3-D Printed Cars: Would You Drive One?

Fire up your computer, pull up some plans, hit “Print” and you’ve got a car?  For Phoenix-based Local Motors, it’s almost that simple!  The Strati is the company’s newest vehicle, completely created using a 3-D printer, except for just a couple of items, including headlights and the environmentally-friendly electric motor.

Using a crowd-sourced design, the company applied a brand-new manufacturing process to create the Strati in just 44 hours.  Local Motors adapted “direct digital manufacturing” to create its new two-seater electric vehicle, which is made from the same materials used to make Legos.

It’s a pretty simple vehicle too.  Whereas traditional vehicles have around 20,000 parts, the Strati has just 40 parts.  All this adds up to a vehicle that can travel up to 40 mph, and weights a svelte 1,500 pounds, about half the weight of a traditional vehicle.

Like all new vehicle manufacturers, Local Motors is excited about its chances of changing the automobile industry in big ways.  But it sure has gained a lot of attention, and it’s poised to gain even more when the Strati goes on sale in late 2014 for between $18,000-$30,000.

More information at:

http://news.yahoo.com/3d-printed-car-140141613.html