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November 2024 Newsletter
- Jee Kim
- Apr 4
- 4 min read
Dear Lit Motors Community,
We’ve gotten a lot done this month, so we have plenty of news to share with you. Let’s dive in!
Our new merch page is now LIVE on our website!
We've launched our new webstore just in time for the holidays and have all items on sale through the end of the year! There's no better time to pick up some swag to rep your favorite automotive startup!
Check it out:
Engineering Highlights: Developmental Chassis
At the beginning of the month, we completed the process of adding all of the remaining gussets and plates to the frame and chassis, which means we are getting closer to adding all of the final welds.
This is a major milestone since the beginning of the developmental chassis project and marks the end of working on the frame and shifting focus to the sub-assemblies.
The chassis is currently undergoing a thorough engineering review before we begin the final stages of welding. This review is essential for aligning on the welding process and carefully planning each step to ensure optimal results.
By identifying critical areas and potential stress points in advance, we aim to prevent any warping or added stress during welding, setting the foundation for a strong, precise build.
In parallel, we’ve started looking into the suspension design again for the front and rear to try and optimize performance and look at component selection for the shocks/springs and bearings.
Subscale Control Moment Gyros
For the subscale CMG model, we’ve received notification from our supplier that the PCBs have been fabricated and are ready for assembly. It’ll take some time for them to acquire all of the necessary components, but we are excited to get the finished and assembled PCBs to install onto our sub-scale model.
The sub-scale model started experiencing some unwanted noise from the switch contacts, which we plan to remedy with some updated components and a rework of the circuit for noise suppression.
We also found some interesting characteristics of the Solo boards and how they control torque to the motor, which is not intuitive at all. A request for a quote has been sent to Alva for additional spin motors as a potential replacement.
There have also been some advancements on the controls algorithm and work has started on combining steering with path error correction. However, there were some minor setbacks due to some errors or lack of supporting data for the tire model. There are plans to resolve and mitigate this by re-addressing the AEV’s balance at rest and improved tired models.
Once we are able to resolve some of the current issues, we will only be a couple steps away from having a fully functional sub-scale model. Achieving this milestone will be a trigger for the next iterations that are larger scale and with improved features.
Founder/CEO Danny Kim explains what we accomplished this summer and how we begin the path towards AEV production.
With our $5 million funding goal, we plan to build our developmental chassis driving prototype, which is one of two major steps towards a beta and will help us gain crucial insights from potential customers.
We're working on two parallel development tracks:
1. The Developmental Chassis
Also known as our "Dirty Mule", this track is where the majority of the updates we've shared with you have been focused. With the Dirty Mule and the help of our industry experts from Honeywell and Raytheon, we can validate our stability system and dynamic model at full scale to ensure the smoothest driving experience possible.
2. The Automotive Unibody Chassis
The work in this track ensures our vehicle's safety, comfort, and efficiency can meet the standard set by today's automotive safety regulations.
We're excited to share this journey with you and can't wait to show you what progress the coming months bring!
Lit Motors @ TechCrunch Disrupt!
Also near the beginning of the month, Lit Motors CEO/Founder Danny Kim & Creative Director Natalia Amijo were in attendance representing Lit Motors at TechCrunch: Disrupt 2024 in San Francisco.
They got to connect with some fellow amazing technology innovators, including Vinod Khosla, Tony Fadell, Roeland Nusselder, and Jimmy Cheng. It was great to hear about the latest advancements in AI, AVs, and EVs.
We were excited to read the recent news from TechCrunch regarding Infinite Machine (which has closed a $9 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz), and thrilled to see the positive investment climate for transportation.
Ideenion Visit 🏎️
Near the end of the month, CEO/Founder Danny Kim took a trip to Munich, and then Ingolstadt to visit Ideenion! He met with Stefan Schaeper and Mirko Konta to discuss their plans for developing the AEV production vehicle's architecture.
Danny also met with Christian Schröm, the head of Ideenion's software team, to talk specifically about the vehicle's E/E (electronic/electrical) architecture.
Our partnership with Ideenion is essential to the vehicle development process. With decades of experience in the field of automotive design, a state-of-the-art prototyping lab, and their team of experts, Ideenion's work will accelerate us towards our goal of finalizing a production-ready AEV.
We also have the first in a series of videos from the trip to share with you!
Check out what CEO Mirko Konta has to say about the valuable work that Ideenion is doing here: Lit Motors - Ideenion - Mirko Konta
New Key Advisor!
We're pleased to announce Catherine Wong as our new Technology Startup Advisor. Catherine is a Silicon Valley Startup Entrepreneur, with 30+ years of experience, driving strategic initiatives, innovation, and delivery of new ideas to market.
Her experience spans automotive, fintech, and consumer electronics, with roles at Toyota, PayPal, and Fitbit. Her work is deeply rooted in technology and transportation, and she is passionate about being an agent of change to create products that will enhance and improve lives.
We're thrilled to have Catherine join us, bringing her expertise and experience in software and technology innovation to our team!
As we continue the development process, please help us spread the word about our mission! We thank you for all your support!
We'll have another video update coming soon. Stay tuned...
Danny Kim
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