Gigacasting 2.0: Tesla's Revolutionary Car Manufacturing

author: FutureCar Staff    

Tesla has made a technological breakthrough that could revolutionize the way it manufactures electric vehicles and help Elon Musk achieve his goal of halving production costs, according to five sources familiar with the matter. The company has pioneered the use of massive presses with clamping pressures of 6,000 to 9,000 tons to mold the front and rear structures of its Model Y, significantly reducing production costs and leaving competitors scrambling to catch up.

In order to further extend its lead, Tesla is working on an innovation that would allow it to die cast nearly the entire complex underbody of an electric vehicle in one piece, rather than using around 400 parts as in a conventional car. This innovation is a key component of Tesla's "unboxed" manufacturing strategy, which aims to produce millions of cheaper EVs in the next decade while still turning a profit. The specific design and composition of the modular blocks used in this process are still being speculated.

Terry Woychowski, the president of engineering company Caresoft Global, believes that if Tesla is successful in gigacasting most of the underbody of an EV, it would disrupt the traditional car design and manufacturing process. However, he also acknowledges that this is a challenging task. Two of the sources mentioned that Tesla's new design and manufacturing techniques could allow them to develop a car from scratch in just 18 to 24 months, while competitors currently take three to four years.

Tesla is considering using a single large frame that combines the front and rear sections with the middle underbody, where the battery is housed, for its upcoming small EV. The company aims to launch this vehicle with a price tag of $25,000 by the middle of the decade. The decision to die cast the platform in one piece is expected to be made soon, but the final design may still change during the validation process. Tesla and Elon Musk did not respond to requests for comment.

The breakthrough made by Tesla revolves around the design and testing of large molds for mass production, as well as the incorporation of hollow subframes with internal ribs to reduce weight and improve crashworthiness. These innovations involve the use of 3D printing and industrial sand, and have been developed by specialists in various countries. The ability to use sand casting for design validation significantly reduces costs compared to metal prototypes.

Automakers have been hesitant to cast ever-larger structures due to the high costs and risks involved. However, Musk's vision from the beginning was to find a way to cast the underbody in one piece. To overcome the obstacles, Tesla turned to companies that use 3D printers and industrial sand to create test molds. This allows for multiple iterations and a faster validation process compared to traditional metal molds.

In addition to the design and testing challenges, Tesla also had to overcome issues with the aluminum alloys used for the castings. The casting specialists formulated special alloys, adjusted the cooling process, and developed an after-production heat treatment to meet Tesla's crashworthiness criteria. Once the prototype mold is finalized, Tesla can invest in a final metal mold for mass production.

Tesla's upcoming small cars, designed for personal use and as robotaxis, have a simpler underbody design without a large front or rear overhang. This makes it feasible to cast the underbody in one piece. However, the choice of gigapress and casting method will determine the complexity of the car frame. To manufacture such large body parts quickly, Tesla would need larger gigapresses with clamping forces of 16,000 tons or more, which may require larger factory buildings. One potential solution is to use a different type of press that allows for the injection of molten alloy at a slower pace, resulting in higher quality castings and the ability to accommodate sand cores.

FutureCar Staff