3D Print Your Very Own Electric Scooter

Electric scooters are a fantastic way to get around urban areas, which is why they are quite popular as temporary transportation in major cities today. Download an app, find the nearest scooter, pay a few bucks, and zip away to your destination! But those scooter rental apps typically charge by the minute and the costs can add up if you use them often. If you live in a city, you may want to consider procuring your own scooter. One way to do so is by 3D printing James Diertz's RepRaTS e-scooter.

This is similar to the Razr scooters you see all around your city, except that the entire frame is 3D-printable. Diertz designed it as a modular beam system. Each module is small enough to fit on most consumer 3D printers. Once you have all of the modules printed, you can fit them together using inexpensive threaded rod. The rod and nuts compress the modules, ensuring that they don't split along the layer lines, while also adding rigidity. In Diertz's test video, the frame appears to be sturdy enough for real-world use.

His prototype utilizes a large 1kW hub motor with a 13-inch tire as a proof of concept. Diertz doesn't provide much detail about the other electronic components he used, but they appear to be off-the-shelf hardware. He has, however, provided all of the 3D files you need to print your own scooter. But there is one major caveat: Diertz says that the current battery mount design is unsafe and that you should not use it. So if you do 3D-print your own scooter, you'll need to tweak the design to make it safer. Parts should be printed in PETG with a 0.4mm layer height and at least 30% grid infill.