Gigacasting is huge in the world of automotive manufacturing right now, and for good reason. Tesla hopes it will help cut its costs in half and has invested millions of dollars, not only in acquiring the machines to do it, but in building factories to accommodate it. The cost-saving potential has caused carmakers in China to adopt it, and other manufacturers have plans to do so, as well.
If you're not familiar with the concept, Gigacasting is a process that greatly streamlines how a car is made. Instead
of fabricating a large number of small parts and welding them together, molten aluminum is poured into an enormous machine called a "Giga Press", creating one large part. That's a very simplistic way of describing it, but that is basically the idea.
This technology is especially important to the production of EVs, which can be produced at a much lighter weight and at a significantly lower cost with a Giga Press, compared to traditional manufacturing. That is an obvious win for automakers, but also for consumers, as it can make EVs more affordable. On the losing end will likely be factory workers, as any sort of automation typically means a loss of at least some jobs. In fact, Gigacasting has even put some robots out of work.
Read more: Buy One Of These Electric Pickup Trucks Instead Of Humiliating Yourself With A Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla Didn't Invent Gigacasting, But They Pioneered It
The Giga Press was introduced by the Italian firm Idra Group in 2018, having been invented by two of Idra's engineers, Fiorenzo Dioni and 84-year-old Richard Oberle. The machine earned these two engineers the European Inventor Award in 2024. Tesla began using the Giga Press in late 2020 to create chassis parts for the new Model Y.
The difference in production of the Model Y compared to the Model 3, which had been manufactured by more traditional means, was dramatic. The rear section of the Model 3 includes 171 metal pieces, compared to just two pieces for the Model Y. That resulted in Tesla's new Model Y requiring 1,600 fewer welds than the Model 3.
Tesla would go on to use the Gigacasting process to build the rear chassis for the Cybertruck. The company had planned to go even further with a one-piece build for a smaller, more affordable EV, dubbed the "Model 2" by some. But financial pressure on the company has caused it to scale back its Gigacasting plans and to cancel the Model 2 altogether. This is not surprising, since the initial cost to implement Gigacasting can be quite staggering.
Other Carmakers Are Getting In On The Act
Other automakers have taken notice of the Giga Press and have begun to incorporate Gigacasting in their EV manufacturing as well. Chinese automakers NIO, Geely, and XPeng have already released models with Gigacast components. Nissan, Volvo, Hyundai, Polestar, Ford, GM, and Toyota have all either bought Giga Presses or have plans to branch into Gigacasting in the future.
This represents a large investment by these automakers, but the cost savings may turn out to be even more significant. Nissan, for example, anticipates saving around $1 billion in development costs for five of its upcoming models. Tesla was able to cut production costs for the Model Y by 40%.
Time will tell if Gigacasting becomes the new norm in automotive production. If the technology does continue to catch on, it is sure to revolutionize the manufacturing process. Gigacasting could even lead to a wider adoption of EVs by Americans who have been slow to embrace them by making them more affordable as a result of lower production costs.
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