Local Motors 3D-Prints a Car: the Strati

Local Motors has made good on its promise to create a car using 3D printing technology. At the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, Local Motors built the futuristic-looking Strati, a car designed by Michele Anoe that was chosen from a number of user-submitted designs in a Local Motors design contest. In the time-lapse video above, you can see the chassis and body of the car being printed layer-by-layer in a giant 3D printer. The entire process took 44 hours to complete, which is, coincidentally, about the same amount of time most Americans spend negotiating the TruCoat protection for their new vehicle.

Of course, Local Motors wasn’t able to print all the components of the vehicle, with the engine and other mechanical components being added later. As of this writing, the car hasn’t yet been fully assembled and driven, but we’re anxious to see it in real world operation.

Take a look behind the scenes and what went into getting the design ready for the live 3D printing at IMTS.

I’m not quite ready to sign up for a 3D-printed car, but there’s no doubt more components may be manufactured using this process in the future.