According to foreign media reports, before the Model Y equipped with the new structural battery pack technology started production process, Tesla had produced the first giant Model Y castings at the Texas Gigafactory.
Now, Tesla has begun to produce new giant cast parts for use on both sides of the structural battery pack, aiming to create a simple three-part new car platform. Casting expert Axel Turck leaked the first front-end casting base produced by Tesla, and revealed that this casting part weighs 130kg and will be used in the production of Model Y in the Texas super factory, and it is expected to start production at the end of the year.
Turck mentioned that this giant casting was produced at an Idra casting machine in Texas. According to previous reports, Tesla's Texas Gigafactory received an Idra "gigapress". Last week, a drone video showed for the first time that the giant machine was in operation.
A small video of the 6000T super large die-casting machine of the Chinese brand deployed in the Shanghai Super Factory officially announced by Tesla:
The automotive industry has a long history of casting parts, but usually the casting size is limited and only smaller parts are combined. In the past few years, Tesla has been pushing the limits of the scale of cast parts in order to simplify the production process.
On Battery Day last year, Tesla not only introduced a new 4680 battery cell, but also introduced a new battery architecture for this battery cell. Inspired by aviation innovations (using aircraft wings as fuel tanks instead of building fuel tanks inside the wings), Tesla decided to create a new battery pack designed to be a body structure that connects the lower parts of the front and rear body.
At present, Tesla produces battery packs by converting batteries into modules, and the battery packs are installed in the car platform. The difference between the new battery pack is that Tesla no longer uses modules, but instead builds the entire battery pack into a structural platform for the car. The batteries will help this platform become a large integral part.
Using expertise in giant cast parts, Tesla can connect the front and rear monocoque chassis to this structural battery pack. This new design reduces the number of parts and the total volume of the battery pack, so Tesla can increase efficiency and ultimately increase the range of electric vehicles. Earlier this year, Tesla's 4680 structural battery pack leaked from Reuters.