3D Printed Car Wins Pilkington Design Award

Nir Siegel, a vehicle design student at the Royal College of Art has recently been awarded the Pilkington prize’s Best Design Interpretation for his Genesis car.

The Genesis, which is built to be completely customizable can be 3D printed and self-assembled. According to Siegel the idea behind the Genesis is “to evolve products and services, based on customer needs, avoiding obsolescence.”

While Siegel’s design is still a concept, it could be produced if 3D printing were to make its way to your local auto dealer. Once on the show room floor you could request any number of features be built into your car that would then be either milled or printed to your specification.

But in all seriousness that future is decades away.

Judge Mike Greenall, director of automotive R&D programs at NSG Group said, ‘The increased pressure to produce economical, environmentally-friendly designs has led students to identify innovative glazing and design that are set to shape the future of the automotive industry.’

It’s these designs that are advancing the state of the art in automotive design according to Professor Dale Harrow, Dean of the School of Design at the Royal College of Art, who said: ‘Potential employers look to [the winners of] these awards to find fresh talent in the industry.’

Whether Nir Siegel’s concept ever becomes a reality or not, his blending of 3D printing with automotive manufacturing is an interesting look into a possible future.

Images Courtesy of the Royal College of Art and Nir Siegel