He Went From Selling Buses to Running Mercedes | MotoMan Podcast # 030

What do Porsche, Tesla, Chinese automakers, and the decline of affordable cars have in common? According to automotive journalist and racer Jack Baruth, the industry may be building faster, more technologically advanced, and more expensive cars while losing sight of the people who actually drive them. Jack Baruth returns to the MotoMan Podcast for a provocative conversation in our Michigan Cigar Lounge about the future of the automotive industry, American manufacturing, Chinese EVs, Tesla's business model, Ford's challenge to Slate Motors, and the growing divide between luxury car culture and everyday drivers. Having experienced Chinese automobiles firsthand, Jack challenges the assumption that rapid innovation automatically produces better cars. Are BYD and other Chinese automakers engineering vehicles for long-term durability—or simply for an impressive showroom experience? The debate moves to Tesla, where Jack questions Elon Musk's direct-to-consumer model and whether it really serves the average American car buyer. He also makes a bold prediction: Ford's affordable electric pickup could threaten Slate Motors before the startup establishes itself. Then the conversation turns personal. From Singer's million-dollar Porsche creations to Pebble Beach and the Woodward Dream Cruise, Jack questions whether automotive culture has become more concerned with status, exclusivity, and wealth than the joy of driving. And after decades of racing, owning a Porsche 911, and pursuing experiences most enthusiasts only dream about, Jack shares an unexpected conclusion about what actually makes life worthwhile.

Is Scout Motors building the anti-Tesla?

The global auto industry is changing faster than it has in decades — and Bob Lutz has some very strong opinions about who is getting it right, who is getting it wrong and which automakers may be in serious trouble.

Are EVs actually failing—or did the automotive industry simply promise too much, too soon? This week on the MotoMan Podcast, George sits down with EVgo product leader Alex Keros for a candid reality check on electric vehicles, EV charging infrastructure and where the industry goes from here. Alex has spent years working on alternative-fuel vehicles, from hydrogen at General Motors to today’s public EV charging network. And his view of the electric future is far more nuanced than the usual pro-EV vs. anti-EV debate. His philosophy? Stop dealing in “hopeful math” and deal with reality. That means admitting EVs aren’t the right solution for every driver. It also means recognizing where electric cars genuinely offer a better experience—and confronting why public EV charging can still be frustrating, unreliable and unnecessarily complicated. George and Alex dig into why EV charging still feels like “Windows 3.1,” why Tesla approached charging differently, whether America’s aging power grid can actually support millions more EVs, and why China’s extraordinary pace of battery and charging development should have Western automakers paying attention. They also explore BYD and megawatt charging, 5–10 minute charging technology, 800-volt and 1,000-volt architectures, solid-state batteries, the future of hydrogen and why learning to fail faster may be one of the most important lessons the American auto industry can take from its global competitors. This is not an argument for EVs or against them. It’s a conversation about where the technology actually works, where it doesn’t, what the industry got wrong—and what needs to happen next.

Slate is promising a $25,000 electric truck with no traditional trim levels, no sprawling options list and a radically different approach to personalization. But can that idea survive contact with manufacturing, service and the realities of launching a new car company? CJ Waelti joins the MotoMan Podcast to explain why the electric powertrain may be the least interesting part of Slate. Drawing on a career that has taken him from Harley-Davidson to Tesla, Rivian and now Slate, CJ lays out how the company is combining old-school mechanical expression with modern manufacturing. We dig into Slate’s blank-canvas philosophy, the risk that personalization becomes an expensive upsell, its DIY accessory strategy, removable seat covers, swappable body panels, simplified vehicle wraps and the company’s plan to begin delivering trucks in late 2026. More importantly, CJ answers the question hanging over every automotive startup: Why should anyone believe Slate can actually deliver?