Skip to main content

Porsche using 3D printing technology to make custom-tailored seat cushions

Porsche has found a clever use for 3D printing technology. The company is experimenting with ways to produce 3D-printed seat cushions that will give buyers the option of specifying the amount of firmness they want.

Recommended Videos

Its engineering department starts with a shell made with carbon fiber to keep weight in check. It then adds a layer of foam and tops it with a 3D-printed piece, the firmness of which depends on each buyer’s preference. Enthusiasts will initially have three firmness options to choose from (hard, medium, and soft). The chosen upholstery tops this layer.

The honeycomb-shaped latticework that emerges from the 3D printer is visible on either side of the seatback, adding a touch of tech-infused coolness to the car’s cabin. Porsche explained the end result isn’t only about looks or comfort; the bucket seat is actually lighter when built using this technique than units it currently puts in its cars, and it’s more comfortable to sit on daily. It can be cooled or heated, too, so you won’t sweat or freeze.

Looking ahead, and if buyer demand is there, Porsche expects advancements in 3D printing technology will help it work with individual customers to create a custom-designed seat from scratch. Buyers will have the option of selecting the level of firmness and support they want, whether they need it heated or cooled, and its color. They might also have the option of letting someone at Porsche measure their body to develop a seat.

Porsche will begin making 3D-printed seat cushions for the 911 and the 718 in May 2020. It will initially cap production at 40 prototype units that will end up underneath the butts of European race car drivers. The feedback the company receives from these early adopters will help it improve the technology, and the cushions will join the long list of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur options halfway through 2021. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but don’t expect this option to become a budget-friendly alternative to standard, one-size-fits-all seat cushions.

The idea of offering à la carte seats, Subway-style, isn’t new. The odds of you fitting in the 919 Hybrid that won the 2017 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans are spectacularly low because, like a majority of high-level race cars, it’s fitted with a seat tailored to the person designated to drive it. Porsche swapped seats at every driver change. This practice is rare in the lower echelons of the automotive industry because it’s costly, though Aston Martin is measuring the patootie of every person who buys a limited-edition Valkyrie hypercar so it can manufacture custom seats.

Ronan Glon
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs
Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.

Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.

Read more
Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would be pointless, Tesla CEO says
Blue Tesla Model 3 Highland on the road

Enthusiasts expecting to one day put their hands on the steering wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has just put a serious damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “silly.”
During a conference call with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K model is pointless,” Musk said. “It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to carry people or goods.
The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be produced in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would be a $25,000 car without specifying if that price tag included federal tax credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched the idea, instead favoring the development of a robotaxi.
Language within Tesla’s latest financial report still hints that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a floor on just how affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering the affordable space more aggressively in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.

Read more
Stellantis’ 2027 Dodge Charger Daytona might feature solid-state battery tech
Front three quarter view of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona sedan.

The battle to use cheaper, more efficient, and safer EV batteries is heating up among automakers. At the heart of this battle, the development of solid-state battery technology, an alternative to highly flammable and costly lithium batteries, is garnering more and more attention.For proof, Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, is betting on the technology for its next generation of electric vehicles. The Netherlands-based company announced that it will launch a demonstration fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs that will feature solid-state battery tech made by U.S. startup Factorial.The demo fleet, expected to launch by 2026, will provide a real-world assessment of Factorial’s technology. Factorial has been partnering with Stellantis since 2021 and is also partnering with the likes of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.Besides Dodge, the technology would eventually be deployed on the Stellantis STLA Large multi-energy platform, which includes brands such as Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.Stellantis said that the integration of solid-state battery technology will yield “improved performance, longer driving ranges, and faster charging times in the coming years.”Factorial, meanwhile, says its technology provides higher energy density, reduced weight, improved performance, and the potential for further reduction in total vehicle cost over time. Stellantis, Daimler, and Hyundai aren’t the only ones to bet on solid-state battery tech. Toyota, the largest automaker in the world, has heavily invested in the technology. It also created a coalition with Nissan and Panasonic to boost its production in Japan. So far, making solid-state batteries has remained an expensive endeavor. But steps such as the Stellantis demo fleet and production at scale by the likes of Factorial are expected to improve manufacturing processes and costs over time.Other automakers, meanwhile, are working on ways to improve lithium batteries. Volkswagen, for one, is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.

Read more