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First Look At BYD's 9000T Gigacasting Process
A BYD executive, He Zhiqi, shared information on his Weibo account regarding BYD's 9,000 ton die casting production line;
Previously, it was reported that BYD had invested in the construction of an "integrated body" die casting project, aka Gigacasting, for the future platform of its vehicles.
The initial investment consisted in 390.5 million Yuan ($54 million at the time) for the construction of a Gigacasting shop and the purchase of one 9,000 t die casting machine and its related supporting equipment.
Additional info revealed the plan is to adopt heat treatment free Al alloys and utilize both Front and Rear Underbody Gigacastings.
Later, general manager of the sales division of Denza (a BYD brand), reposted and shared optimism for the future of Gigacasting and die casting for body in white applications.
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Gigacastings Save on Vehicle Repairs
Gigacasting technology reduces vehicle production costs for automakers while also lowering repair expenses for consumers and insurers, according to a two-year study on crash testing and damage assessment by U.K. based automotive technology specialist Thatcham Research, reported in an interview by Wardsauto.
The study found that Gigacasting, currently used by Tesla and a dozen OEMs in China, while still in development by all Western, Japanese and Korean OEMs, can significantly decrease repair costs and potentially reduce vehicle write-offs for insurers.
A key advantage of Gigacasting lies in designing components with repairability in mind from the outset, says Richard Billyeald, Thatcham’s chief research and operations officer.
Check out my article about a documented repair case of the rear Gigacasting of a Tesla Cybertruck.
Tesla collision center repairing a damaged Tesla Cybertruck
The research addressed insurer concerns about the cost of repairing large, single-piece aluminum castings, particularly after rear-end collisions, one of the most common no-fault accidents.
Thatcham’s study utilized real-world claims data from U.K. insurers and Germany’s Allianz Centre for Technology (AZT). Extensive crash testing was conducted at Thatcham’s Berkshire, England, headquarters, focusing on Tesla Model Y vehicles featuring a single-piece aluminum rear floor section.
The analysis revealed that Gigacasting lowers repair costs in both partial and full replacement scenarios compared to traditional multi-piece steel structures.
For instance, partial repairs on the Tesla Model Y yielded a £2,167 ($2,932) savings over similar repairs on a Tesla Model 3 with a conventional multi-part steel rear sub-assembly, while full replacements saved £519 ($702).
These results counter initial industry concerns about the fragility of large single-piece castings in minor impacts, says Billyeald.
However, the study highlighted challenges. Repairs requiring welding of aluminum gigacast structures must occur at Tesla-approved facilities, raising concerns about repair network capacity as the technology spreads. This could lead to vehicle transfers between repair centers, increasing time and costs.
Thatcham’s principal engineer for automotive repair, Darren Bright, emphasized that Gigacasting simplifies repairs compared to traditional methods.
Interview conducted by Paul Myles. Source: Wardsauto
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The Sub-Assemblies For Tesla’ Unboxed Process Were Spotted At The Fremont Factory
In Weekly Gigacasting News issue 39, I reported about unidentified vehicle components which were observed at Tesla’s Fremont factory in California.
I speculated that they could be a body in white section of the Tesla Cybercab, specifically, the rear sub assembly built on top of the rear underbody (RUB) Gigacasting.
Left: Items spotted at Fremont. Right: Cybercab RUB Gigacasting
Tesla's "Unboxed" process is a manufacturing technique for electric vehicles that replaces the traditional linear assembly line, where vehicles move sequentially through stations for part additions, with a modular approach.
Instead, key sections of the car (such as the front, rear, battery pack, and side panels) are assembled in parallel sub-lines as independent modules, then integrated in a final assembly stage.
This method aims to reduce production costs, shrink factory footprints by 40%, and accelerate output.
Note the sub assemblies are examples from the Model Y and Cybertruck
A friend of Tesla, Joe Tegtmeyer who visited the Fremont factory, was able to confirm my speculation, furthermore he took a closer look the video and spotted more sub-assembly sections, including the front underbody Gigacasting of the Tesla Cybercab.
Additional information from Joe Tegtmeyer
The Cybercab Front and Rear Gigacastings which are solely produced at Tesla’s factory in Texas are shipped to Fremont, California for the testing and development of the Cybercab and the unboxed manufacturing process.
Check out Joe’s YouTube channel.
Wencan General Updates
Wencan Group will open a new Gigacasting factory in China, with production slated to begin in November 2025, serving automotive customers in Guangdong province.
The facility will be equipped with 19 die casting machines ranging from 2,200 to 12,000 tons, with the potential to install 16,000 ton machines as needed.
It was reported that a 9,000 ton die casting machine has already been installed.
Designed to produce 40,000 tons of aluminum components annually for the electric vehicle industry, the plant will manufacture electric motor housings, battery trays, body castings, and underbody Gigacastings.
At the same time, local media from Chongqing reported that the installation of two 12,000 ton die casting machines is underway at Wencan’s local facility.
image from one of the Wencan Group factories
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