3D-Printed Electric Motorcycle Takes Shape

Aerospace-giant Airbus Group’s APWorks GmbH subsidiary is launching a 3D-printed electric motorcycle, which it claims is an industry first.

Dubbed the Light Rider, the motorbike is powered by a 6-kW electric motor that provides a 37-mile driving range and a top speed of 50 mph. APWorks says the electric bike can accelerate from zero to 28 mph in three seconds.

The Light Rider weighs 77 lbs with a 13-lb frame, which ABWorks notes is about 30% lighter than a comparable conventionally powered motorcycle. The company says it used a proprietary algorithm to incorporate bionic structures and what it describes as “natural growth processes and patterns” while developing the lightweight frame, which is made from its own specially designed corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy.

Produced by a laser printing system that melts millions of aluminum particles together, the 3D-printed parts consist of thousands of ultra-slim layers measuring just 60 microns thick. The process enabled a complex hollow structure with integrated cables, pipes and screw-on points that couldn’t be achieved via traditional milling or welding, according to APWorks.

The Munich-based company, which specializes in metallic 3-D printing, plans to build 50 Light Riders. Pricing will start at $55,700.