Tesla has sought help to prove that its vehicles built with giga-casting parts are not more expensive to repair. That’s something that is particularly of concern to insurers.
Over the last few years, Tesla has heavily invested into giga-casting technology to produce larger car parts.
The automaker can now produce entire car bodies with just a few parts rather than over a hundred.
The advantages in manufacturing, efficiency, and even safety are pretty obvious, but industry experts and other automakers have warned that it could create issues with repairs.
According to a new report from Autocar, Tesla is investing in R&D to find new ways to repair its latest giga-casted cars:
According to sources within Tesla, the company is investing in research and development to find innovative repair solutions for the ‘megacast’ underbody sections. They aim to develop repair techniques that are efficient, cost-effective, and maintain the structural integrity of the vehicle.
Furthermore, the report claims that Tesla is working with Thatcham Research to “test EV maker’s new underbody after concerns raised over repair costs”.
Thatcham Research is known for “engineering-grade research and data to help insurers, government, vehicle manufacturers, technology companies and the repair industry make better, more informed decisions.”
While many automakers expressed similar concerns about giga casting when Tesla first pioneered the technology, many of them have now followed.
Idra, which supplies Tesla with the giant casting machines, confirmed that many automakers have placed orders for the machines since Tesla popularized their use in the auto industry.
More recently, both Volvo and Hyundai announced similar efforts.