Tesla abandons revolutionary manufacturing process – report

Tesla has reportedly taken a step back from a new manufacturing technique which has been widely touted as being revolutionary for the automotive industry.

News outlet Reuters claims Tesla has abandoned its expanded plans for single-piece 'gigacasting' – a process which stamps out large pieces of metal used for the floors and side panels in vehicles, which would have saved considerable time and money during manufacturing.

Currently, most car makers cast multiple pieces before welding or bonding them together to make a large section.

Tesla already uses gigacasting in Texas-built Model Ys to stamp the front and rear structures of the car in single pieces, but does not use it on the underbody – and the technique is not used at all on most of its models.

According to the latest report, Tesla has opted to continue with its current practice of stamping three pieces of the floorpan together.

However, Reuters claims the decision was made in the third quarter of 2023, prior to reporting the US electric car maker had axed its affordable small car project – which prompted CEO Elon Musk to accuse the news outlet of lying.

If the timeline is accurate, the decision would have come just prior to Lexus unveiling the world's first concepts with underbodies created using gigacasting techniques.

While Tesla has not yet confirmed any changes to its pursuit of single-piece underbody gigacasting, the news comes just days after the company laid off two teams – one responsible for its Supercharger network, and the other for developing new models.

It's believed more than 500 staff were dismissed, according to website The Information – including senior Australian engineer Daniel Ho, director of 'Vehicle Programs and New Product Introduction'.

Last month, Tesla cut 10 per cent of its global workforce, Reuters reported at the time, with approximately 15,000 employees affected.