The Arizona automaker didn’t make it…
Life comes at you fast and the automotive industry is particularly brutal – those are two takeaways from the news that Local Motors is folding up shop and closing forever. The automaker, which is based in Chandler, Arizona showed promise with its history of building crazy Rally Fighters and people got all geeked out over the self-driving bread box named Olli. But in the end it wasn’t enough to keep moving forward in an increasingly competitive industry.
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The news was shocking to many since just back in October of 2021 local business journal AZ Inno ran a story about how after going through restructuring Local Motors was poised for “major growth.” A new CEO was at the company’s helm and after setbacks from the pandemic, everything looked to be on the up and up.
For many enthusiasts, their first introduction to the Local Motors Rally Fighter was through The Fate of the Furious or the Forza video game franchise. Its appearance certainly was impressive, so it makes sense why it would have such a commanding screen presence. However, the strategy over time shifted more toward what some believe to be the inevitable nature of an autonomous future.
Olli, the self-driving bread box, was trotted out for all kinds of public demonstrations, making plenty of journalists and others feel tingly. However, the tingly feels don’t pay the bills. Plus, there are some serious kinks in autonomous tech Local Motors and others would have to work through, things which aren’t exactly cheap. We don’t know if that’s why the company is done, but it very well could be.
It’s important to note even though AZ Inno and others have reported on Local Motors closing, no official announcement has been made. Employees have taken to social media to spread the news, but until we hear it from Local Motors through official channels, there’s still a slight chance it’s little better than a rumor. In fact, some claimed the company would be shuttered by January 14. That said, it’s unlikely Local Motors isn’t closing, so it’s best to just be prepared for the worst.
