A half-Chinese, half-Italian product. It is the LSEVthe first car manufactured with 3D printers, produced by the Chinese Polymaker but with design by the Italian X Electrical Vehicle, start-up company based in Turin. After prostheses, weapons, houses and furniture, the automotive world is also approaching this new production methodology.
In fact, the automotive industry had already used 3D printing for spare parts, but had never gone so far as to produce an entire car.
La Volkswagen exploited this methodology to produce parts that are difficult to find on the market, Toyota reproduced its engines to scale, Ford will use it to create lightweight components, and the Opel for the production of the logos of the new Adam e Adam Rocks.
This methodology promises to revolutionise this sector, as it can lower costs and considerably shorten production times. Consequently, the prices of the products themselves will also be lower.
La LSEV (Low Speed Electric Vehicle) is the first electric microcar made with a 3D printer. A project developed in just over a year for this small, ecological and economical car. 2.5 metres long, 1.3 metres wide and weighing 450 kilograms, it can travel at 80 km/h with a range of 150 km. The vehicle is made of plastic materials composed of polyamides (macromolecules resistant to shocks and solvents). Each part was produced in 3D printingexcept the more complex ones such as chassis, windscreen, windows, seats and tyres made by traditional methods. This system made it possible to reduce plastic components from the 2,000 parts of a common car to 57, with a 90% reduction in development time and a 70% reduction in investment.
According to the manufacturer, the time needed to print and assemble the various parts is around three days with a selling price of around EUR 8,500. Seven thousand orders have reportedly already arrived from Europe, with production planned for 2019.
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