An Arizona custom car company hopes to produce what it calls the first 3D-printed, street-ready vehicle early next year.

Local Motors is readying a “neighborhood” electric car to go on sale sometime during the first quarter of next year. A highway-ready, higher-speed version will go on sale later in the year, a spokesman said. As with a previous car design that was not 3D printed, Local Motors held a contest to design the newer vehicles, both of which it calls ReLoad Redacted.

Kevin Lo, an engineer living in Vancouver, Wash., won with his design for two models: The Swim, which looks like a dune buggy, and the Sport, a sleek-looking 2+2 coupe. Lo also happens to work for Hewlett-Packard on advanced printer systems. The designs of the finished cars may ultimately differ, however, according to a Local Motors spokesman.

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here