First Mass-Producible 3D-Printed Electric Car in the World Costs Just $7,500

The world needs to “go green” — and quickly. There’s just one issue and that is, the majority of eco-friendly alternatives (from almond milk lattes to electric vehicles) are expensive. As a result, they are inaccessible to most citizens. With the development of the world’s first mass-producible, 3D-printed electric car, this will hopefully change.

Credit: Polymaker

The tiny LSEV was developed by the Italy-based electric car company XEV and 3D printing material company Polymaker. The eco-friendly vehicle made its debut at a recent press conference held at the 3D-Printing Cultural Museum in Shanghai.

Credit: Polymaker

Said Co-founder and CEO of Polymaker, Dr. Luo Xiofan:

“XEV is the first real mass production project using 3D printing. By saying real, I mean there are also lots of other companies using 3D printing for production. But nothing can really compare with XEV in terms of the size, the scale, and the intensity.”

Credit: Polymaker

According to CNBC, the car costs $7,500 and weighs just 992 pounds. Furthermore, it can be printed in a matter of just three days. In no way is it a performance vehicle; its top speed is about 43 miles per hour. However, it has a range of 93 miles on a single charge. For these reasons, the LSEV would prove most useful in an urban setting.

According to Polymaker, 3D printing substantially reduced the cost of the vehicle. As Inhabitat reports, the company shrunk the number of plastic parts and components from 2,000 to 57. This made the car a lot lighter than a standard, compact vehicle. Everything except for the chassis, seats, and glass were 3D printed.

Credit: Polymaker

Production of the LSEV will begin in the second quarter of 2019. According to XEV, over 7,000 orders for the car have already been placed. Polymaker believes its collaboration with XEV will lead to a revolutionary change in the auto industry.

“It is possible that similar changes, related with 3D printing technology, will happen to every aspect of manufacturing very soon,” says the company.

https://youtu.be/M-X-rN2yXfs

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h/t Polymaker