Image: Tesla
A new study is challenging long-standing concerns about Tesla’s gigacasting technology, finding that large structural castings not only streamline vehicle production but also make collision repairs easier and more affordable (via Not a Tesla App).
For years, critics argued that Tesla’s massive single-piece castings — used across much of Tesla’s lineup but extensively incorporated in the Model Y and Cybertruck — could turn even minor accidents into costly nightmares, with insurers fearing more vehicles could be written off as total losses. But new data from Thatcham Research reveals the opposite.
According to the study, partial repairs on a Tesla Model Y’s rear gigacast saved nearly $3,000 compared to similar repairs on a Model 3’s conventional multi-part steel body. Even full replacements saw a cost advantage, saving hundreds of dollars. Tesla’s “gigacast sectioning” approach, which allows damaged portions of the casting to be replaced without scrapping the entire piece, is key to these savings.
Tesla lead engineer Wes Morrill, who worked on the Cybertruck, explained it: “If you simplify the body design with large structural castings, it’s better both for initial assembly and for repair.”
Gigacasting eliminates the need for hundreds of smaller parts, welds, and joints, which not only speeds up assembly but also localizes damage in collisions. That means less complexity for repair shops and fewer surprises for insurers.
The findings arrive as Tesla continues to expand its global production operations. Giga Berlin recently celebrated producing its 100,000th refreshed Model Y, and the factory just began production of the new Model Y Performance, which relies on gigacasting structures. In China, Tesla launched the new three-row, six-seat Model Y L last month, also leveraging these manufacturing innovations.
With gigacastings becoming increasingly central to Tesla’s design philosophy, the new data may prompt insurers and repair shops to rethink long-held assumptions. Instead of being a repair liability, Tesla’s bold casting approach could prove to be an industry benchmark in both cost savings and efficiency.
