BYD Pioneers Single-Piece Electric car Chassis, Signaling Shift in Automotive Manufacturing
Shenzhen, China – BYD has begun utilizing a revolutionary single-piece chassis design for its electric vehicles, a manufacturing technique previously considered prohibitively complex and expensive. The innovation, dubbed “Gigacasting” by some in the industry, promises to considerably reduce production time and costs while simultaneously enhancing vehicle rigidity and safety.
Traditional car manufacturing involves assembling numerous stamped and welded parts to form the vehicle’s chassis. BYD’s new approach casts the entire chassis from a single piece of metal using a gigantic press, mirroring methods already adopted by Tesla and Toyota. This one-piece design addresses structural fragility concerns present in multi-part chassis, offering “greatly increased rigidity” and improved force distribution for enhanced impact protection, according to the manufacturer.
The Gigacasting method is gaining traction as manufacturers seek to streamline production and lower expenses. BYD states this technology offers “a perfect balance between high strength, robustness and fatigue resistance.” While currently focused on larger vehicle models, the company suggests this approach ”could influence the design and future production of heavy vehicle chassis.”