3D printing as a way of manufacturing some objects, or prototypes are quickly gaining traction. However, what you see here is the world’s first 3D-printed car.
Mashable reports that Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors, want buyers “in the not-too-distant future, be able to walk into a car dealership, choose a design — including the number of seats — and have a 3D printed car by the end of the day”!
Called the Strati, this tiny two-seater was recently unveiled at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, USA.
The Strati offers an electric drivetrain and consists of only 49 parts, around 98% less than a standard production car.
Even though the Strati (the Italian word for layers) took years to design, it only took 44 hours to print. After the printing was done, it took around a day of milling followed by four days of building at the show. The material used for the printing process is carbon fibre reinforced thermoplastic.
According to the company, the Strati can achieve speeds of up to 60 km/h, and can travel up to 190 km on a single charge. As expected, in its current state it won’t be allowed to travel on motorways, but will be fine to use around the neighbourhood or town.
Rogers’s aim is to offer the Strati for sale by 2016 at a price of between $18 000 and $34 000.
