Local Motors ARPA-E Lightweighting Technologies Enabling Comprehensive Automotive Redesign (LITECAR) Challenge

The proposed vehicle design has the shape of a water droplet with an embedded ribcage. The water droplet shape provides a low drag coefficient for higher fuel economy. The ribcage is designed with a graded porous structure, similar to the ones in bones. These structures provide the mechanical strength required for the structural stability and drivability as well as the energy absorption capabilities for the occupant safety in the event of a collision. The ribcage is built in functionally graded aluminum alloy foam, with the level of protection of a spaceframe design such as NASCAR racecar. The envelope’s material is polymer composite, which provides desirable character-istics of a monocoque design traditionally found in Formula 1 cars and aircrafts. The monocoque-sapaceframe design is built using additive manufacturing (3D printing) technology, providing a cleaner an environmentally friendly operation with minimal material wastage. This design merges aerodynamics and safety. This concept design is referred to as WaterBone (WB).

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