Can't wait to see what cars will be like in my lifetime

It's a great R&D exercise, but the hype there is over-the-top.

What makes being an auto manufacturer so difficult isn't the design of the car, and even them construction of a few wild prototypes. It's the supply chain and the dealer network and keeping parts available for 10 years and passing the safety and emissions regulations (also for 10 years) and all the rest. It's a huge industrial enterprise.

How is a bespoke design going to pass the NHTSA crash tests? What happens when your bespoke car has a fender-bender - how are they going to fix it for a reasonable cost?

Etc.

AFAIK, nobody has any crash data on 3D printed structural members. It's still a technology in its infancy. But it is coming for niche applications.

https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/3d-printed-shelby-cobra

My $0.02.

Cheers,
Scott.

Post #425,206 by drook 8/22/18 12:26:42 PM 8/22/18 12:26:42 PM Reply	Can't wait to see what cars will be like in my lifetime http://hackrod.com/ -- Drew
Post #425,207 by Another Scott 8/22/18 12:42:01 PM 8/22/18 12:42:01 PM Reply	Neat, but... It's a great R&D exercise, but the hype there is over-the-top. What makes being an auto manufacturer so difficult isn't the design of the car, and even them construction of a few wild prototypes. It's the supply chain and the dealer network and keeping parts available for 10 years and passing the safety and emissions regulations (also for 10 years) and all the rest. It's a huge industrial enterprise. How is a bespoke design going to pass the NHTSA crash tests? What happens when your bespoke car has a fender-bender - how are they going to fix it for a reasonable cost? Etc. AFAIK, nobody has any crash data on 3D printed structural members. It's still a technology in its infancy. But it is coming for niche applications. https://www.energy.gov/eere/amo/3d-printed-shelby-cobra My $0.02. Cheers, Scott.
Post #425,209 by drook 8/22/18 12:52:33 PM 8/22/18 12:52:33 PM Reply	They've already got parts going into airplanes Sure, it's just a divider panel, not a structural piece, but those go through pretty rigorous testing too. You're right, of course, about mass production and crash testing. I suspect those laws will eventually change, and simulation will be acceptable for certification. Whether that's a good thing or not will remain to be seen. -- Drew
Post #425,208 by boxley 8/22/18 12:42:52 PM 8/22/18 12:42:52 PM Reply	Hope it's not a poe "Science is the belief in the ignorance of the experts" – Richard Feynman

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