Here’s something that made us sit up and take notice. An Italian company, X Electrical Vehicle, claims to have the formula down for mass producing a low-speed, electric car that is, and we’re not even kidding here, 3D-printed.

Yes. 3D PRINTED. And what’s even better, it’s targeted to hit the streets by 2019!
 

The electric car, also known as LSEV, will be mass produced in China, and is expected to go on sale for about 60,000 yuan (RM 37,100.60), with a maximum speed of 70km/h and a driving range of about 150km per charge. The two-seater weighs just 450 kilograms, half of a conventional vehicle. Nearly all its visible parts are 3D-printed except for its windows, tyres and chassis. Because of this, research and development time can be shortened and tailor-made products can also be offered to customers as well.

“China is the biggest market for our cars,” Guo Xiaozheng, a senior designer at the firm said, “Talks with several mainland industrial zones to set up production lines are now at a late stage.”

He added that Beijing plans to introduce new rules governing low-speed electric vehicles by the second half of this year, after which it is likely to begin distributing manufacturing licences for such cars.

“We will target both the business and customer markets,” Guo said. “Production costs can be slashed further as volume increases and by 2024, the total costs for our cars will be cut by half.”

A single production line – complete with 3D printers and assembly facilities – will be able to handle the building of 500 cars annually.

“We can have several production lines at one industrial base,” he said. “They are easy to set up and are not expensive.”

The company claims it is the world’s first mass-produced 3D-printed electric vehicle, and that it has received 7,000 orders from companies including postal service providers.

A prototype of the car, the LSEV, is currently on display at Shanghai’s China 3D-printing Culture Museum, before being exhibited at Auto China 2018 in Beijing next month.

“We are bullish on XEV because it turns 3D printing into real productivity,” said Zhu Li, director of China 3D-printing Culture Museum. “The car has made people believe 3D printing is smart manufacturing technology that will eventually affect their everyday lives.”

What do you think about this 3D printed car? Would you like to take it out for a whirl? Leave a comment below!