Tesla Replaces Multiple Car Front Parts With One Piece To Simplify Production
Image via Tesla
With the Model Y electric vehicle, Tesla has achieved an auto manufacturing first: building the car’s body with single front and rear castings.
It has been previously known that the company is manufacturing the car with a single rear casting, but the latest update confirms that the front will also be undergoing a similar process.
This is the result of an effort spanning the last few years, and large investments into casting and alloy technology, as reported by Electrek. This will allow for a simplified manufacturing process instead of putting together various smaller parts.
For example, the single rear body piece of the Model Y replaces 70 different parts used in the Model 3.
At first, this was seemingly confirmed by the company in a photograph of the new EV bodies going through the line, which was released in the company’s Q2 2021 financial results.
Despite at first going unnoticed, it was picked up by a former employee who was able to verify that both front and rear castings were featured in the image. They had reached out to Electrek with this information.
A different source informed the site that the benefits of this new manufacturing technology include saving on factory space as well as an increased range of production.
This would “make manufacturing simpler by reducing the number of stamping and welding, savings from eliminating tooling/maintenance cost of welding and stamping, vertical integration, better supply chain control, and so many other benefits,” they continued.
Founder and CEO Elon Musk has also been touting the Model Y as a cutting-edge vehicle, stating that there have been many improvements made to the newest Tesla EV model. In one tweet, he calls it a “revolution.”
Berlin Model Y is the one to watch. That is a revolution in automotive body engineering (finally).
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2020
Tesla’s innovative Model Y is said to be manufactured at two locations: the Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Texas.
Gigafactory Berlin. Image via Tesla
[via Electrek, images via Tesla]
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