Tesla Chief Elon Musk introduced a new production system at the 2023 Investor Day that can apparently enable the automaker to build cheaper electric vehicle models.
Now, the EV giant has successfully achieved a “technological breakthrough” that enables it to die cast almost all the “complex underbody of an EV in one piece, Reuters reports citing five people familiar with the matter.
Report highlights
The five unnamed sources claim that Tesla has employed various innovations to make one-piece die casting possible.
“The five people said a single large frame – combining the front and rear sections with the middle underbody where the battery is housed – could be used in Tesla’s small EV which it aims to launch with a price tag of $25,000 by the middle of the decade.”
Reuters
It is indeed a breakthrough, given that the traditional process for conventional cars needs to separately die cast about 400 components of the body.
Apparently, these “innovations” revolve around the automaker’s self-developed production system, “Unboxed Process,” which it unveiled on Investor Day.
According to the report, Tesla utilized 3D printing and industrial sand to build the casting molds. This innovation will enable the production process to reduce cost and time.
“To overcome the obstacles, Tesla turned to firms that make test molds out of industrial sand with 3D printers. Using a digital design file, printers known as binder jets deposit a liquid binding agent onto a thin layer of sand and gradually build a mold, layer by layer, that can die cast molten alloys.”
Reuters
Apart from that, Tesla also reportedly utilized Desktop Metall’s ExOne machine. It significantly helped Tesla to surpass the challenges it encountered in ensuring a compatible alloy for the 3D printing process and the car’s performance and safety standards.
“The casting specialists overcame that by formulating special alloys, fine-tuning the molten alloy cooling process, and also coming up with an after-production heat treatment, three of the sources said. And once Tesla is happy with the prototype mold, it can then invest in a final metal one for mass production.”
Reuters
However, Tesla has yet to decide whether to employ this new technology for the next-gen model production.
What is the “Unboxed Process”?
The Unboxed Process can significantly accelerate Tesla’s electric vehicle manufacturing. It can also lead to producing an affordable model that would cost about $24,000.
The process basically starts with the single-piece cast. The production team will only paint the necessary parts. Then, they will assemble the rest of the body parts in one go, The Verge explained.
Refer to the videos attached to the X posts below for the process’ animation and its difference from the traditional production system:
CEO Musk believes this innovative process can reduce production costs by 50%. Therefore, it would really be possible for Tesla to price the next-gen EV by $24,000, a significant adjustment compared to its current luxury models.
See Also:
- Tesla to initially produce its next-gen affordable EVs in Giga Texas, not Mexico
- Tesla launches Model S/X Standard Range variants, offering more affordable options in US
- Tesla’s affordable EV highlighted during Musk’s G20 interview
- Tesla price cuts boost overall EV sales in the US from Jan-Jul
- Tesla continues to dominate California’s auto industry
Apart from substantially reducing the production cost of Tesla’s electric vehicles, the Unboxed Process can also make manufacturing easier and faster. It will enable Tesla to achieve its production target of 20 million units per year by 2030. Moreover, the launch of the affordable Tesla EV can also boost the company’s sales and delivery figures in the future.
