Source: Finance Association
① “Integrated die casting” was originally expected to completely change the way cars are manufactured; ② Tesla has always been in a leading position in this field; ③ However, according to two people familiar with the matter, Tesla has abandoned plans to innovate in this process.
According to two people familiar with the matter revealed to the media,$Tesla (TSLA.US)$Plans to innovate in its pioneering gigacasting (gigacasting, hereinafter collectively referred to as “integrated die casting”) process have been abandoned, which is another sign that it is cutting costs in the face of declining sales and increased competition.
“Integrated die casting” is a cutting-edge technology that aims to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce costs by using a large press to die-cast most of the bottom of an automobile body as a whole.
You should know that in a typical car, the bottom of the body is supposed to be made up of hundreds of individual parts. As a result, the technology was expected to completely change the way cars are manufactured, and Tesla has always been a leader in this field.
Now, however, Tesla is said to have stopped this innovative program and chose to return to the more traditional three-stage casting method. According to reports, Tesla's two new models, the Model Y crossover SUV and Cybertruck pickup truck, both use traditional three-stage casting methods.
Tesla's move is another example of cutting short-term spending. The company is adapting to declining sales and profit margins, weak global demand for electric vehicles, and increased competition in the Chinese market. Tesla cut more than 10% of its global workforce last month, and some of its executives resigned or were fired.
Terry Woychowski, president of American engineering firm Caresoft Global, said that stopping the “integrated die casting” process would save the company from making large short-term capital investments in manufacturing and design.
At the same time, these moves also reflect a fundamental shift in Tesla's strategy. The company is now more focused on developing autonomous vehicles than simply driving a significant increase in electric vehicle sales, although many investors are more concerned about the latter.
Tesla has yet to publicly comment on the matter. However, analysts say this decision will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the company's production methods and cost structure. At the same time, it also reflects the flexible adjustments Tesla has made in response to market changes.
James Womack, an automobile manufacturing expert and former research director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), said that promoting innovative production technology is of little help to Tesla sales.
“From the perspective of the public and buyers, it's not very exciting,” Womack said. “You don't know if this actually saves a lot of money.”
editor/tolk