Honda creates 3D- printed delivery van

News that Honda has 3D- printed a diminutive delivery van certainly is astounding.

However, this miraculous minimotor comes with its share of catches attached.

For a start, while the image of a little van emerging fully formed from a large- scale 3D- printer is a great idea, in reality the notion of 3D- printing every aspect — frame, engine components, transfer case — is still the stuff of science fiction. So, actually, Honda 3D- printed only the exterior panels and cargo section.

And before you start thinking about what sort of paint job such a van might boast, the panels are made of paper. This limits the speed with which you’ll be able to deploy your delivery van to its next port of call. It will apparently travel up to 70km/ h, but cartoon images of a van briskly shedding its skin along the motorway come to mind at that speed.

Developed with 3D- printing firm Kabuku Inc, the electric van is known as the Honda Micro Commuter and is based on the same architecture Honda uses in its Japanese market- only MC- Beta ultra- compact electric vehicle.

Only a trial van at present, the 600kg Micro Commuter has an impressive EV- range of around 80km, making it a usable wee city delivery tool. And what will its owner Toshimaya Corp use it to deliver? Er, little individual snacks of shortbread apparently. And no, we didn’t make that up.