The functionality, complexity, and flexibility of 3D printing reached new heights in the 2010s. Once considered only useful for aesthetic prototyping, the possibilities of industrial-scale additive manufacturing in automotive were noted in a 2020 report by PwC, which counted it among the top five emergent digital technologies that could supercharge R&D.
On a global scale, the automotive 3D printing market is forecast to more than triple in size between 2022 and 2030—from US$2.97bn to US$9.7bn, according to Market Research Future. As it grows, some companies are beginning to champion the technology as an effective solution to several R&D and manufacturing challenges in the electric vehicle (EV) era. For example, solid-state battery maker Sakuu incorporates 3D printing into gigafactories and claims that it can operate with 23% less capex, 44% less factory space, and 69% fewer process steps than standard lithium-ion plants.
