Now what? Cheap, 3D-printed electric car

OK, so it’s only a two-seater and can barely top 40 mph. But there’s room for groceries and it carries a price tag of only $7,500. And, according to the manufacturer, making one will take only three days.

The LSEV, as it’s called, is a child of the union of XEV, a Chinese car maker, and Polymaker, a young company specializing in 3D printing materials. The team has cut the number of parts needed to be printed for its carbon-fiber car to just 57, instead of the usual 2,000-plus for a conventional vehicle. The parts are then attached to a metal frame, which along with seats and window glass are conventional, not printed.

The LSEV’s scrawny 992 pounds will give the vehicle a range of more than 90 miles per electric charge. Although deliveries aren’t scheduled until April 2019, the company has already received more than 7,000 orders for the car, mostly from Europe.

TRENDPOST: Cheap electric runabouts such as the LSEV and Toyota’s three-wheel i-Road encourage the design of new urban spaces and linked communities, where mobility becomes possible for millions of people who otherwise can’t afford conventional cars.