This past week, a drivable car dubbed ‘Strati’ has been created by a 3D printer in just 44 hours at the six-day International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago. The printed car is considered a ‘neighborhood’ electric car, able to drive 100-120 miles in a single charge. However, the maximum speed is only 40 mph meaning it can be licensed without having to pass every standard safety tests.

According to Scientific American, the name comes from the Italian word for layer, a reference to the 3D printing process. It was made from thermoplastic and is fully recyclable. It should be noted that some non-printable parts, like the engine, lights and glass windshield, were added after the rest of the car was printed.

Local Motors engineer James Earle stated, “A 3D printed car like ours will only have dozens of components,” as opposed to the thousands of parts a typical car would have.

WGN, a Chicago news source, quoting Jay Rogers form Local Motors, says that the initial retail cost will start at $18,000 and go upwards of $30,000.

Much to the delight of those searching for a lower-priced car, Business Insider divulged that future 3D printed cars “could cost only about $7,000 to manufacture, perhaps the start of what will become a niche market for customized cars.

Technically, Strati is not the world’s first 3D printed car. However, with advancements made by Arizona-based automobile manufacturer Local Motors, it was completed from start to finish in days rather than months. With the help of Cincinnati Inc. and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Local Motors has made vast advancements on both the printing process and the design of the Urbee 2, which was designed by engineer Jim Kor last year.

On the amount of time it will take to completely manufacture a car, Local Motors CEO John Rogers shared, “We expect in the next couple of months to be below 24 hours and then eventually get it below 10 hours.”

To learn more visit: http://wgntv.com/2014/09/13/made-in-chicago-worlds-first-3d-printed-electric-car/

FSA Connection Questions

1. What effect does the author’s use of the quote from Business Insider in paragraph 5 have on the description of ‘Strati’?
2. Select one sentence that best summarizes the passage.
3. Why does the author mention the Urbee 2 in the sixth paragraph?
4. Select the best 2 sentences from the article that support the idea of readily available 3D printed cars in the future.
5. Why does the author include information about what the car is made of in the second paragraph?