Tesla’s Giga Shanghai factory in China is capable of producing a Model Y body-in-white in just 40 seconds on average, according to People’s Daily. The automaker recently upgraded its assembly lines at the Chinese factory, significantly increasing production speed. This achievement is largely due to Tesla’s use of “Giga casting” machines, which streamline body production using die-casting technology. With this method, a car can be built using just a few large parts, and even the EV’s battery pack can be integrated into the vehicle’s frame.
In 2022, Giga Shanghai broke records by producing its 1 millionth Tesla EV, and it has continued to function as the company’s primary export hub. The factory has also achieved a localisation rate of over 95 percent, meaning it is able to produce a wide range of components for the EVs, including batteries, chips, interiors, and advanced driver-assist systems.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has long emphasised the importance of manufacturing in the company’s success. Over the past few years, Tesla has worked to reduce production steps, cut manufacturing time, and lower costs. As a result, the company has managed to increase production by around 50 percent two years in a row, even as many other automakers are producing fewer vehicles.
In the future, Musk hopes to use humanoid robots to make EV manufacturing even more efficient and cost-effective. In the meantime, Tesla is in the process of ramping up production at two new factories in Germany and Texas, and is expected to announce the site of a new North American factory soon.