Revolutionary race: Automakers shift gears to embrace Tesla's aluminium die-casting technology Gigacasting

The Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer Toyota Motor said it would adopt a technology spearheaded by Tesla known as “Gigacasting” to enhance performance and curtail the cost of future electric vehicles (EVs).

Toyota is hardly the only company following Tesla's lead. General Motors, Hyundai Motor, and Geely affiliates Volvo Cars, Polestar, and Zeekr are all using or planning to use the technology.

Tesla's US, China, and German facilities use the Giga Press, an aluminium die-casting machine. The house-sized machines can create aluminium components that are much larger than anything previously used in the auto industry.

The Giga Press programme is a line of aluminium die-casting machines made for Tesla by the Idra Group in Italy, which has been a unit of China’s LK Industries since 2008. With a clamping force of 55,000 to 61,000 kilonewtons (5,600 to 6,200 tf), Idra presses are renowned for being the most extensive high-pressure die-casting equipment in production as of 2020.

When in use, the press feeds 80 kg (176 lb) or more of molten aluminium into a mould, which is shaped into a part, released, and then swiftly cooled. Tesla has created an aluminium alloy that also enables it to forego the conventional heat-treating procedure used to boost the strength of the cast component.

Auto experts claim that a car body is generally made up of more than a hundred separately stamped metal components that have been welded together. Tesla has an industry-leading profit margin because of fewer parts, reduced prices, and a more efficient production process.

Additionally, it can reduce a vehicle's weight, which is vital for EVs because the battery pack might weigh more than 700 kg. Further, it might help a plant reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions.

Toyota anticipated employing aluminium die-casting would save waste by removing dozens of sheet metal pieces from the assembly process.