The 3D Printed Car Is Upon Us

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

3D printing is all the rage, and it caused a huge uproar when people started making guns with 3D printers. It was just a matter of time for really lethal stuff to be 3D-printed in your nerd-neighbor’s basement: A car.

Wired has the story of Jim Korr and his Urbee, a car (well, a three-wheeler) that is made while a “printer sprays molten polymer to build the chassis layer by microscopic layer until it arrives at the complete object.”

That process takes, oh, about 2,500 hours. That’s close to a year in man days, not a good cycle-time by automotive standards. In case you worry about the rigidity of printed ABS plastic: The engine and base chassis will be metal. The engine will have 10 bhp. Cost: Estimated at $50,000, could be more.

Call me when it’s ready. In the meantime , I will research the possibility of life-sized 3D printed girlfriends..

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • LuciferV8 LuciferV8 on Feb 28, 2013

    This is an interesting project, and I commend Mr. Korr on his efforts. That said, 1. The car is hideous. 2. Three wheeled cars are a bad idea. 3. 3d printed replacement parts for existing cars is the more likely first step.

  • Dswilly Dswilly on Feb 28, 2013

    I bet the small model in his hands cost 15k from our experience with 3D printing.

  • .5MT .5MT on Feb 28, 2013

    Love dolls, that's all I'm saying.

  • Niky Niky on Feb 28, 2013

    There are a number of ways you can print cars. One builder is using a 3D printer to make foam cross-sections that he glues together. It's pretty wild.

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