Check out the world's first 3D-printed supercar

Welcome the new wave of auto manufacturing - 3D printing.

Blade, the 3D-printed, green supercar. (Image via Divergent Microfactories)

Car manufacturing platform Divergent Microfactories has just released the first of its kind 3D- printed supercar called Blade. Blade is being called one of the greenest and most powerful vehicles in the world. The 1,400lb vehicle is equipped with a 700-horsepower bi-fuel engine that can use either compressed natural gas or gasoline, Blade goes from 0 to 60 mph in about two seconds.

By using 3D printing to manufacture vehicles, pollution, as well as materials and capital costs associated with building automobiles and other large complex structures can be dramatically reduced.

“Society has made great strides in its awareness and adoption of cleaner and greener cars. The problem is that while these cars do now exist, the actual manufacturing of them is anything but environmentally friendly,” said Kevin Czinger, Founder & CEO, Divergent Microfactories.

How they did it

The technology behind creating a green 3D-printed vehicle revolves around the company’s solution called a Node which is basically a 3D-printed aluminum joint that connects pieces of carbon fibre tubing to make up the car’s chassis. The Node saves time and space by cutting down on the actual amount of 3D printing required to build the chassis and can be assembled in just minutes.

This method even results in a lighter chassis - up to 90% lighter than traditional cars. Don’t let its weight fool you though, it’s still much stronger and more durable which results in better fuel economy and less wear on roads.

Divergent Microfactories plans to sell a limited number of high-performance vehicles that will be manufactured in its own microfactories.