Angelo Kafantaris

Ryvid Inc. is using its CalCompetes award from California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) to expand its capacity to design and assemble electric motorcycles in California!

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Oldsmobile’s DOHC 455 V8 is one of the most intriguing “what could have been” stories in American automotive history. Developed in the late 1960s as an experimental performance engine, this dual overhead cam (DOHC) version of Oldsmobile’s standard 455 cubic inch V8 was intended to push the brand’s engineering boundaries and compete with the rising tide of high-revving, high-tech engines both domestically and abroad. It featured an aluminum intake, hemispherical combustion chambers, and twin overhead cams per bank—technology that was far ahead of its time for a pushrod-dominated American market. The engine was rumored to produce well over 500 horsepower in naturally aspirated form and even more in turbocharged or fuel-injected configurations tested in secret. It was also said to rev significantly higher than the traditional 455, thanks to the DOHC design, which allowed better breathing at high RPM. Despite its promise, the project was ultimately scrapped—largely due to cost, emissions regulations looming in the 1970s, and General Motors’ reluctance to deviate too far from its mainstream production strategies. Only a few prototypes of the DOHC 455 were ever built, and they remain mythical among muscle car enthusiasts and collectors. The engine stands as a symbol of the bold experimentation that briefly flourished in Detroit during the golden muscle car era—a tantalizing glimpse at what might have been if performance and innovation hadn’t been curtailed by external pressures.

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When a manufacturer who produces 10,500 components per week for Ford Motor Company calls a product “a product for our time”… people listen. Bill Fell of Buddy Bar Castings said exactly that about Tim Yeiser’s AquaDome. Because when innovators solve real problems, the people who actually build things recognize it immediately. At Disruptor Studios, we work with founders and building-product manufacturers to turn innovations into stories that customers want to engage with — not ads they scroll past. The future of marketing isn’t selling. It’s showing the people and purpose behind the product. If you’re a founder or manufacturer with a product the world needs to understand…Let’s tell that story. 👇 Message me or comment “STORY” and let’s start the conversation. #StorytellingForBrands #FounderStories #BuildingProducts #Manufacturing #Innovation #BrandStorytelling #ContentMarketing #B2BMarketing #Entrepreneurship #DisruptorStudios #AquaDome #WildfireInnovation Komet Irrigation

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Revolutionizing urban transportation with ONYX Motors eBikes! 🚴‍♂️ Timothy Seward, founder of Onyx, shares how eBikes outpace cars in LA—faster, more affordable, and customizable for the modern commuter. Discover the future of mobility on Grit Daily Startup Show. Shout out to LMGPR and Donna Loughlin for making it possible. #UrbanMobility #EBikes #Innovation #Podcast

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The Flat-Pack Revolution: A Timeless Masterclass in Efficiency. More than just a chair, it's a blueprint for intelligent manufacturing and global reach. Ever thought about design redefining an industry? That's the Thonet No. 14 Chair. Michael Thonet pioneered steam-bending for lightweight, strong forms. But his true genius was designing it for early mass production and global distribution. Flat-packing 36 chairs into a cubic meter crate drastically cut shipping costs, democratizing elegant design worldwide. ✨ In this series, we'll explore some truly #IconicDesignStories — the game-changing creations that have shaped our world and continue to inspire us. Stay tuned ✨ The No. 14 became an icon of material innovation, manufacturing foresight, and logistics-driven design. It proved elegance can be simple, efficiently made, and robust enough to stand time's test. So, what can this chair teach packaging for sustainable innovation? Plenty! The parallels are profound: 🔶 Manufacturing Innovation: Let advanced processes (molding, forming) drive packaging form for optimized function. 🔶 Flat-Pack Imperative: Design packaging to minimize empty space, maximize shipping density, dramatically cutting logistics costs and carbon. 🔶 Material Efficiency: Achieve protection with minimal material, creating lightweight, robust structures. 🔶 Simplicity & Enduring Appeal: Uncluttered, durable packaging builds long-term brand identity. The Thonet No. 14 Chair is a tribute to revolutionary, elegant, and globally impactful design. Its legacy pushes us to see packaging as a critical lever for efficiency, sustainability, and intelligent systems design across the value chain. Thonet's chair was a shipping marvel. What's an example of packaging that you've seen (or designed!) that truly innovates in flat-packing or logistics to reduce its environmental footprint? Share your thoughts below! #IconicDesignStories #PackagingInnovation #SustainablePackaging … I’m Luis Carlos V., an industrial designer with 10+ years driving innovation across industries. Currently #opentowork on groundbreaking projects. Enjoyed this read? Like, follow, and let's connect! #industrialdesign

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Ford's strategy to achieve a fully electric vehicle lineup by 2030 presents a bold vision for the PD Merkenich facility. To meet their targets, the company must continue to embrace groundbreaking technologies and experiment with fresh, inventive workflows. Staying ahead in the industry demands that they push limits and incorporate novel materials, techniques, and equipment, including in-house tooling and 3D printing, like those from #Formlabs SLA and SLS printers. “Our competitors are speeding up the developing process. We need to speed up as well. So the solution is to test new materials, new processes, and new machines coming to market. Currently, if we didn’t have access to additive manufacturing, we would not be able to compete with the competitors, we would not be able to be so fast. 3D printing allows us to, in a shorter time, have the best product that we can offer for the clients,” said Alves. Find out about Formlabs 3D Printers - https://buff.ly/gsd8U3u #automotive #ford #formlabs #additivemanufacturing #3dprinting #sla #sls

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Genesis announced the opening of Genesis Design California, a state-of-the-art design facility located in El Segundo, Calif. The studio will drive a wide spectrum of creative work, from production and advanced automotive projects to explorations in air mobility, robotics, and cutting-edge CMF trend research. Take a glimpse into their top secret clay modeling studio. Full details here; https://lnkd.in/eu9Sh-GQ #genesisusa #genesis #cardesign #clay #automotivedesign #automotivenews #automotiveindustry #eugenegalison #clay

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How does a traditional company hatch fresh products? Here's what Ford is up to in the auto industry. For Interpretive Simulations StratSim faculty, here's an article for those teams that fall behind the competition and now need to catch up on technology and product innovation. We'll see what happens with Ford. The lesson in StratSim is to stay focused on customer needs (and not fall behind in the first place). https://lnkd.in/eFpwZF4j

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Lucid Group US, Inc. announced the launch of Lucid Recharged™, its first certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle program, giving car shoppers a new way to access Lucid’s advanced electric vehicles with added confidence and value. See EVinfo.net's article: https://lnkd.in/gp2gqyga Lucid Recharged begins with single-owner vehicles with fewer than 62,000 miles. Each vehicle undergoes a rigorous 160+ point inspection and receives mechanical and cosmetic reconditioning as needed using only Lucid-approved parts. Select vehicles may also be upgraded with additional features, including the DreamDrive® Pro advanced driver assistance system. “Lucid Recharged certified pre-owned isn’t just a used car, it’s a Lucid reborn,” said Erwin Raphael, Senior Vice President of Revenue at Lucid. “It’s now easier than ever to experience Lucid’s innovation, performance, and safety, backed by Lucid-approved reconditioning and additional warranty coverage.” All Lucid Recharged vehicles include the balance of the original 4-year/50,000-mile factory warranty, plus an additional 12-month/12,000-mile manufacturer limited warranty. The program also provides roadside assistance for the full warranty period, a verified clean title and service history, a CARFAX® report, and a detailed inspection report. Certified used EV programs like Lucid Recharged represent a growing opportunity across the industry. By pairing lower purchase prices with factory-backed inspections and warranties, CPO EVs address common consumer concerns around reliability, battery health, range degradation, and long-term ownership costs, helping move EV adoption beyond early adopters. Lectrium Supports Dealers with Valuable EV and PHEV data As certified used EV inventory grows, effective merchandising and customer education are essential for dealer success. Lectrium, Inc. supports automotive dealerships with accurate, real-time EV and PHEV data that helps explain pricing, incentives, range, charging, and ownership savings for both new and used electric vehicles. Used by more than 200 dealership rooftops across 32 states, Lectrium’s tools translate complex EV information into clear, shopper-friendly visuals, helping dealers build trust, protect margins, and turn certified used EV inventory more efficiently, without being tied to any single OEM or program. OEM-backed CPO programs and dealer-focused EV merchandising platforms are helping make EVs more accessible, understandable, and scalable for the next wave of buyers. EVinfo.net supports certified used EV programs and we have had the great honor of working with Peter Barba, CEO and the amazing Lectrium, Inc. team. EVinfo.net is an EV-influencer led publication, offering sponsored articles, interviews and more to the EV industry. See samples below: https://lnkd.in/gH5Gdqb7 Don't miss the vitally important EV Charging Summit & Expo, March 17-19 2026, Las Vegas.

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In my 30 years covering the automotive industry, I have rarely seen a defect that causes as much visceral fear among drivers as the current "sticky steering" issue affecting the Honda CR-V. For a brand that built its empire on bulletproof reliability, the flood of complaints regarding 2022-2025 models is alarming. A "sticky steering" defect plaguing 2022-2025 Honda CR-V models has triggered a massive recall and class-action lawsuit, leaving owners terrified as their steering wheels "lock up" at highway speeds. https://lnkd.in/dZHdSHdx

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Motorized 3D scale model of a traveling intake screen. ⚙️ Check out the internal belt mechanism that is run by a pulley system. 3D models don't need to be static anymore! We are making them interactive for better engagement at tradeshows. We add interactive features to the scale models we build for industry leaders, helping them effectively present their equipment in full detail with a portable form factor. Would love to hear your feedback... 💭 Also, what other equipment would you want to see us build a 3D scale model of with interactive features like this one? 🤔

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Some of the coolest and safest motorcycle helmets are born in the Pacific Northwest. Since 2008, Roadhouse Distribution Inc. has pushed motorcycle safety forward by combining advanced engineering with rider-first design, setting a new benchmark for performance and protection. And with their 2024 release of the 991 Carbon Black collection, they continue to do just that. But if I could improve one thing… It would be their email and SMS strategy. Current Opt-in Form Issues > Not full-page > Not collecting zero-party data > No coupon delivered at the end Opt-in Form Redesign > Full-page > Zero-party data collection (What are you shopping for?) > Email capture > SMS capture > SMS double opt-in > Success page with coupon The biggest improvement here is the ability to tailor the welcome email based on the option the subscriber selects in the form. If they’re shopping for half helmets, they should receive a welcome email featuring half helmets. This applies to every option. The more tailored your messaging, the higher your conversion rate. Additionally, the coupon is now displayed on the success page, which means prospects no longer need to leave the site to retrieve it. This alone should lead to a higher immediate conversion rate Current Welcome Email Issues > Doesn’t showcase the brand’s mission or values > Missing additional social proof elements > Doesn’t include a full mailing address (which goes against CAN-SPAM and CASL requirements) Welcome Email Redesign > Hero image subheadline clearly states what the brand does and who the products are for > Social proof #1: Customer reviews (GIF with updated numbers to match the website) > Social proof #2: Global stage presence > Flagship product featured to match the “Full Face” helmet selection on the opt-in form > Product blocks for additional options if the first product isn’t the right fit > Company photo to humanize the brand > Cleaned-up footer with the full company address included The main improvements here are the added layers of social proof and the direct connection between the opt-in form response and the welcome email content. If Voss implemented this strategy, they would need to create five variations of Welcome Email #1 to match each opt-in form selection. Yes, it takes more effort. But it almost always leads to higher sales because the messaging is tailored to the customer, creating a more personal and relevant experience. Figma doc here: https://lnkd.in/gCzxCYdm? cc: Devon Gould

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Catalytic converters don’t just “go bad.” There’s almost always an upstream issue, and knowing the cause is what separates a quick fix from a long-term solution. When shops understand the real causes, everybody wins: fewer comebacks, better diagnostics, and happier customers.

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Spring changes are not just about swapping parts. They play a direct role in determining how a car responds, balances, and behaves on the road or track. In this demo video, we show how to install springs on Neotech coilovers, focusing on the steps that matter when adjusting a suspension setup. Spring installation is typically part of the process when: ✅ Fine-tuning ride height ✅ Changing spring rates for different driving conditions ✅ Rebalancing the vehicle after other setup changes In this demo, we walk through proper disassembly and reinstallation, highlight key measurements to check during the process, and show how correct installation supports consistent suspension behavior. Understanding this process helps ensure that spring adjustments lead to predictable handling and stable performance, rather than unintended setup inconsistencies. Our team will continue sharing practical demonstrations like this, each focused on one essential procedure to support accurate installation and reliable performance across Neotech systems. #SuspensionSystems #CoiloverSetup #SuspensionTuning #AutomotiveEngineering #Motorsport

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Building electric motorcycles is not the hard part. Electric motorcycles are NOT a technology problem, they’re a positioning problem. Early era = proving electric works. Next era = building with intent. Arlington was founded after the early era. We never had any concern about whether they could be built. We focused on what should be built, from both an engineering and design perspective. After working on Arlington for some time we realised one of the core problems we wanted to solve: Electric vehicles have no soul (for the most part) Yes, there are a few exceptions, but most are simply A-to-B solutions. So how do you create a vehicle with soul? To build something people actually desire, you have to sweat the small details. We think it comes down to the balance of three things: Performance Aesthetics Practicality The best vehicles get that balance right. And if you think about the last vehicle you bought, you probably chose it because it matched the weighting you were looking for. At Arlington we're searching for that perfect balance.

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