Street-ready 3D printed cars are coming and here's what they could look like
Self-driving cars haven't hit the streets in masses yet, but 3D printed cars may be on the road soon.
The Arizona-based company Local Motors recently revealed designs for what its first consumer-ready 3D printed electric car might look like, and said that it aims to begin selling its first street model as soon as next year.
With 3D printing, consumers "will be able to customize our cars in ways that are not available today from any other manufacturer," a company spokesperson told Business Insider. Specifically, 3D printing allows for customizing various aspects of the car, like its color and trim.
The first model of Local Motors' 3D-printed vehicle will sell for anywhere between $18,000 to $30,000 for a low-speed neighborhood car, the spokesperson said.
To come up with the ideal consumer model, the company hosted a design competition and enlisted industry experts as judges, as well as car enthusiast and former host of "The Tonight Show" Jay Leno.
On Tuesday, Kevin Lo, an engineer living in Vancouver, Washington, was announced the winner.
Lo's design is called the "Reload Redacted Swim/Sport." It's a modular car that allows for customized, interchangeable body panels.
The side panels of the car are the same, no matter what you make, but the front and back panels can be changed making the car look completely different.
Lo's design will "act as the foundation" for the road-ready 3D-printed vehicles, according to a company statement.
Last year at the International Manufacturing Technology Show, Local Motors showed off the world's first 3D-printed car using a massive 3D printer. The car, called the Strati, consists of a small body and uses an electric engine. But that car isn't a consumer model; the car it plans to start selling next year would be.