3D printing technology paves way for customized carmaking

California

Divergent Microfactories has designed a 3D-printed supercar—Blade-- as a proof of concept to spur the establishment of other microautomakers and reshape the auto industry.

Divergent Microfactories envisions microautomakers emerging similar to the way microbreweries have popped up across the U.S. It wants to "democratize the auto industry" by paving the way for dematerialized vehicles.

It's 3D-printing technologies could make auto manufacturing affordable enough that new players can gain traction in the industry and drive forward an era of built-to-taste vehicles, the company maintained.

Micro automakers will have the capacity to deliver anywhere from a handful of cars to up to 10,000 per year, according to Divergent Microfactories.

To attract attention to this potential subsector of the auto industry, Divergent Microfactories designed and 3D-printed the Blade.

The bi-fuel Blade can run on gasoline or compressed natural gas. The supercar hit 60mph from standing in just two seconds, thanks to a 700-horsepower engine and an ultralight 1,400-lb build.

The Blade is based on Divergent Microfactories' protected node technology. The company's 3D-printed nodes, made of a metal alloy, join with carbon fiber tubes to create the Blade's chassis. It's the node technology that will enable small players to fabricate cars and scale production down within their reach, Divergent Microfactories said.

Microautomakers could build their vehicles from just about any material, and the manufacturing process produces about a third of the emissions resulting from the manufacture of electric vehicles.