AIRBUS prints 3D electric m/c

[rodekyll]

Available now for preorder.

~70#
~35mph
~50 mile range
swappable battery
6Kw motor
~130 Nm (95pound/feet) torque

http://www.lightrider.apworks.de/#!en/dkqv3

[Muzz]

WOW!!!!!!

That really is a fantastic looking piece of equipment.

Pity about the price though. You would think that after having done all the design and programming they could do a run that could sell at a more affordable price.

[cruzziguzzi]

Interesting. Looks like a fine starting point for commuter development.



Todd.

[Triple Jim]

I read their spec as 60 km range, which is about 37 miles.  This isn't a viable electric vehicle, just a demo of printing sintered metal. 

To quote one of the guys on the triples board, "It's only expensive because it would take a week for a 1 million dollar machine to produce it.
Big whoop! Take the fancy frame away and you have a blender."

[canuguzzi]

More than viable as a city bike. What does the factory cost that produces other motorcycles?

[Triple Jim]

$50,000 for a city bike is viable?

[Groover]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9wsjroVlu8

[canuguzzi]

$50,000 for a city bike is viable?

As much as a $100,000 Tesla is for a city car. Plenty of people have very good incomes.

If one has the money why not? Seen many Ferraris taken on long trips? Some do but most are driven few miles.

There are people paying upwards of $10,000 for bicycles and then ride them around the city.

[canuguzzi]

The cost of making 3d printed things will come down and the speed at which they can be increased exponentially. It will just take a little time.

The latest Zero electric motorcycles are quite a hoot to ride and have enough range for even longer distance commuting. In bigger cities even rural areas around them charging stations are not hard to come by. While it isn't a 3d printed bike it does prove the concept of e-bikes in spades.

It's the future whether we like it or not.

[AJ Huff]

People get all excited about this kind of thing. I'd like to know about the structural integrity of a sintered frame. How's it going to hold up to cyclic loading? It's a neat idea until your frame cracks commuting to work. 3D printing is an awesome idea for prototyping. For manufacturing? I have extreme doubts, especially anything made of metal.

Cool little bike though.

-AJ