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October 2024 Newsletter
- Jee Kim
- Apr 4
- 4 min read
Dear Lit Motors Community,
First off, we want to give a huge shoutout to the 850+ committed Wefunder investors who've joined our mission so far! With your backing, we're continuing our momentum forward with development!
It’s been another busy month here in Portland and in Arizona! Let’s dive in!
Developmental Chassis Progress
In Portland, there’s been some exciting progress on the chassis. Over the past month, we’ve reinforced the structure by adding extra gussets, plates, and panels, enhancing stability and resilience.
We’re also diving into the details of our suspension system, selecting the right bearings, shocks, and struts to optimize performance. Every component we finalize brings us closer to a fully integrated design that’s built to last.
We revised the back wheel suspensions to fit the shock absorbers that we have and remade the front mounting plates with the help of the Prototrak CNC mill.
Engineering : Sub-Scale CMG Model Assembly
We’re excited to share some big milestones with you!
This progress on the sub-scale work enables us to first validate the controls and dynamics quickly at a reduced cost, which can later be scaled up to the full size CMGs and chassis with better confidence.
Second, it will function as a physical demonstration model that investors and future owners of the C-1 can interact with.
Jee has been helping Mike with the design of the sub-scale CMG rig by designing some new parts.
Mike has received the gimbal hub plates that have been machined out of aluminum at the Portland Integration Lab and has installed them into the gimbal hub mount. Making steady progress on these tasks is crucial for the development of the Sub-Scale CMG.
Mike has been running flywheel spin-up and gimbal actuation tests in the lab.
This is a huge milestone on the journey to validating our final balancing algorithm! Below is a video of one of the recent tests at the end of September. (Click the image to view the video!)
Mike has developed an updated BOM for our next set of sub-scale gyros. We’re planning to make this next set more robust and include a portable enclosure, which will make it easy to provide live demonstrations of the gyros.
As for the current sub-scale model, the new motor controllers have arrived and Mike has been working to get them integrated and validated in the system.
Mike has been focusing on three main tasks in the Sub-Scale CMG project this week: electrical schematics, PCBs, and code translation. The first drop of MATLAB code was transferred recently, and work has begun to incorporate it into the embedded C++ code base.
The schematics and designs for our circuit boards that will monitor and control our gyroscope systems are complete. We’ve sent them off for custom fabrication, and once they arrive, we’ll be integrating them into our sub-scale model to validate our design and components.
Not only does this bring us one step closer to a cleaner, more efficient system, but it also means we’re building a sleeker setup that’s easier to work with and visually streamlined.
Wefunder Investor Perk News
As we continue to make progress, we’re seeing more people joining our mission and investing in Lit Motors. We want to take this opportunity to give an update to those of you who've invested $1k+ and $5k+ through our Wefunder campaign.
For investors who've invested $5K+ and will be receiving a custom embroidered Lit Motors hat, we’ve got a couple bits of good news for you - first of all, the first round of hats have arrived at our lab, and we’ll be working to pack those up and ship them out to you soon!
For investors who've contributed $1k+, we wanted to let you know that the 1st batch of orders has been processed by our fulfillment partner and has been shipped out! The 2nd batch should be shipped out next month. We’re incredibly grateful for all the support!
Lit Motors x Hardware Meetup: Portland
This month, Loupe hosted a Hardware Meetup event in Portland and invited CEO/Founder Danny Kim along with two other guest speakers to give a presentation about their companies, recent innovations, and upcoming products.
All three presentations were focused around advancements in electrified transportation (Photon Marine, VVolt, and Lit Motors) and it was really great to see so much innovation coming out of the Pacific Northwest.
We brought our EP4 prototype to the event, which inspired a lot of great questions and conversations about our vehicle, the company, and the future of transportation. We appreciate this opportunity, and thank the event organizers for having us!
Team Meetup at the Portland Lab and Video Shoot
This month we also had a fantastic opportunity to gather most of our team onsite at the Portland Integration Lab! It was inspiring to have everyone face-to-face, fostering connections and collaboration in a way that only happens in person.
This gathering also gave us an opportunity to film for upcoming promotional videos, which will give an exciting look into our company’s progress, goals, and the passionate team behind it all.
Stay tuned for these video updates, coming soon!
Why the C-1 just makes sense 💡
For those who may have missed it early on, we wanted to re-share these videos of CEO/Founder Daniel Kim explaining our systemic approach and why this vehicle makes sense for the future of transportation.
Consider this:
🚘 Transportation accounts for 29% of carbon emissions in the US
👤 75% of people in the US drive alone (50% globally)
⚡️ The typical EV battery produces 18 TONS of CO2 over its lifecycle
When 29% of carbon emissions stem from transportation, the solution requires a nuanced and multifaceted approach. Our mission is to lead the new era of sustainable transportation: less car, more efficient and agile.
The solution?
Cut the car in half, make it 6-8x more efficient, cut emissions by simplifying manufacturing and reducing battery size (and make it really, really cool! 😎)
Our AEV is projected to produce only 1.8 tons of CO2 over its lifecycle, which is a whopping 90% reduction in emissions. Be kinder to the planet (13.2 miles / kWh) AND your wallet (only $2.50 per 170-mile charge in California - price may vary per state) 💸💸💸
As we continue the development process, please help spread the word about our mission!
We thank you for all your support!
Daniel Kim
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