Tesla has been using a groundbreaking manufacturing process called die casting with the generous assistance of the Giga Press machine for several years now. Thanks to this technology, the automaker is capable of assembling electric vehicles from several large structural castings, which significantly saves time and money.
Tesla sets the pace
It goes without saying that such an assembly method represents an extreme competitive advantage. In this context, it was only a matter of time before others started to toy with a similar idea.
Recently, we informed you that the Chinese automaker Geely has decided to follow in the footsteps of the popular American brand. The head of the technology department even mentioned that the brand intends to start implementing a method similar to that of the Tesla Model Y on a large scale in the near future.
Photo by Toyota Japan
Toyota is preparing its own Giga Press
This specific process, which eliminates laborious welding in particular, is considered the holy grail of the future and its adoption is expected across the automotive industry. Therefore, it probably doesn’t come as a surprise that the leading Japanese automaker, Toyota, is seriously considering the use of a similar machine to Tesla’s Giga Press, as reported by InsideEVs.
And as the website points out, this is not just idle talk. The Japanese samurai has unveiled its first giga casting, which significantly cuts operational costs. As shown in the image above, a single (!) casting of the rear axle, composed of 33 differently sized parts, was used for demonstration purposes.
In an official statement, Toyota announced that the next generation of its EV platform will be composed of a modular structure, consisting of the front, middle, and rear sections.
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