Radically simplifying EVs at Slate Auto | Ben Whitla & Tisha Johnson

Radically simplifying EVs at Slate Auto | Ben Whitla & Tisha Johnson

From Design This Day by Teague

June 1, 2026 · 31 min · Episode 18

About this episode

Devin discusses the challenges and innovations in designing affordable modular electric vehicles with Tisha Johnson and Ben Whitla from Slate Auto.

Devin speaks with two leaders at Slate Auto, an EV startup that’s designed a cheap modular pickup truck. Tisha Johnson, Head of Design, and Ben Whitla, Head of Brand and Marketing, join Devin to share the big, gnarly challenges Slate is facing in getting a low-cost, personalizable vehicle to consumers—from design to production. They tell Devin about the joy and terror of relinquishing design control to their customers, and how they take inspiration from collaborative brands like Lego and Vans. They explain where their two disciplines, vehicle and brand design, inform one another at Slate, leading to a more integrated design approach than either of them expected. Plus, they share their hot takes on why screens in vehicles are totally overrated. 1:49 Why this kind of modularity hasn’t been seen before 3:43 Their breakthrough in designing the front fascia 5:51 How brand and vehicle design align 8:58 Designing for customer’s self-expression 11:38 When car owners go wild 14:30 Affordability through minimalism 19:00 Taking the leap on a start-up 23:26 Collaboration vs. AI agents 26:16 Lightning round

People in this episode

Host: Devin

Guests: Tisha Johnson, Ben Whitla

Topics covered

  • electric vehicles
  • design challenges
  • modular design
  • customer collaboration
  • affordability
  • brand integration

Keywords

  • EV startup
  • modular pickup truck
  • design control
  • customer self-expression
  • affordability
  • collaborative brands

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Slate Auto, Lego, Vans

More episodes of Design This Day

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Design This Day podcast page.