3D-printed electric-car made, to be available for Rs. 6 lakh
Italy-based X Electrical Vehicle (XEV) is mass producing the first 3D-printed car in the world. The company said that it will be able to start selling these electric cars in China by 2019 for less than $10,000 (around Rs. 6 lakh). 3D printing shortens the development time and offers tailor-made products to customers. The company claims it takes only 3 days to manufacture one such car.
The 3D-printed car will cost less than $10,000
The 3D-printed car is expected to cost $9,478 (or Rs. 6.5 lakh). It will be a two-seater vehicle with a maximum speed of 70 kmph and a range of 150 km, according to Guo Xiaozheng, a senior designer at the firm. The car, just weighing 450 kilograms, is expected to hit the streets of China by the second quarter of 2019.
7,000 orders for the 3D printed car already received
"China is the biggest market for our cars. Talks with several mainland industrial zones to set up production lines are now at a late stage," Guo said. XEV claims that it has already received 7,000 orders from different organizations including postal service providers in China.
The car is currently at Shanghai's China 3D-printing Culture Museum
All the visible parts of the car are almost entirely 3D-printed except for the windows, tires, and chassis. 3D printing essentially solidifies materials under computer control to create three-dimensional objects. The prototype is primarily made of a material called polyamide, commonly known as nylon. The car is currently on display at Shanghai's China 3D-printing Culture Museum. However, the company has not spoken about its availability in the other markets, including India.
A single production line can produce 500 3D-printed cars annually
"Production costs can be slashed further as volume increases and by 2024, the total costs for our cars will be cut by half," Guo said. Notably, a single production line of the company will be able to produce 500 LSEV cars annually.
