A 3D printed electric motorbike prototype coming from Poland

Piotr Krzyczkowski is a young Polish designer who wanted to create his own brand of electric motorcycles, Falectra. He wanted to offer city dwellers a comfortable, economical and more environmentally friendly solution. In order to convince various investors, he designed a first prototype using 3D printing, using Zortrax’s FDM machines. A project that apparently seduced many people since Piotr obtained all the necessary funds to embark on the adventure: we should see the first motorbikes on the roads next year.

A few months ago, Sculpteo published its annual study on the use of additive manufacturing by different professionals. The State of 3D Printing 2019 revealed that 63% of participants 3D print parts as a proof of concept: they check designs, ideas, etc. via 3D printing. A solution that allows multiple iterations to be made by simply correcting the 3D model instead of recreating an entire mould, for example. The young Polish designer is not so different: he used several production methods, including 3D printing, to develop his functional prototype of the Falectra electric motorcycle, which he was able to present to future investors.

Piotr and the motorbike prototype

The Falectra electric motorcycle has been developed in two stages. The first stage consisted of developing the final idea, patenting it and obtaining some funds; a process that took 2 years. The second step involved the creation of a functional prototype to scale to showcase a physical model, a crucial point in the world of e-mobility. Piotr Krzyczkowski adds: “Alone, a virtual project is no longer enough for partners and investors. We had to show a fully functional prototype. However, simply creating the laminated panels that form the vehicle’s bodywork would have cost between PLN 150,000 and 200,000 (USD 39,000 to 52,000), which was well beyond our budget. That’s when we started thinking about 3D printing. Thanks to our cooperation with Zortrax, the parts needed to assemble the prototype were created on their printers. The whole process cost almost seven times less and we were able to show the world a functional motorcycle.“