Local Motors announces winners of LITECAR Challenge

With more than 250 conceptual designs submitted, Phoenix-based vehicle designer, builder, and seller Local Motors, in partnership with the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), has announced the winner of the Lightweighting Technologies Enabling Comprehensive Automotive Redesign (LITECAR) Challenge. The challenge is to use novel material technologies, structural designs, energy-absorbing materials, and unique methods of manufacturing to reduce vehicle curb weight while maintaining current U.S. automotive safety standards.

The winning design, Aerodynamic Water Droplet with Strong Lightweight Bone Structure, was created by Andres Tovar, a mechanical engineering assistant professor at the School of Engineering and Technology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and his group of graduate students. Their design was selected by a panel of experts in materials, crashworthiness, structures, manufacturing, and safety.

Tovar receives the $60,000 grand prize for his pioneering vehicle design concept. The remaining $90,000 in prize money is divided among five additional submissions that were recognized for their ideas by both the Local Motors' online community and LITECAR judging panel:

• First runner-up ($40,000): Sumit Lakhera and Feyzi Aras, Skeletos
• Second runner-up ($20,000): Wilburn Whittington, David Francis, and Kyle Johnson, Metal Matrix Metallic Composites
• Innovative design component ($10,000): Yuqing Zhou, Kazuhiro Saitou, and Jeff Xu, Manta
• Innovative safety component ($10,000): Alexander Rivera, Modular Sprung Pod Car
• Community favorite ($10,000): Anthony Kim and Sheetanshu Tyagi, Apalis

For more information and to see the submissions, visit localmotors.com/arpa-e/litecar-challenge/entries/. To view the winning technology video, visit youtu.be/J16zJXrFdPw.