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[Wired] 3-D Printed Car Is as Strong as Steel, Half the Weight, and Nearing Production

9K views 100 replies 63 participants last post by  DaveLT 
#1 ·
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Urbee's approach to maximum miles per gallon starts with lightweight construction - something that 3-D printing is particularly well suited for. The designers were able to focus more on the optimal automobile physics, rather than working to install a hyper efficient motor in a heavy steel-body automobile. As the Urbee shows, making a car with this technology has a slew of beneficial side effects.
Awesome!
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#2 ·
I'll be honest, it looks rubbish.
 
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#5 ·
Since when have Eco cars looked good?
They're talking about trying for 290mpg on ethanol here! Epic

As long as 3D printing can be sped up this could be an awesome alternative for vehicles.
Well except for the fact that all the plastic used in production of the car is probably worse for the environment than the metal counterpart.
 
#6 ·
"The whole car - which is about 10 feet long - takes about 2,500 hours."

A plastic mold like this wouldn't be expensive to commercially produce. It's made of 50 plastic pieces, so it's not any less complicated than a traditionally fabbed shell would be either. The electronics and mechanical components of the car will still have to be done with traditional methods, and of course this is where the real cost comes from. Simply put, even if the plastic shell was free it wouldn't be that much cheaper to produce a tiny "car" like this.

"it's more motorcycle than passenger car."

Indeed it is.
 
#7 ·
104 days to make one car...wow.

Why use a heavier diesel over a small turbocharged gas engine? That seems counterproductive.

The other thing that comes to mind is how plastic shatters instead of stretching to the point of tearing, especially in colder weather. That should make for some interesting NHSTA testing.

And the whole registering it as a motorcycle is limiting their market even further.

Neat novelty item though.
 
#8 ·
Yes, as strong as steel and half as heavy.

As strong and half as heavy as an already way outdated material, yay!
 
#10 ·
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Originally Posted by guiJY View Post

"You wouldn't download a car..."
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I would if I could.
Hell yes I would
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While 3D printing is still slow and expensive not to mention very limited in materials it is the future. Perhaps it will take 50 year or a 100 but there will be a day when you can 3D print almost anything. It will be a god send to people in the restoration business. Need a 66' hemi intake manifold. Just print the damn thing at your local printing shop
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#13 ·
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Originally Posted by ilhe4e12345 View Post

garbage
Please elaborate on your incredibly vague comment. This is not garbage at all. While it may not be practical at the moment the technology is still very young relatively and it has already come a LONG way. Given another 10-20 years this technology could have improve to the point where this is actually viable.

This is more of a "proof of concept" where they are saying, "hey we can do this, now we just need to make the process faster and more efficient."

Looking forward to more improvements in 3D printing!
 
#17 ·
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Originally Posted by Raven.7 View Post

Jeremy Clarkson would embarrass this vehicle.
The Clarkson P45 is much better.
 
#19 ·
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Originally Posted by Trogdor View Post

104 days to make one car...wow.

Why use a heavier diesel over a small turbocharged gas engine? That seems counterproductive.

The other thing that comes to mind is how plastic shatters instead of stretching to the point of tearing, especially in colder weather. That should make for some interesting NHSTA testing.

And the whole registering it as a motorcycle is limiting their market even further.

Neat novelty item though.
What about the small turbo charged diesels that aren't heavy.
 
#20 ·
How would this be legal if your not allowed to use Carbon Fiber? I though Carbon Fiber was significant stronger than this and very light as well.

Also, its so impractical... And imagine getting into a head on collision with an SUV. Insta death for the guy in this little thing... a nice jump for the SUV? lol

I dunno... seems more like a project where "we did it cause we can!" Perhaps, like a lot of impractical ideas, parts of the idea can be used to improve practical designs. So I guess at least its a "fresh" idea and innovating to a degree. Which we need more of.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuell View Post

How would this be legal if your not allowed to use Carbon Fiber? I though Carbon Fiber was significant stronger than this and very light as well.

Also, its so impractical... And imagine getting into a head on collision with an SUV. Insta death for the guy in this little thing... a nice jump for the SUV? lol

I dunno... seems more like a project where "we did it cause we can!" Perhaps, like a lot of impractical ideas, parts of the idea can be used to improve practical designs. So I guess at least its a "fresh" idea and innovating to a degree. Which we need more of.
Since when has carbon fiber been illegal?? There are road legal sports car like ferraris and zonda's for example are made form carbon fiber. The corvette has been using a fiberglass body for almost a century. It does not mater what the car is made of be it, steel, aluminium, plastic, or indeed carbon fiber. What maters is that the car clears minim safety standards of the country its been sold in.

Also due to its size and weight in the eyes of the laws this "car" will be treated as a motorcycle or a ATV meaning it doesn't need to follow the same laws and regulations as a full sized car.
 
#23 ·
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Originally Posted by Bit_reaper View Post

Since when has carbon fiber been illegal?? There are road legal sports car like ferraris and zonda's for example are made form carbon fiber. The corvette has been using a fiberglass body for almost a century. It does not mater what the car is made of be it, steel, aluminium, plastic, or indeed carbon fiber. What maters is that the car clears minim safety standards of the country its been sold in.

Also due to its size and weight in the eyes of the laws this "car" will be treated as a motorcycle or a ATV meaning it doesn't need to follow the same laws and regulations as a full sized car.
Yep, it will be a legal death trap, just like the smart-car.
 
#24 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by GermanyChris View Post

What about the small turbo charged diesels that aren't heavy.
Diesel engines are typically iron blocks, so they're heavier. Diesels are also more expensive than gasoline engines. Also, in my area diesel fuel is more expensive.

All in all using diesel is more expensive when considering how long the average person keeps their vehicle.
 
#25 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trogdor View Post

Diesel engines are typically iron blocks, so they're heavier. Diesels are also more expensive than gasoline engines. Also, in my area diesel fuel is more expensive.

All in all using diesel is more expensive when considering how long the average person keeps their vehicle.
this car is made in Europe home of the small turbo diesel..1100, 1200 CC

VW Polo 1.2 TDI Blue motion 75PS so 79BHP 81MPG..probably add 8-10MPG for weight and aero dynamics
 
#26 ·
Interesting concept.

I find the scoffing here sad.

This will probably be the future of automotive design for smaller vehicles used in an urban environment.

3D plastic molding is becoming cheaper by the month and something like this should be common place within 5-7 years at the current pace of development for a price of a few $K.

If designed correctly by a competent engineer, thermally molded plastic is stronger then most metals, more resistant to damage, fatigue and cracking.
 
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