Local Motors

About Local Motors

Local Motors, founded in 2007 by John B. "Jay" Rogers Jr. and Mark Smith, was an American automotive manufacturing company that operated on a novel business model of open-source design and distributed manufacturing. Rogers, a former U.S. Marine and Harvard Business School graduate, was inspired to create safer, more customer-centric vehicles after losing fellow service members due to vehicle design flaws. His family background was steeped in American manufacturing, with his grandfather having owned the Indian Motorcycle Company. The company's core strategy involved co-creation, where a global online community of designers and engineers would contribute to vehicle designs, and micro-factories, small-scale production facilities designed for low-volume, localized assembly.

The company's first major success was the Rally Fighter, an open-source, off-road vehicle whose design was selected via community vote and entered production in 2010. A significant milestone was achieved in 2014 when Local Motors live-printed the Strati, the world's first 3D-printed electric car, in just 44 hours, demonstrating the potential of additive manufacturing in the automotive sector. This was followed by the LM3D Swim in 2015, another 3D-printed car. However, the company's strategic focus later pivoted to autonomous public transportation. This led to the development of "Olli," an all-electric, self-driving shuttle unveiled in 2016. The Olli, which could seat up to eight passengers, was largely 3D-printed and integrated IBM's Watson AI for a cognitive passenger experience. The business model focused on direct sales of these niche vehicles and shuttle services to clients such as municipalities, campuses, and business parks.

Local Motors attracted partnerships and investments from major corporations like Airbus, Siemens, and General Electric, who were interested in its rapid product development capabilities. Despite its pioneering approach and receiving accolades, the company faced significant headwinds. High production costs associated with 3D printing large components, technological challenges with autonomous driving, and stiff market competition proved to be major obstacles. After raising several funding rounds, the company ultimately failed to secure sufficient ongoing investment to sustain its operations. Following a series of challenges, including a widely reported crash of an Olli shuttle, Local Motors ceased all operations in January 2022.