A 3D Printed Car by Local Motors For Sale Soon


LocalMotors3DPrintedCarLocal Motors, founded back in 2007, are known for low-volume manufacturing of vehicle designs. Popular products include the off-road V8-powered Rally Fighter, electric bicycles, tricycles, toy cars, and skateboards; some of which the company incorporates 3D printed components into. After first projecting the idea in March, Local Motors has successfully 3D printed and assembled an entire automobile at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago this week,

LocalMotors3DPrintedCar2The car is called the “Strati”. It took a team of engineers to put the entire thing together over a span of 44 hours, after the first layers of the carbon reinforced ABS plastic extruded from the Big Area Additive Manufacturing machine (BAAM). For those of you wondering the same thing I am, no, the electric motor was not 3D printed, but supplied from an economy-sized car called a Renault Twizy. Additionally, other important mechanical parts, such as the battery, windows, and wiring, came from “a variety of suppliers”, says Local Motors.

LocalMotors3DPrintedCar1Building cars like this could drastically change the future of auto-making. Think of being able to personalize your vehicle to your own standards! Want extra leg room because you're super tall? What about more room for back seat riders if you car pool a lot? This could be the beginning of custom-ordered cars. By building this economical machine of the soon-to-be future, the Local Motors wanted to “prove the viability of using sustainable, digital manufacturing solutions in the automotive industry”. Unlike other 3D printed innovations, such as organs and prosthetics, that are close but not close enough to go commercial, 3D printed cars are ready. So ready, Local Motors plans on launching production-level 3D printed cars to consumers in the months to come!

Topics: Technology News Gadgets & Peripherals Inventions & Innovations

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