One idea that 3-d printing is being used for is the 3-d printed car. The Urbee 2 is a car, which is being mad entirely out of a 3-d printer. The car is very light from the materials that it uses from the printer, which is called ABS plastics. This means it will have a very efficient gas mileage, hence a positive impact on the environment. The prototype of this car so far only weighs about 1200 pounds. The car is produced with the concept “lights of construction”. This is the idea he just uploads the parts to the printer and leave as it is produced. It takes about 2500 hours to make an entire car. Safety is also considered for the car, which can use this light material to make just as qualified parts. As well, the car will have a metal cage around the driver, similar to a NASCAR, and putting added shock absorbers to help with any sort of impact. The plastic can give each part a specific thickness and shape at each spot, keeping the durability. At the same time it is also light, which makes it more efficient. As a result of all this, the car is very aerodynamic, only having .15 coefficient of drag while driving. For the engine, it is going to be made from metal instead of plastic. However, it will be made with a hybrid engine, which plans on using an electric engine while the car is going between 0-40mph, and changing to a diesel engine on faster speeds. One concern is that many of the parts are one big piece. This means if a part breaks, you will have to replace the whole giant part, which would be expensive. The car overall will cost about 50,000 dollars. However, it will not be available to the public for a while.
George, Alexander. “3-D Printed Car Is as Strong as Steel, Half the Weight, and Nearing Production.” Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 25 Feb. 0013. Web. 23 May 2013.
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