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This company is promising a 3D-printed car for under $10,000
Car manufacturer XEV says it expects the two-seater to be available by 2019
This article originally appeared on ABACUS
3D printing has been used for sunglasses, furniture and even a surfboard. But now one company says they’re using 3D printing to create an electric car -- and they want them on the road by the second quarter of 2019.
The South China Morning Post reports that nearly all of the visible parts of the two-seater LSEV car are 3D-printed -- except for the windows, tyres and chassis.
The car is made of a type of polymer plastic which is used for things that need both strength and flexibility. Common uses include prosthetics and medical equipment.
The company claims its production techniques makes the car cheaper, quicker to assemble and more fuel efficient, but it remains to be seen how people will feel about driving around in what is essentially a plastic car.
The company says the vehicle is the world’s first mass-produced 3D-printed electric vehicle. But the technology -- also known as digital manufacturing -- has actually been used by Ford to make car parts since the 1980s.
XEV says it expects to sell the vehicle for US$9,500. But that comes at a different sort of cost: It has a maximum speed of 45 miles per hour and has a range of just 93 miles.
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