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Strati is the world’s first 3D printed electric car

• Egon Kilin
• September 15th, 2014

The world’s first 3D printed electric car, called Strati, was taken for a test drive last week at the McCormick Place in Chicago as part of the International Manufacturing Technology Show. The 3D printed electric car was manufactured by Cincinnati Incorporated with the help of Jay Rogers from Local Motors made entirely out of carbon fiber plastic.

The 3D printed electric car was first discussed only six months ago, when the concept of 3D printing a car was brought up by Jay Rogers. The engineering process of the Strati consisted of creating the body of the car via a 3D printer and adding the parts that cannot be printed, like the engine, windshield and lights.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daioWlkH7ZI

With the collaboration of the Oakridge National Laboratory, the concept of a 3D printed electric car might become widespread by 2015, with Cincinnati Incorporated aiming to bring these electric cars to as many users as possible. With 3D printing, the customization level of the electric car can be endless, with customers having the opportunity to recycle the 3D printed car parts and re-make their cars to fit their needs.

The Strati 3D printed electric car was printed at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in front of hundreds of curious people. The whole process took 44 long hours, but the electric car came out looking great. The Strati will be be able to reach 40 mph and will run for about 180 miles on a single charge. Since it is an electric car, it will cater to many people wanting to not only protect the environment, but save some money for themselves.

The Strati electric car will cost between $18000 and $30000, but since most of its parts will be reusable and recyclable, the cost of the initial car will be compensated with prolonged use. The advantage of the 3D printed electric car is that you can re-print it to fit your needs, for example if your family becomes more numerous, you may select a larger, more spacious design, or if you plan to use it on rough terrain, you can tweak the original model to support the ruggedness.

Jay Rogers believes that the 3D printed electric car will start being manufactured in 2015 by Local Motors and will be approved for driving on city streets. Highway use has not been approved yet, but the manufacturer is confident that it won’t take too long to get the approval. With electric car charging stations coming our way soon, the 3D printed electric car, called Layers (Strati is Italian for layers), will surely be a worthwhile investment.