If you go to Real Motors’ HQ in downtown Greenville and see the two EV motorcycle prototypes on display, it is easy to be impressed. Motorcycles inherently look “cool,” and the fact that these electric models lack that telltale rumble is mind-boggling.

But they call the motorcycle prototype “Project ARES,” a Future Machine™, because it was the organization’s first product and application of its “different way to bring vehicles from concept to market.” The EV-powered motorcycle was just the beginning of co-founder Trent Dingman and Michael Feng’s vision: “Real Motors is an Engineering Initiative, established to explore humanity’s future by instigating a series of projects around mechanical systems.”

When Real Motors welcomed past investors and Abundance Angels for an update on what’s next, they focused on the future of manufacturing, what they call “parallel engineering, shared technology, and flexible manufacturing to shorten development cycles and reduce upfront capital requirements.”

Until now, Real Motors focused on perfecting the Project ARES prototype and building demand for the concept. They raised $1.1 million (100 percent from South Carolina), built a global waitlist of 2,500 customers, and secured 75 custom preorders.

Moving from prototype to production meant a shift in focus, and they grew their team to add automotive engineering experience and partnerships. The immediate next phase is execution: validating the initial vehicles, establishing repeatable domestic production processes, and hitting the first-year target of 250 vehicles.

Real Motors is focused on building locally; Trent and Michael speak passionately about their desire to create an enduring American vehicle company that stays in its hometown and home state.

Abundance Capital Angels played a crucial role by joining early investment rounds, starting with a $20,000 seed-stage equity investment in 2025, followed by $50,000 in additional equity in 2026.

 “When we started Real Motors, we pursued the traditional VC route like most SaaS startups. Turns out, DAF capital was the patient capital we didn’t know we needed. Building a hardware company takes time, and having investors who value long-term growth and giving back to the community has made all the difference,” Trent says.

From an impact perspective, Real Motors touches several of the lenses we use to understand community impact: electrification, local manufacturing, skilled job creation, and keeping technical expertise rooted in the region. The company’s first product is electric, but the broader story is the manufacturing model behind it and the effort to build more of that capability in South Carolina.