Company Says 3-D Printing Could 'Change the Way' Cars Are Made

If you're someone who likes cars, you're going to love this.

Phoenix-based automaker Local Motors built a car made up of 3-D-printed parts — 49 parts to be exact. The company said it's the first car in the world to be built entirely of 3-D-printed parts and what's more, it runs on electricity.

Cincinnati Inc., an Ohio-based machine manufacturer, supplied the 3-D printer at the International Manufacturing Technology show in Chicago in September, where the car was built in 44 hours.

Watch this fascinating time-lapse video to see how it all came together:

Local Motors hopes to begin selling the vehicle for $17,100, Slash Gear reported. While that might seem like a lot for a car made up of nothing more than plastic and carbon fiber, the company's website claims it's leading the way into a new era.

"The 3-D-printed car is going to change the way car manufacturers create vehicles. By cutting down the time and cost to build cars, Local Motors has shown the automotive world that things need to change," the website reads.

But don't expect to see these cars on the roads until at least next year. That's because current U.S. regulations don't allow states to register them.

In the meantime, you can check out these photos from the IMT show in Chicago:

Image source: LocalMotors.com

Image source: LocalMotors.com

Image source: LocalMotors.com

(H/T: Slash Gear)

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