14 DAY TRIAL // One of the downsides of 3D printing, on all levels, is that it can't really be used to make practical stuff. It's great for prototyping or for trinkets, but it's not a practical way of manufacturing. For the most part, it's true, but not entirely and, most importantly, that's changing fast.
That's just one of the preconceived ideas that the Urbee 2 project wants to disprove. It also wants to make it clear that a reliable and eco-friendly vehicle can be done with present technology and a small price.
The Urbee 2 is a hybrid vehicle that wants to break efficiency records. And, while the engine and the design play a big role in that, 3D printing was crucial in reaching this goal.
In fact, the car couldn't have been built in other ways than 3D printing, and certainly not as cheaply. For example, the various parts can be made to very exact specifications, just as thick or as thin as is needed in that exact spot.
This means that the finished part is just as rigid and strong as a traditionally manufactured one, but much lighter. The car has been many years in the making, but Jim Kor, the its creator, is close to seeing his dream become a reality. In fact, his two sons are going to embark on a cross-US trip in about two years, when the Urbee 2 is complete.
By then, the car won't just be ready for the roads, but it will be built to some very high standards; the Le Mans racing standards, Kor revealed. More recently, Kor has been showing off the design at Stratasys' Manufacturing the Future Summit event, as Popular Mechanics reports.
When finished, the car will weigh just 1,200 pounds (544 kg) and will only need a 10-horsepower engine. The small hybrid engine will be enough to power the vehicle to highway speeds. Despite that, the plan is to have the car take a San Francisco to New York trip using just 10 gallons (38l) of fuel.