To make cheaper EVs, Nissan takes a cue from Tesla
Nissan Motor Co. will use gigacasting, a manufacturing process pioneered by Tesla Inc., to make part of its electric vehicles (EVs) as the automaker joins global rivals in pursuing the innovation to cut costs.
The carmaker will use machines with about 6,000 tonnes of force to make the rear floors of EVs to be sold from fiscal 2027 onwards, according to an announcement on Tuesday. The process will reduce manufacturing costs by 10%, the company said, and is part of its broader strategy to achieve cost parity between electric and combustion engine vehicles by fiscal 2030.
Japanese carmakers are playing catchup with the likes of Tesla and Chinese giant BYD Co. to carve out a share of the global EV market. For manufacturers like Nissan, which makes Japan’s most popular EV, the high prices of battery-powered cars are proving a major hurdle to more widespread adoption.
That’s where gigacasting comes in. The process uses huge machines to cast entire sections of a chassis in a single step, replacing the need to weld together dozens of separate parts and wringing out savings of time, equipment, labour and cost. Tesla spearheaded the approach, and Japan’s Toyota Motor Corp. is
Nissan will use gigacasting to make the rear floors of EVs to be sold from fiscal 2027 onwards
among carmakers committing to use it.
The process is similar in principle to die-casting, which is already used to make small auto parts.
“We have been using casting boards for front air conditioner structural parts at our Tochigi plant for more than 10 years,” said Hideyuki Sakamoto, executive vicepresident for manufacturing and supply chain management. Nissan is “quite experienced in casting car structures,” he said at the company’s plant in Yokohama.
The factory houses Nissan’s all-solid-state battery pilot line, which will have initial production capacity to make batteries for 2,000 to 3,000 EVs. The carmaker has previously announced a target for an additional one million vehicle sales within three years and will introduce 30 new models, including 16 EVs.