Airbus Unveils 3D-Printed Electric Motorcycle

The frame weighs just 13 pounds, about 30 percent less than conventional e-motorbikes.

The CEO of Airbus, Tom Enders, presents the first 3D printed electric motorcycle in Ottobrunn, Germany, Friday May 20,2016. The motorcycle was made of metal powder by using lasermelting technology.
The CEO of Airbus, Tom Enders, presents the first 3D printed electric motorcycle in Ottobrunn, Germany, Friday May 20,2016. The motorcycle was made of metal powder by using lasermelting technology.
Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP

BERLIN (AP) — What weighs 77 pounds, goes 50 mph (80 kph) and looks like a Swiss cheese on wheels?

An electric motorcycle (view photos in gallery) made from tiny aluminum alloy particles using a 3D printer.

European aeronautics giant Airbus unveiled the 'Light Rider ' in Germany on Friday. Manufactured by its subsidiary APWorks, a specialist in additive layer manufacturing, the motorcycle uses hollow frame parts that contain the cables and pipes.

The frame weighs just 13 pounds, about 30 percent less than conventional e-motorbikes.

APWorks chief executive Joachim Zettler said the complex, branched hollow structure wouldn't have been possible with conventional production technologies such as milling or welding.

The company is taking orders for a limited run of 50 motorbikes, costing 50,000 euros ($56,095), plus tax, each.

They'll have a range of 37 miles (60 kilometers).

More in Product Development