Local Motors is looking to enter the automobile industry next year with the launch of the first 3D printed car in the world.
The startup company, based in Arizona, is looking to manufacture two models of the ReLoad Redacted car, namely the ReLoad Swim and ReLoad Sport. The design for the vehicle was a submission by engineer Kevin Lo, with the car featuring customizable and interchangeable parts that could be switched around to conform to the needs and tastes of customers.
Set to launch in the first quarter of next year, the vehicle will be a so-called neighborhood electric car, and will have a price tag of $18,000 to $30,000. Local Motors will then release a full-speed car sometime after.
"At Local Motors, we are hell-bent on revolutionizing manufacturing," said Local Motors co-founder and CEO John Rogers Jr., adding that traditional car manufacturing companies have been doing the same processes for over 100 years.
According to Rogers, technology is now available that will link the online and offline process of manufacturing cars through Direct Digital Manufacturing, which will create safer and better products.
3D printing processes use lasers to form materials, including powered titanium and epoxy resins, into other objects. The construction is one pixel at a time, and as such is slower compared to traditional manufacturing processes. However, 3D printing allows for almost limitless customizing capabilities.
Local Motors is looking to put up compact facilities that will only cost a fraction of what automobile manufacturing factories cost, and will also take up much less space.
The startup is also working with Oak Ridge National Laboratory for research on 3D printing, which is also known as stereo lithography. According to Local Motors, it has also forged connections with an expansive network of both amateur and professional pioneers of 3D printing for further development of the technology.
Using 3D printing technology to manufacture cars costs much less and is simpler compared to a full-blown assembly line. However, it is much slower, as it takes days to print a car. If Local Motors would like to go large-scale, it would need hundreds or maybe even thousands of 3D printers to simultaneously manufacture vehicles. However, this can be aided by ongoing research that could speed up 3D printers by 500 times.
The two initial models for Local Motors, the Reload Swim and Reload Sport, will be followed with Local Motors releasing a 3D printed vehicle next year that will meet the safety standards set by federal agencies.
