I wrote recently about the idea of open source car manufacturing like open source software development. The idea being drivers determine what they want the car to be like regarding both design and function. Parts would be bought externally and then assembled rather than everything produced in one place. Factories would be small and focused. Overhead costs would be low. The goal being constant innovation, something proven achievable by those in the open source software world. With this method ideas are endlessly offered and critiqued by all who care for the product to be better. Good ideas are proven worthy and pursuable by the community of users who are also the designers and programmers. This is a designfully minded business model. A model designed to maximize ideation and minimize the time to execute. Innovation is not about big/small but rather fast/slow.

I found someone who is doing this.

Local Motors is just that, a local automobile manufacturer. Here's how they work:
Car designs are uploaded and voted on by the Local Motors community with a city in mind, say Boston. Once there's enough support for a design, they build it. The community watches, reviews and critiques as engineering is developed. Once design and engineering are finalized, you go to the Local Motors micro-factory in Boston and have one built to order. All parts, except frame, are bought from specialty manufacturers and assembled in factories not much bigger than a Home Depot. Total design/build time is about 13 months as opposed to GM which is about 6 years.

Small, local, hands on, transparent, innovative. These are the trends of today.

www.local-motors.com

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