Aug. 21, 2025 | Slate Auto’s Tisha Johnson; U.S., EU reach deal to cut tariffs
About this episode
A significant trade agreement between the U.S. and EU aims to cut auto tariffs, potentially lowering them to 15%. Nissan is planning a product blitz, including the return of the X-Terra, while Tesla's six-seat Model Y may not reach the U.S. market due to the rise of self-driving technology. Tisha Johnson, head of design at Slate Auto, discusses their innovative low-cost EV pickup that can be customized into an SUV, emphasizing a blend of nostalgia and modern utility. The episode highlights crucial developments in trade policy and the evolving EV landscape.
Tisha Johnson, Slate Auto’s head of design, joins the show to talk about the low-cost electric pickup that can be customized and converted to an SUV. The U.S. and EU reach a deal that could cut auto tariffs. Plus, Nissan plans a major product blitz that would reincarnate the Xterra.
Nissan XTerra
"and put the focus on your customers so your sales team and your entire dealership shine. To cut auto tariffs, Nissan plans a product blitz that would reincarnate the X-Terra, and Tesla's three-row Model Y might not make it to the U.S. Plus, Slate Auto's head of design,"
Tesla Model Y
"...ld reincarnate the X-Terra, and Tesla's three-row Model Y might not make it to the U.S. Plus, Slate Auto's ..."
Nissan Rogue
"...new sheet metal, including new generations of the Rogue crossover, Centra sedan, and Infiniti Q50 sedan."
Infiniti Q50
"...f the Rogue crossover, Centra sedan, and Infiniti Q50 sedan. Nissan also disclosed plans for a pair of ..."
Slate Truck
"Slate Auto has been growing quietly just up the road from here in Detroit. But now the EV startup is out of stealth mode and officials are laying bold plans to disrupt the market... Our own Lawrence Eilif spoke with Slate head of design Tisha Johnson at the event."
This is an interview with the lead designer of the Slate Truck, a cheap electric pickup that can be customized and even turned into an SUV. She explains how the team set out to design a car that's both inexpensive and something people would actually want.
Automotive News interviews Slate's head of design, Tisha Johnson, about the Slate Truck — the low-cost, customizable electric pickup that converts to an SUV. Johnson, Slate's first designer (joined December 2022), describes the brief: a vehicle that had to be both very low cost and genuinely desirable.
Mercury Monterey
"California last week as part of Monterey Car Week. Our own Lawrence Eilif spoke with"
Request an Explanation
Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.
Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.
Want to learn more?
Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.
Help improve this episode
See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.