Title: Fleet Sales Lead
Company: Slate Auto
Location: MA/USA
Education: BA in Biology, Environmental Studies, Religious Studies, Colby College (2018); Coursework in Biology, Environmental Studies, Religious Studies, The University of Queensland
Career History: Fleet Sales Lead, Slate Auto, Boston, MA (2025-Present); Owner, Hartford Green Solutions (2025); EV Sales Manager, Pritchard EV, Boston, MA (2024-2025); Vice President, Sales, ZEVX Inc., Boston, MA (2023-2024); Director, Sales – East, ZEVX Inc., Greater Boston (2022-2023); Northeast Sales Manager, XL Fleet, Greater Boston (2021-2022); Direct Sales Manager, XL Fleet, Greater Boston (2020-2021); Regional Sales Manager, East, XL Fleet, Greater Boston (2019-2020); National Accounts Sales Representative, XL Fleet (2019); Tesla Advisor, Tesla, Dedham, MA (2019); Owner Advisor, Tesla, Dedham, MA (2018-2019); Customer Experience Specialist, Tesla, Greater Boston Area (2018); Sales Intern, CoolGreenPower LLC, Boston, MA (2017); Sous Chef, Buffleheads (2014-2016)
Benjamin Michael Hartford, Fleet Sales Lead at Slate Auto, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of automotive services.
Driven and passionate, Mr. Hartford graduated from Colby College in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in biology, environmental studies, and religious studies, and subsequently had a desire to dedicate his career to helping others. Initially aspiring to become an orthopedic surgeon, he ultimately explored other industries in which he could make a significant impact with his biology degree. Recognizing climate change as one of humanity’s most pressing challenges, he sought a career that would allow him to combat its effects. As a result, he landed his first job as a customer experience specialist in the electric vehicle industry at Tesla, which he viewed as a win-win situation—working with cars while making a positive contribution to the environment.
Advancing to owner advisor and Tesla advisor over the course of a year, Mr. Hartford then joined XL Hybrids, a company that converts existing commercial vehicles for businesses and government organizations into hybrids, improving fuel economy and reducing carbon emissions. There, he served as a national accounts sales representative, regional sales manager, direct sales manager, and Northeast sales manager. Within these roles, he learned that persistence and meeting people where they are is essential, especially since many do not view the automotive industry or electric vehicles as he does. He believes that simply overwhelming others with information or appearing arrogant will not change minds; instead, understanding their perspective and communicating persistently can eventually lead them to reconsider. In addition, he was proud to sell hybrid vehicles to Harvard University, the City of Cambridge, and Comcast, which are still in use today.
Between 2022 and 2025, Mr. Hartford served as director of sales and later became vice president of sales at ZEVX Inc.—where he was integral in converting bucket trucks to electric—as an electric vehicle sales manager at Pritchard EV, and as the owner of Hartford Green Solutions. Since 2025, he has been an active and dynamic fleet sales leader at Slate Auto, a company that manufactures affordable, customizable, and modular EV pickup trucks that can also be converted into SUVs or cargo vans. Here, he partners with commercial fleets to deploy practical, ROI-positive electric work vehicles. Among his myriad responsibilities, he focuses on aligning vehicle specifications, incentives, charging infrastructure, and rollout strategies with real-world operating needs, ensuring pilots successfully scale into long-term programs. As a further testament to his passion for the field, he is a dedicated member of the National Association of Fleet Administrators and the Automotive Fleet & Leasing Association.
Looking toward the future, Mr. Hartford aspires to see the majority of cars sold in the United States being electric- rather than gas-powered, measuring success by the reduction of carbon emissions from the transportation sector nationwide. His goal is to do his part in decreasing global carbon emissions originating from the United States by selling as many EVs as possible and building a team that promotes this same mission. In the next 10 years, he envisions himself at the forefront of sustainability within a major company that operates a large vehicle fleet, such as Verizon, the U.S. Postal Service, or Amazon; he aims to create tangible change in the company’s approach to procuring electric vehicles, as well as improving other sustainability metrics, including facilities and solar energy initiatives. Ultimately, he seeks to drive meaningful, lasting change within an organization.