Designer Josep Bolart launches the Paolo urban mobility concept, a sleek and minimalist 3D printed electric scooter with replaceable parts. 

Concepts for 3D printed cars, houses, and furniture are popping up daily. In this context, a 3D printed electric scooter doesn’t seem too far-fetched a possibility. Especially when it’s a beautifully designed vehicle like Paolo, from Spanish designer Josep Bolart.

Paolo is modern in just about everything, starting from how it was presented to the world (launched on Twitter), all the way through to its elegant concept for sustainable transport. The scooter proposes low-cost electric mobility in a simple frame. Most of the parts that make up Paolo could be 3D printed, either in a factory or at home. That would mean easy replacement in case of damage, or even just for color customization.

Detailed technical specifications on Paolo are currently unavailable, but Bolart says that Paolo would be powered by a 2 kW electric motor that produces 50 Nm (36.8 lb-ft) of torque. A display is also integrated into the very frame, offering multiple readings on the ride, battery status, and more. And naturally, Paolo would also communicate with your iPhone or Apple Watch.

The interesting thing is that, since electric engines run cold (instead of requiring a high heat thermal reaction), theoretically *any* electric scooter or vehicle could be 3D printed using high performance plastics — such as charged nylon or carbon fiber infused filaments. And the 3D printers that could do it are gradually becoming more and more affordable.

Plus, given that modern design practice already relies heavily on 3D Computer Assisted Design (CAD) software, the process to optimising an electric scooter model for 3D printing would be much simpler than you imagine.

Bolart reckons that Paolo might become a reality in 2016. It may likely be the first of many such 3D printed electric scooters on the roads. Stay tuned for further updates. (via autoevolution)