3D car printed in front of customers at Detroit Motor Show

Detroit Motor Show came with a premiere this year: the first car to be printed right in front of the customers. Arizona-based start-up Local Motors brought this invention to the show and people could also ride the car.

The Strati, as it’s called, is a two-seated that can go up to 40 kilometers per hour and is meant for short, urban trips. It can be manufactured in just over a day. Jay Rogers, CEO of Local Motors, the car’s manufacturer said that he hopes to be able to build this vehicle closer to 24 hours, by the end of the year.


The car’s frame and panels are printed out of carbon fibre-infused plastic, on a machine that could fit in a single-car garage. Made up of more than 200 layers, it weighs some 800 kilos – that’s more than half the weight of an average car in the US.

The car's expectancy is to be at least half a decade. Jay Rogers explains that "if you left it outside in the harshest of elements, you’d have probably five to six years of use. If you garage it and you use it like you would use a normal car, then it will last for much longer".

Also, the car is recyclable. "If it gets cracked or hurt or other things like that, you can take the components off that are not recyclable and recycle the material, get a credit for the cost of the material, and have a new vehicle,” said Jay Rogers.

The Strati will be available this year at a cost of between 15.000 and 25.000 euros.