Well what do you know; IT WORKED!
So, here’s some backstory: if you were to get about six days to take care of a few tasks, you could probably get quite a bit of work done by yourself, but do you think you could you build an ENTIRE car from scratch AND take it for a test drive? Maybe. Likely not. However, the crew over at Local Motors were pretty confident that their 3D-printed car — yes, you read that right — could be rolled out of Chicago’s McCormick Place and go for a spin this past Sunday. The actual 3D printing process began a while back as the challenge was implemented at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago, and the team is using a carbon-reinforced plastic and a Big Area Additive Manufacturing printer.
Now I know: “HEY PRACTITIONERD/MONTEZ, YOU CAN’T 3D PRINT EVERYTHING ON A CAR! BLAH-BLAH-BLAH!! #RAGE!!” Relax; I’m know that, and they assumption that you could would be absolutely insane. The Strati (the car) will still needs a battery, engine, wiring and suspension, which will be sourced from a handful of suppliers instead of being manufactured onsite. Should everything goes according to plan (whether by the last test run and/or future tests), Local Motors hopes to offer “production-level” 3D printed vehicles in the coming months.
Sure, it’s no Aston Martin, but then again, what is? If it drives, it drives.