Nissan's Latest Gigacasting Technology to Reduce EV Parts' Cost by 10 percent

High purchase prices, largely due to expensive batteries, have been a significant barrier to the wider adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). To address this, automakers are increasingly turning to a manufacturing technique known as gigacasting. This advanced method helps offset battery costs, simplifies production, and reduces the weight of EVs.

Nissan is joining Tesla and other carmakers like Toyota, Hyundai, and Ford in adopting gigacasting technology. According to Automotive News, Nissan aims to cut EV part costs by 10% and reduce weight by 20%. EVs from Nissan employing this technique are expected to hit the market around 2027. The new production methods are anticipated to lower overall expenses by 30%, potentially saving about $1 billion in development costs for five upcoming models.

Gigacasting, first pioneered by Tesla, involves using giant casting machines to create large, single pieces of a vehicle's structure. Instead of assembling numerous smaller parts, gigacasting allows for the production of extensive sections of the car, such as the entire rear or front section, in one piece. This approach reduces the number of components, lowers production costs, and makes vehicles lighter and easier to assemble.

Nissan plans to use gigapresses to form the rear underbody of its future EVs, similar to the Tesla Model Y and Cybertruck. Currently, the rear underbody of an EV comprises up to 100 parts, which will be consolidated into single, giant pieces using aluminum casting in 6,000-ton presses. While these presses are smaller than the 9,000-ton presses used by Tesla from the Italian manufacturer IDRA, they are still larger than Toyota’s 4,000-ton presses.

Overall, the adoption of gigacasting is a strategic move to make EVs more affordable and competitive by streamlining the manufacturing process and reducing both costs and vehicle weight.