In the early 20th century Henry Ford revolutionized automobile production with the introduction of the assembly line for the iconic Ford Model T.
Now, almost a century later, a car has been produced using a process that could prove just as revolutionary – 3D printing. Code-named, Urbee, the streamlined vehicle is the first ever to have its entire body, including its glass panel prototypes, 3D printed with an additive manufacturing process.
Designed from the ground up with environmentally sustainable principles in mind, Urbee offers some pretty impressive fuel efficiency numbers. The electric/liquid fuel vehicle uses both electric and gas motors in a series/parallel hybrid setup that allows it to achieve more than 200 mpg (1.2L/100km)on the highway and 100 mpg (2.3L/100km) in city driving with either gasoline or ethanol. For combined city and highway use, the Urbee gets about 150 mpg (1.6L/100km) and costs just two cents per mile. It can be charged overnight from a standard home electrical outlet.