made the difficult decision to leave the Company and move closer to home with my family. It was an incredible experience being part of multiple line expansions and multiple Model Y program launches. Leading and managing the Model Y Refresh launch for GA in Fremont this year tested me professionally however we ultimately succeeded due to our amazing cross functional team collaboration. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with such great people, and I will forever be proud and thankful for everything we accomplished together.

I will be taking on a new role as Senior Manager, Plant Vehicle Engineering at Slate Auto in Warsaw, In.

 

[hbuck]

Slate poaches key Tesla manufacturing leader to build its electric pickup truck
https://electrek.co/2025/08/22/slat...pboard&utm_content=electrek/magazine/Electrek

Napoleon Reyes is a US Marine from Indiana who got a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue after leaving the force.

The new engineering manager announced this week that he is leaving Tesla to join Slate:

Just make the Slate able to seamlessly be a dingy four down behind my RV and charge from the connections or wheels moving behind the ever. It will be revolutionary for the EV industry

 

[AZFox]

50-second clip about the story:

 

[KevinRS]

Just make the Slate able to seamlessly be a dingy four down behind my RV and charge from the connections or wheels moving behind the ever. It will be revolutionary for the EV industry

If it charges using regenerative braking, only when braking is needed, that would make sense, otherwise charging all the time from the wheels, or charging off the RV's electrical system would only cost you more in gas for the RV, at a rate that doesn't make sense to use.
Part of the problem there is RVers flat towing another vehicle is a small portion of the market, small enough that if it costs much at all to implement, it's a hard sell.

 

[hbuck]

If it charges using regenerative braking, only when braking is needed, that would make sense, otherwise charging all the time from the wheels, or charging off the RV's electrical system would only cost you more in gas for the RV, at a rate that doesn't make sense to use.
Part of the problem there is RVers flat towing another vehicle is a small portion of the market, small enough that if it costs much at all to implement, it's a hard sell.

However if you are the only one…..

 

[E90400K]

TMI. I don't need to see the guy's resignation letter. Good Lord.

 

[KevinRS]

However if you are the only one…..

Hard sell for a manufacturer to do the engineering work for it. Yes ideally there would be a connector behind the bumper that connects up the lights and the "braking" system as trailer brakes that actually uses the regenerative braking, and your phone up in the RV would tell you when the battery is full, and there would be a resistive heat sink to dump power when full, like on diesel electric locomotives. But all that costs.

 

[Imhotep]

Napoleon Reyes is a US Marine from Indiana who got a degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue

Go Boilermakers!