Local Motors plans to build the first fleet of 3D-printed electric cars.
You may remember the guys from Local Motors from last year’s SEMA Show where they came up with the Strati, a 3D printed electric car manufactured in collaboration with Cincinnati Incorporated and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
They’re also quite known for the Rally Fighter, an open source design, custom-build hardcore-buggy, powered by a 6.2-litre GM V8 or BMW diesel units. Mind you, the monstrous V8-propelled vehicle gave the company its widespread notoriety for using an original manufacturing process.
Nonetheless, the Arizona based business now wants to focus its attention on user-friendly, cheap, electric 3D printed cars, with the help of its co-creation community contest winner, Kevin Lo, as John B. Rogers – CEO and co-founder of Local Motors – stated:
“At Local Motors, we are hellbent on revolutionizing manufacturing. Car manufacturers have been stamping parts the same way for more than 100 years. We now have the technology to make the process and products better and faster by linking the online to the offline through DDM. This process will create better and safer products, and we are doing exactly that.”
Kevin submitted his design of the car (dubbed the Reload Redacted – Swim/Sport) to Local Motor’s Projected Redacted, where a panel of independent adjudicators – including Jay Leno – redeemed his work as the best. In fact, Jay Leno stated:
“You need something that makes you go ‘what’s that’? “My top choice would be Reload Redacted – Swim/Sport because it’s sporty, fun, and you can commute in it.”
The concept of the car is rather simple, but very cool. A 3D printed flexible chassis serves as a base, while different body styles can be applied to suit the customer’s needs. A Sport body style is an interpretation of a 2+2 coupe, for example.
Don’t get too caught up in the vehicle’s looks, since the project will only act as a foundation and a source of inspiration for the finished product.
For now, Local Motors wants to build and sell a Low Speed Electric Vehicle planned to debut in the first quarter of 2016 and let’s hope it won’t have the hi-fi speakers on the outside.
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