BMW’s First Electric Vehicle: i3

BMW’s new i3 is going to make its first debut in the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.  They say the car will go for sale at the end of this year in Europe, China and the United States.  The i3 can go up to 80-99 miles on one charge.  But with the eco-modes and the available EV range extender you can go up to 136 miles.  The EV range extender include a small 2 cylinder motorcycle engine and a generator to add another 81 miles to the range.  EcoPro+ mode turns of all features that use electricity except safety systems such as ABS and ESC.  This gives the car another 25 miles of range.  Even though BMW has not come out with a price yet for this car, they have received several hundred orders in advance for the new car.  The first luxury electric vehicle has come out and its on its way and in production at the end of this year.

3D Printed Car?

The 3D printer has changed the world.  With the idea of being able to print out whatever you want, the idea is becoming appealing to many people.  They have started to make 3D printers for at home and schools all around the globe are hoping to get their hands on a couple.  But could you believe a car that was 3D printed?  Well the Urbee 2 is the first of its kind.  The Urbee 2 is a light weight 2 passenger fuel efficient car that is completely 3D printed.  If you’re wondering how they printed a car, this is how.  The material used is at first a liquid form.  The printer puts on layer after layer and when it dries it becomes a lightweight, strong and composite plastic.  The Urbee 2 was not made in thousands of different pieces, it was rather made out of 3 main core pieces.  This made it cheaper and easier to build.  You might think that because its made out of plastic that it will wear and not last long, but this car was designed to last over 30 years.  Plus with the engine it has under the hood, you wont be needing gas all that often.  It’s a one cylinder, 8 horsepower engine.  The engine is an Ethanol/Electric hybrid.  This ingenious mix gives the car a jaw-dropping 200 mpg highway.  Although the car doesn’t have much power, it makes up for it with its weight.  It weighs about 1200 pounds, half the weight of an average car or the same as two motorcycles.  Because of the light weight, the Urbee 2 still gets up to 70 mph.

The 3D printing technology has collided with fuel efficient cars and made something truly remarkable.  The makers of the vehicle are planning to have it road ready in about two years.  When it is, they plan to drive it from San Francisco to New York on just ten gallons of Ethanol.  I think this car has potential.  What about you?