Mar 10, 2016 | By Benedict
Martin Hansen, a 3D printing enthusiast and Tesla driver from Northern Germany, has designed a miniature 3D printed Tesla Supercharger with which users can charge their smartphone. The original Supercharger was designed to rapidly supply charge to Tesla’s Model S car.
It’s hardly an exaggeration to say that the Tesla Model S is changing the world. The world’s best selling electric car as of 2015, the Model S is an all-electric, five-door, automotive masterpiece. What’s more, Tesla has devoted a significant amount of energy into making its Model S the most easily chargeable green vehicle on the planet: Its Tesla-specific ‘Superchargers’ can be found in 604 US locations and are capable of providing 170 miles of range to a vehicle in as little as 30 minutes. Compare that to the 14 miles provided by a 40A high voltage outlet, and you can see why Tesla is speeding ahead in the electric car game.
After being blown away by a friend’s Model S in 2014, Martin Hansen decided to pay homage to the Supercharger concept in an unusual yet ingenious way: with a 3D printed smartphone Supercharger. Bearing the iconic Tesla name and lettering, Hansen’s 3D printed charger looks just like its full-sized inspiration, but will feel right at home on a desktop or dashboard instead of a gas station. Consisting of just six 3D printable components, the juice-pumping device requires minimal assembly and gluing, and can be used in conjunction with any kind of smartphone cable. Sadly however, Hansen’s 3D printed Supercharger won’t actually charge your iPhone any faster.
“I spent almost all of my free time researching Tesla Motors and the Model S,” said Hansen. “Visiting the Supercharger station again, the idea came into my mind: the Supercharger network is the key to success for Tesla, so every Tesla owner would love to have their own Supercharger at home.”
Hansen deserves immense credit for his 3D printed Tesla charger, since the project represents his first foray into 3D printing. The novice maker had to spend weeks learning basic CAD before he was able to complete his Supercharger design in Autodesk Inventor. His components were all 3D printed on a Zortrax M200 3D printer in ABS except for the white case, which was printed in SLS by a third party supplier, and the side struts, which are simply 8mm aluminum pipes.
Wanting to share his design with the Tesla-loving world, Hansen has uploaded the STL files for his 3D printable Supercharger onto his website. Since Tesla drivers will probably save the planet, we think they deserve this 3D printed treat.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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