Tesla was the first carmaker to use die-casting in vehicle manufacturing, replacing many components in the car's structure with a single "megacasting." Other carmakers are already following suit. Geely's Zeekr brand is the latest to announce that it would adopt megacastings for its Zeekr 009 MPV.
Tesla has always been a disruptor in the auto industry, not least because it was the first startup to succeed in what was a hermetic industry. It was also the first carmaker to prove that electric vehicles can be profitable and is probably the only one to make money from EVs. Still, Tesla's contribution to the auto industry is more important than that. The EV maker has reinvented car manufacturing by designing a more efficient factory layout.
Tesla's iconic gigafactories are unlike anything the auto industry has ever seen. The unique layout allows for building up to two million vehicles per year in a much smaller footprint. Typical car manufacturing plants are built for 350,000-400,000 vehicles per year. Tesla's gigafactories also allow the components to be delivered to specific points on the production line, minimizing time spent in transit.
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