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Local Motors' 3D-printed car meets the Detroit Auto Show
Local Motors already pulled off its "3D print a car on the tradeshow floor" stunt once, so of course it's doing it again at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, MI. This time however, the Strati that it's building is production-ready (a mid-model refresh, it says), as Local Motors plans to launch two new micro-factories. One is set for Tennessee and the other will be in Washington DC, apparently ready to deliver vehicles later this year. If you're not familiar with the process, Local Motors prints just about everything it can, including the frame, exterior and some interior features, before plugging in the wiring, suspension, motor etc. that are sourced from the Renault Twizy. The company still isn't ready to talk price, but it wants to shorten the production process from its current 44-hour length to just about 24 hours.
Someone's trying to 3D print (most of) a car in six days
You can probably get quite a bit done by yourself in six days time, but could you build an entire car from scratch and take it for a test drive? Probably not. The folks at Local Motors are pretty confident that their 3D-printed car can roll out of Chicago's McCormick Place and go for a spin this Sunday, though. Printing started a few days ago at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in The Windy City, using carbon-reinforced plastic and a Big Area Additive Manufacturing printer, according to 3DPrint. Not everything on the car can be 3D printed mind you, that'd just be crazy. The Strati still needs a battery, engine, wiring and suspension, which, as IGN notes, will be sourced from a handful of suppliers rather than being manufactured onsite. If all goes according to plan, Local Motors hopes to offer "production-level" 3D printed vehicles in the coming months. It isn't an Aston Martin, to be sure, but aside from a DB4, what is?
