A year ago, the German company BigRep showed a prototype of an electric motorcycle assembled from parts printed on a 3D printer. Now, by the same principle, engineers have created a potentially unmanned electric vehicle.
The design of the electric sports car Loci was developed by NowLab, they came up with a convenient means of transportation for short distances – if necessary, for example, quickly get to the airport or from one campus building to another. Loci can also be used to deliver packages. The baby’s dimensions are 85 × 146 × 285 cm, and it consists of 14 unique parts printed on three models of 3D printers, New Atlas says.
One type of material developed and patented by BigRep was used to print the case, the other for bumpers. Beams and joints are made of nylon 6, and tires are made of thermoplastic polyurethane.
The company does not disclose the characteristics of the power plant and the unmanned control system, but it does mention a touch media center, an audio system, wireless charging of smartphones and LEDs.
Loci prototype was released in three versions. The Berlin model is a single-seat car for campuses with airless tires and integrated NFC chips. The San Francisco model with a narrow body and two passenger seats is designed for short trips around the city, and the Dubai model is a luxury taxi for airports. This option has solar panels, a luggage compartment and special tires that are not afraid of sand.
According to representatives of BigRep, the flexibility of additive printing technology allows to produce models in a limited edition and quickly. Any model can be modified for the specific needs of the customer.
In May of this year, California-based startup Divergent Microfactories introduced the first hypercar, partially printed on a 3D printer. Thanks to the use of new technology, the body weight of the car was reduced by 90%.
