How Tesla's Technological Breakthrough Could Change the EV Industry

Quincy Jon, Tech Times 14 September 2023, 11:09 am

Tesla is set to release a game-changing breakthrough that might transform the EV manufacturing industry and support CEO Elon Musk's objective of halving production costs.

According to insiders, Tesla has made several breakthroughs that could potentially alter its EV manufacturing process.

The company introduced "gigacasting," and enormous presses with 6,000 to 9,000 tons of clamping pressure were one of its significant breakthroughs. This revolutionary method has reduced Tesla's manufacturing costs and left rivals scrambling.

According to Reuters, Tesla is now working on a new invention that has the potential to change the game as well. Instead of using the current process, which entails around 400 components, the business is investigating the prospect of die-casting practically the whole intricate underbody of an EV in a single piece.

Tesla's "unboxed" production plan, which CEO Musk outlined in March, is centered on this breakthrough. The plan is to continue making money while manufacturing millions more cheap EVs over the next 10 years.

Caresoft Global's president, Terry Woychowski, called this invention an "enabler on steroids" with far-reaching ramifications for the sector. He did draw attention to the inherent difficulties that such a casting process presents, especially for bigger and more complex components.

New Tesla Tech to Leave Rivals in The Dust

Tesla's new manufacturing and design methods might enable the business to build a vehicle in 18 to 24 months, compared to competitors' three to four years.

The design and testing of large molds for production, together with the addition of hollow subframes with internal ribs to save weight and improve crash safety, form the core of this invention. These innovations, created by experts from many nations, include 3D printing and industrial sand.

Carmakers have avoided casting massive structures because of their complexity and expense. However, because of its dedication to the procedure, Tesla has hired companies that develop test molds using 3D printers and industrial sand. Contrary to typical metal molds, which may be prohibitively costly to adapt, this approach gives flexibility in the design process and enables quick and inexpensive prototype iterations.

Tesla had to create special aluminum alloys, optimize the cooling of the molten alloy, and design an after-production heat treatment to cast subframes with hollow structures as part of a gigacasting process. The prototype mold may be utilized for mass production once it satisfies Tesla's requirements.

With a target price of $25,000 by the middle of the decade, Tesla's future compact EV is a good fit for this innovative strategy. Single-piece casting works well for smaller cars with simpler underbodies.

Although Tesla has not decided on the casting method, the company's desire to transform EV production remains clear. For productivity and quality, the company is still considering high-pressure or slow alloy injection.

According to German researcher Jan-Philipp Buchler of the Free University of Dortmund, Tesla's innovation in vehicle manufacturing is "revolutionary" and has the potential to do away with conventional manufacturing processes, boosting production efficiency and lowering industrial complexity, per The Japan Times.

Tesla's advances seem promising, but the business has a history of high goals and setbacks. This new strategy's success will be widely observed since, if fully achieved, it might completely alter industry norms.

Tesla Releases Built-in Solar Inverter

In related news, Tesla also launched the Powerwall 3, a home battery backup solution with numerous enhancements over the Powerwall 2. The Powerwall 3's architecture is the same, but it has a higher power throughput and an integrated solar inverter that simplifies solar setup installation. The battery capacity is still 13.5 kWh; however, it may be increased to 40.5 kWh by piggybacking on more units.

The Verge reported that the Powerwall 3 can handle 11.5 kW of electricity continuously with six solar inputs. It is incompatible with various battery systems and solar inverters, which may restrict its integration. The most recent advancement in battery technology from Tesla offers homeowners a reliable and integrated method of energy storage.