David Medina Álvarez

Founder, LIVAQ

Detroit chose me. I originally came here because of CCS; since I was a child, I wanted to create my own vehicle company and be the designer. Horacio Pagani was a huge inspiration for me; I saw a path I could follow in his. There are only a few colleges that do this around the world, and one of them was in Detroit. One of my earliest mentors told me to go visit CCS to see what they were all about. I came, loved it, and ended up staying for college. Right after graduation, I tapped into the alumni and community who started to lift me up and help me out a lot. One of the first events that we had in the city was where we showcased the original prototype. In April of 2023, we got invited to showcase the ATV, and they offered the option to stay in New Lab. Why would we not? It’s amazing. 

At LIVAQ, the way we differentiate ourselves is by utilizing the 4.0 technologies from different industries, combining them into electric power sports and creating the most powerful electric off-road vehicles on the market. 

A few years ago, this company wouldn’t have been possible. This is what makes Detroit different; the collaboration and ingenuity that is flowing through the different founders. Detroit means freedom to create.

One of our focuses in design is leaning into modularity figuring out how we can create flexibility in the assembly and manufacturing process. We made the battery itself round, which is why we have 3x more range than our electric competitors, and 100 miles more than our gas competitors. We’re transitioning the body to repurposed, forced carbon fiber for all of our body panels, which is part of our drive to be as sustainable as possible. 

Detroit means the freedom to create. To create a company, you not only need a lot of capital, but you also need a lot of freedom. New Lab is open 24/7, and we can work until 2am in the morning if we need to. That’s freedom you can’t really find anywhere else, and combined with the community and ecosystem here, it’s compelling. A few years ago, this company wouldn’t have been possible. The future of mobility will be about collaboration and leveraging the connections and ecosystems that you’re surrounded by, which will allow people to create new models of transportation. This is what makes Detroit different; the collaboration and ingenuity that is flowing through the different founders.

When I came to this city, I understood it wasn’t because I was the best student that afforded me this opportunity. It was a lot of different factors that allowed me to be here, which made me cognizant of how lucky I was to be here. Whatever we are and what we do as a company, we want to uplift the community around us.

My Cause:

Global Detroit

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