Local Motors to begin pre-sales of 3D-printed car this year

The latest design for this iteration was born out of a design competition that Local Motors hosted. It was chosen by community votes and a judging panel that included former Tonight Show host Jay Leno and SEMA Vice President of Vehicle Technology, John Wareniak. That competition was hosted on Local Motors' co-creation platform, Open IO, with the goal of identifying designs for the next generation of 3D-printed cars.

"In the past few months, our engineers have moved from only a rendering to the car displayed at SEMA," said Local Motors CEO Jay Rogers. "We are using the power of DDM (direct digital manufacturing) to create new vehicles at a pace unparalleled in the auto industry, and we're thrilled to begin taking orders on 3D-printed cars in 2016."

Software developed by Siemens, including Solid Edge, allowed the Local Motors product development team to move quickly from concept to car with the simplicity of direct modeling and the flexibility of synchronous technology. SABIC, a global producer of thermoplastics, provided the materials used to build the body of LM3D Swim.

Cutting-edge technology will be integrated into all models in the LM3D series. Local Motors recently partnered with IBM to create interactions between the micro-factory, 3D-printed vehicles, their drivers and the outside environment in ways never achieved before, said Local Motors' information. These technologies will result in increased safety and efficiency in traffic. Local Motors plans to utilize partners like IBM as well as other leading technology companies to develop and launch a series of apps and vehicle products to connect, monitor and optimize the driving experience.

Local Motors plans to release several new models in the LM3D series throughout 2016, while pursuing federal crash testing and highway certifications. While pre-sales of the cars are expected to begin in the spring of 2016 with a targeted MSRP of $53,000, manufacturing and delivery of the vehicles is slated for early 2017. All cars in the LM3D series will be built at a new Local Motors micro-factory now under construction in Knoxville, TN.