A Tesla Model Y single-piece rear “Megacast” has been spotted in a production vehicle, suggesting that the electric car maker started using Giga Press machines at the Fremont Factory. The Giga Press machines are capable of creating Model Y rear underbodies from a single piece of metal.
An image of the Model Y single-piece rear cast was shared on Twitter by Tesla owner-enthusiast @TonyTesla4Life, who noted that the component was spotted on a vehicle with a VIN in the 97k-range. The Tesla owner added that the vehicle still featured a classic center console and door panels, and it had no HEPA filter.
Indications that the recently-spotted Model Y component was a single-piece “Megacast” could be found in its central area, which no longer features what seemed to be a connecting plate. As evident in images and footage provided by automotive teardown specialist Sandy Munro last year when he analyzed the all-electric crossover, the Model Y’s two-piece rear underbody features a center brace.
Despite Tesla still using a two-piece rear underbody for the Model Y, Sandy Munro already noted that the components were among the largest casted parts he has ever seen in an automobile. And even then, Munro stated that the Model Y’s large casted parts already provided Tesla with notable savings and production efficiencies. This is especially noteworthy considering that the early-production Model 3 featured a rear underbody that had 70 pieces.
Tesla’s use of single-piece rear casts for the Model Y has caught the attention of the electric vehicle community for a long time. Over the past year, drone flyovers of the Fremont factory have shown progress in the installation of the facility’s two massive Giga Press machines, which are so large that they are set up outside the facility itself. Elon Musk, for his part, noted back in August that it would be amazing to see the Giga Press machines in operation.
Check out Sandy Munro’s feature on the Model Y’s rear castings in the video below.
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