Tesla Cuts Underbody Costs 40% with New Die-Casting Tech

On September 27th, according to the Shanghai Securities News report, at the Tesla Gigafactory in Pudong Lingang, Shanghai, the rear underbody assembly system of the Tesla Model Y vehicle produced here successfully adopted integrated die-casting technology for rapid molding.

According to Cui Hailun, the Manager of the Structure and Thermal Management Systems at Tesla Shanghai Co., Ltd., on the Model Y integrated cast rear underbody model, originally separate parts are now installed as one component, greatly improving production efficiency. Compared to traditional methods, the weight of the vehicle body system is reduced by over 10%. Additionally, there are significant cost advantages due to optimized structural design and material recycling achievements. After adopting the integrated casting method for the rear underbody assembly system, costs have been reduced by 40%.

According to a previous report from Reuters, Tesla’s integrated casting technology (gig casting) has made significant breakthroughs, which can change the existing production mode of electric vehicles and help Musk achieve his goal of halving production costs.

SEE ALSO: Tesla’s 5 Millionth Vehicle Globally Rolls off the Production Line in Shanghai

Tesla has developed a giant press machine with a clamping force of 6000-9000 tons, which is used to produce the front and rear frame structures of the Model Y through integrated die casting, reducing production costs.

Insiders believe that the breakthrough in integrated die-casting body technology this time can consolidate approximately 400 components of traditional car production into a single unit, almost all complex electric vehicle underbodies can be cast as a whole, creating a new technological moat for Tesla.

The report states that after deploying this integrated die-casting body technology, Tesla can shorten the development time for new vehicles to 18-24 months, while currently it usually takes car manufacturers 3-4 years to develop a new vehicle.