Nissan is revolutionizing its production methods by adopting gigacasting for upcoming electric vehicles. This cutting-edge engineering process, initially popularized by Tesla, is gaining traction among major automotive manufacturers like Nissan.

Nissan Adopts Gigacasting

Following in Tesla's footsteps, the car manufacturer strives to achieve significant savings in development expenses. Nissan anticipates reducing the expenses related to electric vehicle components by 10% and decreasing weight by approximately 20% through the transition to gigacasting for sizable aluminum components.

According to a report by Automotive News cited by EV InsideEVs, Nissan, along with Toyota, Hyundai, Ford, and following Tesla's lead, plans to incorporate this technology. Nissan intends to introduce electric vehicles utilizing gigacasting technology by approximately 2027.

These new manufacturing methods are anticipated to decrease total costs by 30%, resulting in savings of around $1 billion in development expenditures for five upcoming models. Initially introduced by Tesla, gigacasting involves the creation of significant sections of a vehicle's framework using large casting machines.

Unlike traditional assembly methods that involve numerous smaller parts, gigacasting produces substantial sections of the car, such as the complete rear or front portion, as a single unit. This approach minimizes the component count, decreases manufacturing expenses, and results in lighter vehicles that are simpler to put together.

How Gigacasting Works

Like the approach employed in the Tesla Model Y and Cybertruck, upcoming Nissan electric vehicles will utilize gigapresses to shape the rear underbody. Presently composed of as many as 100 components, the rear underbody will be consolidated into large, singular components through aluminum casting in 6,000-ton presses.

As per a report from CarExpert.com.au, Tesla was the pioneering automaker to achieve breakthroughs in gigacasting. This technique involves the high-pressure casting of substantial aluminum components, such as the chassis, mirroring the production method used for the bases of Hot Wheels toy cars.

Additionally, the report emphasized that this approach not only enhances durability by eliminating welding and stamping but also ultimately results in reduced production expenses-despite the initial investment required for the multi-thousand-ton casting machinery.

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CarExpert.com.au also stated that in an interview with Automotive News, Nissan's Executive Vice President, Hideyuki Sakamoto, projected savings of nearly $1.5 billion in the development costs of five electric vehicles set to launch in 2027 or 2028.

These five models will lead Nissan's objective for electric vehicles to represent 40% of its sales by March 2031.

Initially, Nissan will utilize 6,000-ton presses to manufacture the rear underbody of upcoming electric vehicle models, which are approximately 50% larger than the machinery Toyota plans to use for some of its future models.

However, the publication points out that gigacasting has faced challenges related to consistency due to the high pressures involved, which can give rise to quality issues.

News About Nissan EV

As reported by Autoblog, the vast majority of automakers are significantly altering their strategies and financial commitments concerning battery-electric vehicles. Nissan is aligned with this trend, actively developing fresh concepts for products destined for its Canton, Mississippi facility, along with their rollout schedules.

Furthermore, the report highlighted an update from Automotive News. It stated that Nissan has instructed suppliers in the vicinity of its plant to halt all development work on the electric sedans until further instructions.

Nissan is reevaluating its strategy for the coming years. Initially, Nissan intended to commence production of a Nissan-branded electric sedan in 2025, with an Infiniti variant to follow. These models were part of a plan to introduce seven new EVs into the U.S. market by 2026.

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