Local Motors has had employees in Germany for a few years, but they are now able to call the 1,500-square-meter microfactory home sweet home. The 11 employees currently working at the microfactory are comprised of vehicle and software engineers, leadership, and a project manager. The microfactory, centrally located in the German capital, has space for community events, offices, and vehicle production, just like the microfactories in Phoenix and Knoxville. The Phoenix microfactory was created for production of the company’s Rally Fighter, while the one in Knoxville features a big area 3D printer that’s able to build larger vehicles, like the 3D printed, self-driving Olli bus, which we had a chance to see at IMTS in Chicago this fall. The company’s microfactories allow for their big plans to take shape around the globe.
According to the Local Motors website, some of Olli’s features include:
- Self-driving: Olli uses overlapping sensors, like radar and cameras, to drive itself, as it can see further ahead and react more quickly than a human
- Electric: Olli helps reduce the output of emissions in urban areas, and also cuts back on noise pollution
- Fleet-operated: Olli is part of a fleet management system; its operation center is designed to solve the transportation needs of large campuses and municipalities
- App: You can control your Olli trip from your phone, by finding existing routes, sharing an Olli, or chartering it on your own
Berlin Project Manager Doris Lohrmann said, “It was a great moment when the first European Olli frame arrived at our new microfactory… The facility is coming to life!”
According to the Local Motors website, their goal for innovative auto production is to keep their ideas big (their 3D printed Strati car and 3D printing process for vehicles come to mind), but their footprint small, by utilizing cleaner, smarter, and more efficient microfactories. The microfactory is on the site of a facility that was once used to manufacture tooling, so the floor was in pretty bad shape. But the space has been outfitted for Local Motors’ needs now, and the floor is just about ready for vehicle production.