Local Motors Aims To Produce 3D-Printed Car In 2016

Wow, Local Motors sure is busy this year. This unusual auto manufacturer specializes in collaborative open source design, microfactories, and 3D printing, and we took note when the company kicked off 2015 by hooking up with the US Energy Department for a new lightweight design challenge. What we didn’t note was this other challenge launched by Local Motors, which could put you behind the wheel of a fully customized 3D printed car some time next year.

3D Printing

The latest challenge comes under the heading Project, which Local Motors playfully introduced with a video that would put the most insistent Jade Helm conspiracy theorist to shame (seriously, ice cream truck morgues?).

The challenge was to design “the next generation of 3D-printed cars,” and qualifying entries had to demonstrate that the design could result in the world’s first road-ready 3D printed car, which Local Motors really does plan to put into production in 2016.

The idea is to roll out a low-speed version at the beginning of the year, and follow it up with a “fully homologated highway-ready” model before 2017 (homologated is fancy-speak for a vehicle approved for a particular use).

The winning entry was announced last week, and it’s a twofer that demonstrates the high degree of customization enabled by 3D printing. Kevin Lo, a long-time Local Motors collaborator known as Reload, won for a duo of designs called Reload Swim and Reload Sport.

Reload Swim is a 2+2 buggy that recalls Pimp My Ride with a beach party–ready sound system:

Reload Sport, shown at the top of this article, features a more sleek, look-at-me-I’m-aggressive approach to style.

The secret sauce is a hull-based foundation that forms a “skateboard” upon which other elements are added:

Did we mention that the new 3D printed car will be an electric vehicle? It will be, and the placement of the batteries was done to maximize the compatibility of the design with 3D printing. You can get more details about the construction from the Local Motors slideshow, or check out the company’s somewhat bombastically produced (on purpose, we’re guessing) video: