Chinese 3D printing firms Polymaker and X Electrical Vehicle Limited (XEV) have recently launched the LSEV, a 3D-printed electrified city car that you can purchase for just $10,000.
Polymaker CEO, Xiaofan Luo, while acknowledging that there are other companies that use 3D printing for production, claims that no other product can compare with the LSEV “in terms of size, the scale and the intensity.”
It’s slightly smaller than a Smart ForTwo
The LSEV measures 2,489 mm (98 inches) in length, 1,295 mm (51 inches) in width and stands 1,498 mm tall (59 inches) tall, which actually makes it smaller than the Smart ForTwo. The LSEV also weighs 992 lbs (450 kg), and is claimed to have a top speed of 43 mph (69 km/h) and a maximum EV range of 93 miles (149 km), as reported by Digital Trends.
XEV designed this car using just 57 components, whereas conventional vehicles tend to have over 2,000 components and weigh more than 2,200 lbs (998 kg), according to Polymaker. The only visible parts not 3D-printed on the LSEV are the chassis, seats and glass components – while 3D printing materials include enhanced nylon, polylactic acid and TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane).
The Chinese company says that their car is “four to five times stronger” than an equivalently sized conventional vehicle like the Smart.
How long does it take to build one?
In a report from Interesting Engineering, the car manufacturer claims to be able to build the Smart-sized LSEV in just three days, which sounds impressive – and scary, at the same time.
The plan right now is for the LSEV to reach European and Asian customers in April of 2019, priced at $10,000. According to XEV, there have already been 7,000 orders for the small EV, with most customers being from Europe. The company plans to build some 20,000 examples of the small EV before the end of next year.
At the time, it’s unknown whether or not the LSEV will make it to the U.S.
https://youtu.be/M-X-rN2yXfs