Case Study: Local Motors achieves 95% reduction in production time and halves tooling costs with Proto3000

Local Motors 3D Prints Their Self Driving Shuttle Using MakerBot

Local Motors, a disruptive automotive company that builds vehicles in localized micro-factories and creator of the Olli self-driving shuttle, faced a need for much faster, on-demand prototyping and low-volume production to keep development cycles short. To meet this challenge they turned to Proto3000, using desktop 3D printing solutions such as the MakerBot Replicator+, MakerBot Print software, and MakerBot Tough Filament to enable rapid in-house part production.

Proto3000’s 3D printing solution let Local Motors print durable, production-ready components on demand, cutting tooling costs by about 50% and overall production time by up to 95% while keeping manufacturing in-house. Using MakerBot Print for streamlined preparation and Tough Filament for strong, functional parts, Local Motors accelerated iteration, reduced lead times, and finished projects far faster—results made possible through Proto3000’s supplied hardware, software, and materials.

Local Motors

Alex Fiechter

Director of Product Development