A recent report from *Reuters* claims that Tesla has decided to step back from its plan to develop a next-generation gigacasting system. This system would have allowed the company to use a single casting for a vehicle’s entire underbody.
Instead, Tesla is reportedly sticking with its current process, which involves using a front and rear megacast and a structural battery pack. The report suggests that the single-piece gigacast was supposed to be a central component of Tesla’s “unboxed” process.
However, the company is said to have abandoned these plans last Autumn, as developing a single-piece gigacast would require a lot of trial and error, as well as a significant investment on Tesla’s part. While *Reuters* implied that Tesla’s decision was a response to weak sales and rising competition, Elon Musk hinted at the company’s alleged decision to use its existing gigacasting technology for the Robotaxi “Cybercab” during Tesla’s Q1 earnings call.
Musk stated that Tesla is accelerating the launch of new models by combining aspects of its current platform and its next-generation platform, with the expectation of launching these new models ahead of the initial schedule. The shift towards using aspects of the next-generation platform and current platforms for new models is aimed at being produced more efficiently on the company’s current manufacturing lines.
This decision is not contingent upon establishing new factories or massive new production lines, according to Musk. These updates suggest that Tesla is adjusting its manufacturing strategy while prioritizing efficiency and production acceleration.