Am I the only one? A regular car guy's perspective on the new car market

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At 51 and a lifelong "car guy," I’ve watched the automotive world shift in ways I never imagined. What I see today (and have for years) is a move toward over-complication and tech obsession—some of it thanks to government EPA regulations, and some driven by the public’s endless craving for the latest gadgetry.

Design? Let’s be honest—most cars today look like melted bars of soap. The uniqueness is gone. Some wear generic alphanumeric badges that feel more like Wi-Fi passwords than model names, while a few are swinging back to real names—about time.

But what really grinds my gears? The decline of basic DIY maintenance. Oil changes now depend on a dashboard light instead of mileage or time. Transmissions are sealed up like government secrets, labeled “filled for life,” which usually translates to: “wait for it to break, then pay the dealership a fortune.”

Modern vehicles are appliances—no soul, no character. And when they break, people toss them instead of fixing them. Worse, most folks don’t even want to learn how to maintain or repair their cars. It’s sad, really.

Personally, I still live for the rhythm of scheduled maintenance. Do it yourself, do it right, and the car runs better—and so do you. Even if it's just psychological, there's pride in putting your hands on your own machine.

Then came EVs. No gas. No oil. Flip a switch and go.

I’ve been slow to warm up to electric vehicles. To me, they’ve always felt like—well—appliances with wheels. But recently, something changed.

Enter Slate Auto. Now this is different.

Yes, it’s an EV. But it’s also modular, customizable, and—get this—DIY-friendly. Finally, someone gets it. They’ve built a platform you can actually wrench on. Want a truck? Make it a truck. Want an SUV? Go for it. Lower it, lift it, personalize it without begging a dealership or mortgaging your house.

I’m hooked. And you should be too.

Let’s face it: today’s mainstream auto offerings are bloated, overpriced, and loaded with tech few people understand and even fewer actually need. Slate Auto isn’t playing that game. They’re empowering people to build and own their ride—appearance, function, and personality included.

They’re going to win. Why? Because they’re giving control back to the driver—not just behind the wheel, but under the hood.

Mark my words: the traditional auto giants better start paying attention. People are tired of sky-high service bills, dealership runarounds, and vehicles that require a PhD to fix.

It’s time for a change. And I think Slate Auto is the spark!