Radical new mega-casting production method will cut complexity while boosting flexibility
JAMES ATTWOOD
Volvo will introduce mega-casting into the production of its next-generation EVs, due in 2026 – a move it says will greatly improve efficiency and create more freedom for future vehicle design and manufacturing.
The firm says the advanced manufacturing process will be introduced on the next-generation EVs produced at its main Torslanda plant in Sweden.
Although the manufacturer has given no technical details, this will tie in with the planned introduction of the SPA3 platform – which is a development of existing architectures and being used to signal the third generation of the firm’s bespoke electric cars.
Erik Severinson, Volvo’s head of strategy and programme management, declined to comment on the first model to be produced on that platform. He said: “What I can say is that by 2030 we have committed to being fully electric, and by then we need to redo our whole product portfolio to have electric options for all our customers. And that requires a lot of new cars between now and 2030.”
Given Volvo’s focus on SUVs, the clear gap in its electric line-up is an EX60, which would sit alongside the XC60, its current bestseller. That model had been expected to arrive in 2025 and its position as one of the firm’s most significant products would make Torslanda a natural choice as a production site.
The mega-casting process involves producing large single car parts formed by pouring molten metal into a die-cast mould. That enables large sections of a car platform to be produced as single pieces, rather than manufacturing numerous separate parts and welding or bolting them together. The technique is already used by Tesla and Toyota will introduce it on future models.
Volvo will start by producing the rear floor section of its next-generation models as a single aluminium piece using the mega-casting technique. The firm says this will be a single car part and replace around 100 parts used previously. Because of that reduced complexity, the rear floor will have 84% fewer welded joints and weigh around 50% less.
According to Mikael Fermér, Volvo’s vehicle platform lead architect, the process will revolutionise the firm’s approach to construction. He noted that, at present, the fixed points and structures of a platform mean that it essentially has a shelf life once launched.
