汽车OEM本地电动机, manufacturer of the partially-3D printed ‘Olli’ autonomous vehicle (AV), has shut down according to Linkedin posts from several of its employees.
Over the last five and half years, Local Motors has built various structural elements of its self-driving shuttle using 3D printing, in a way that has allowed it to be customized for use in different urban city center environments. However, while the firm remains silent on报告它在1月14日星期五关闭，其中一些现已前雇员已带到社交媒体上，向其成就致敬。
“I am disheartened to announce that Local Motors will cease to exist as of January 14. I was only there a few months, but loved every minute of it,” Chris Stoner, Local Motors’ ex-VP of Sales and Customer Successsaid on Linkedin。“我在当地和全球结交了一些好朋友，这使它值得。自动驾驶汽车空间是一个令人兴奋的新兴市场，有足够的机会。”
“Experiencing first-hand the skill and dedication of the people I worked with, I have no doubt AVs (like Olli) are the future of transportation.”
The rise and fall of the ‘Olli’ AV
Whendebuted in 2016, the 25 mph-capable Olli was first marketed as a small self-driving shuttle bus, capable of carrying up to 12 passengers around tight city streets and university campuses at once. Thanks to its built-in 360° LiDAR scanners, the AV was able to sense its surroundings in all directions, enabling it to navigate independently, although they were also driven with safety drivers just in case.
Built in-part using aCincinnati Incorporated大区域添加剂制造（雷电竞充值BAAM）3D打印机，据说可以定制OLLI，以在不同的城市环境中使用，例如繁华的柏林Deutsche Bahndeploying it in the city as part of asix-month pilot program，每天载有100名乘客。
Following the initial success of its AV, Local Motorslaunched the upgraded ‘Olli 2.0’在2019年，据报道，它可以在其前身的一半时间内建造的全电动航天飞机，本身仅需十个小时才能建造。该车辆还采用语音识别和由麻省理工学院start-upAffectiva旨在允许乘客情绪跟踪和路线优化。
2020年10月，当地电动机managed to raise $15 million为了资助Olli正在进行的研发，直到2021年12月，它都通过CRP Technology-3D printed windshield wiper parts，但据报道，它在1月14日星期五停止了其运营，这可能意味着其车辆生产过程也已关闭。
本地电动机’ ‘lack of funding’
Despite being reached out to by 3D Printing Industry, Local Motors hasn’t yet commented on its apparent demise, but with many of its staff now actively seeking new employment, the writing appears to be on the wall for the beleaguered firm.
The company’s silence on the issue has paved the way for many media outlets to draw their own conclusions on why it failed to make the Olli a business success. Citing ‘an anonymous source familiar with the situation,’ automotive news site The Drive has报告that Local Motors’ closure “boils down to a lack of funding,” while autoblog has published anarticlesaying this wasn’t due to its AV’s safety failures.
Autoblog与Drive达到了与驱动器相同的来源后发现，该公司的灭亡与crash in Ontario报道说，去年年底，其中一名服务员受到严重“受伤”。事故发生后，Olli 2.0的测试停止了多伦多网站stating this was due to “an incident in Whitby involving a similar service,” as well as “public health guidance regarding COVID-19.”
Whether it be due to cash or crash issues, Local Motors’ closure comes at a time when, publicly at least, it appeared to be making progress in local trials, with CEO Vikrant Aggarwalcommitting to scale the Olli2021年10月，“无论是在商业上还是在运营上”，但现在显然已经关闭了门，其前雇员一直在考虑可能发生的事情。
“As with most adventures, they must come to an end,” added Jeff Hollowell, Local Motors’ former VP of Information Technology via a Linkedin邮政。“Local Motors has closed its doors. It has been an exciting, challenging, and educational experience working with Olli and all the team at Local Motors. I was fortunate to work with amazing individuals and help build what others said could not be done!”
“I’ve been able to grow as a leader and learn new skills that I now take to my next path forward. Thanks to all the team members and partners that I was able to work with. The time spent was well worth the effort.”
AM’s ongoing automotive efficacy
While the Olli’s downfall represents a step backwards for AV commercialization, 3D printing continues to be deployed across automotive, with many of the world’s leading car manufacturers leveraging the technology within their operations.
Late last year, German sports car manufacturerPorscheannounced that it had made astrategic investment in INTAMSYS。Having previously3D printed bucket seatsand partnered withSLM Solutionsto create aproof of concept E-drive housingfor the front axles of its vehicles, the automotive firm’s move is a sign that it intends to continue scaling its adoption of the technology.
Likewise, in June 2021,Volkswagenunveiledplans to integrate binder jet 3D printinginto its production process at its main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany. At the time, the firm said that it aimed to achieve this by expanding its partnership withHPand establishing a new one withSiemens, that would enable it to both reduce costs and increase productivity.
In more experimental applications, additive manufacturing has also been deployed by researchers at theChinese Academy of Sciencesto createnovel nanogenerators for self-driving vehicles。该团队的底机械设备以独特的轴承结构设计建造，旨在具有机械能量收集和自给自足的感应功能。
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Featured image shows the Olli 2.0, complete with the new windshield wipers and 3D printed wiper cover parts it was fitted with late last year. Photo via Local Motors.
