This week, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, Local Motors showed off their new 3D-printed electric car called the “Strati.”
The Arizona-based car company astonished attendees by using a 3D printer to manufacture the vehicle right there at the car show. The car is made out of carbon fiber infused plastic, and can be printed in pieces in an area of about 40,000 square feet. The pieces then must be attached to other parts that can’t be printed such as the motor, battery, tires, and suspension.
Currently, the car takes about 44 hours to print, but Local Motors is hoping that they can eventually cut the production time down to one day.
Both electric cars and 3D printing are very new technologies, so this car offers just a glimpse of what will soon be possible when technological progress advances.
The Strati can only reach about 25 miles per hour, and will cost anywhere from $18,000 to $30,000, but CEO Jay Rogers says that the car still needs to undergo extensive testing before it is fully ready for the market. Although, that testing is said to be completed in the very next year
John Vibes writes for True Activist and is an author, researcher and investigative journalist who takes a special interest in the counter culture and the drug war.
