Tesla is testing large pistons to cast almost the entire body, using the company's secret new technology that combines 3D printing with artificial sand, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the process.
Tesla plans to revolutionize the process of building electric cars in its huge factories, and CEO Elon Musk has been a supporter of the idea of making large sub-units of the car and then assembling them.
Long before rival automakers thought about it, the company was using extremely high-pressure pistons to form a few large parts rather than hundreds of small ones.
The company currently uses presses with a printing capacity of between 6,000 and 9,000 tons to form the front and rear bodies of the Model Y.
The company is expected to produce the Model Y approximately three times faster than its competitors can produce electric cars.
Tesla's new method requires pressure of 16 tons or more, which requires a lot of space.
As a result, Tesla is doubling the size of its Berlin factory and trying to build another in India.
The number of parts traditionally used in automobile manufacturing technology is about 400 pieces.
It costs about $4 million to make a large mold from scratch, and about $1.5 million to remake the mold once changes are made after initial testing.
Thanks to new technologies, it takes Tesla 18 to 24 months to develop a car from scratch, compared to 3 to 4 years for most competitors.
According to the report, Tesla could use a mold consisting of a 3D-printed solid sand core inside, with the sand removed after molding, leaving a hollow subframe suitable for structural integrity.
This process gives Tesla greater flexibility in terms of cost, design and time compared to traditional metal dies.
By developing the technology, the company could move closer to Musk's goal of cutting production costs in half.
On a smaller scale, the standardized design of Apple's laptops allows the company to reduce assembly costs because the entire product body is made from a single sheet of aluminum.
Tesla plans to launch a small, affordable electric car priced at $25,000 by 2025.