Mega casting – the future of car body production?

Future innovations in connected and autonomous vehicles offer unique growth opportunities for the automotive industry. However, technological development will also increase the base costs per vehicle, while global sales will only increase by around 1% p.a. until 2030. Original equipment manufacturers cannot fully pass on the additional costs to their customers.

Suppliers and OEMs, therefore, face the challenge of reducing their technology costs. The focus should be on carefully planning and managing their future Product portfolio to ensure modularity and scalability. Tesla's recent successes have spotlighted mega casting, producing car bodies from a single mold. This technology promises fundamental advantages regarding innovation potential, increased efficiency, and supply chain resilience.

Our analysis of mega-casting technology provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages in direct comparison with welded body production and a comprehensive cost and CO2 analysis of the body construction concepts for an actual vehicle. Gain insight into the key innovation drivers and trends and their potential impact on profitability and technological transformation. Use our three assessment scenarios to identify the key cost and environmental footprint impacts.