Gigacasting take-up accelerates as Tesla slows adoption

Tesla has proved to be a disruptor not just with the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) but also in vehicle manufacturing. Specifically it has led the way in the adoption of gigacasting. This is where large parts, currently mainly complete rear or front underbodies, are cast as single pieces rather than being made of multiple individual stampings which are welded together. Making large single piece castings saves time and weight, with the numbers varying from car to car and company to company. The technology is not without problems, as repairs can be problematic with some people fearing that there could be more complete car write-offs as gigacasting’s use widens. The gigacasting machines themselves require major capital investment. Machine costs vary with size, but prices for a 6,000-tonne machine are understood to be around €6m (US$6.4m), and a 9,000-tonne machine costs more than €10m.