According to an exclusive report from Korean newspaper Hankyung, Hyundai's new EV production process involves injecting molten aluminum alloy into molds that harden into the vehicle's frame. Since introducing the process at Tesla's Fremont factory in 2020, the EV maker has rolled it out at its plants in China and Germany.
The massive machines produce parts much larger than what the auto industry was used to. Automakers can save much-needed time and resources by not having to bond multiple parts together (it can also help reduce the weight of the vehicle). Tesla is said to have reduced costs by about 30% using Giga Casting.
Traditional methods involve drilling thousands of holes in about 70 steel plates and welding them together one at a time. You can see how it saves time and money.
Hyundai, which reached a tentative wage pact with its South Korean union on Tuesday, agreed to a "special agreement for future growth." The goal is to boost domestic investment to transform existing internal combustion engine plants into "core production bases for future vehicles.
Korea's largest automaker has decided to develop its own casting, processing and assembly plant, with production planned for 2026.
The company has already filed a trademark application for "hypercasting" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on August 21, 2023.
Source: Hankyung