World's First 3D Printed Car - See the Urbee Prototype

Have you ever imagined that people might someday be driving 3D printed cars? Have you seen objects created by 3D printers? If you aren't yet familiar with this new technology, have a look at Kor Ecologic's 3D printed car and prepare to be amazed.

An engineering group called Kor Ecologic is showing off its 3D printed car at the 2010 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. The innards of the car called Urbee were demonstrated at the 2010 Progressive Automotive X Prize Competition and this plug-in electric hybrid, which can also run on gas or ethanol, can get 200 miles to the gallon on the highway or 100 miles to the gallon in the city. In a press release, Jim Kor, president and chief technology officer of Kor Ecologic, stated, "Urbee is the only practical car we're aware of that can run solely on renewable energy." It is the outside of the Urbee that is really fascinating. In the video below you will see the prototype. Every part of the body, including the glass panels, was made using Dimension 3D printers from a Minneapolis company named Stratasys.

3D printing is an additive manufacturing process that creates 3 dimensional objects by reproducing a design in layers using additives like plastic and metal. The last video below will not show you how the Urbee was made, but will show you how 3D objects are created using a 3D printer that is small enough for the desktop. While the price of a 3D printer might not be in your budget now, it's possible that we will see affordable versions in the future and they just might become commonplace. Imagine the possibilities. Doesn't this look like fun?