First Cybertruck Front Megacastings Spotted at Giga Texas

Despite skeptics believing otherwise, Tesla is continuing preparations for the Cybertruck production at Giga Texas. The EV maker installed hundreds of Kuka assembly robots in the gigafactory section dedicated to the Cybertruck production. It also brought two 9,000-ton GigaPresses to cast Cybertruck's large underbody sections. Work in and around Giga Texas shows that Tesla is on track for the start of production by the end of the year.

Still, recent reports indicate that Tesla must first sort out the 4680 battery cell production. The new cells, crucial to the Cybertruck's success, lack the energy density and yields required to mass produce the Cybertruck. Tesla might choose to offer a lower-range variant of the Cybertruck at the start of production or go with a much heavier battery pack. This will likely compromise the truck's efficiency, although we expect Tesla to offer more information during the 2023 Shareholder Meeting on May 16.

Besides the 4680 battery cells, the single-piece megacastings that form the Cybertruck underbody are the most important components of the upcoming electric pickup. Tesla commissioned the Italians from IDRA to build the largest die-casting machine, the 9,000-ton GigaPress. Two such machines have been installed at Giga Texas for the Cybertruck's production, and one lucky encounter might have revealed their offspring.

The megacastings on the left side of the image were placed on pallets of the same color as the bare metal of the megacastings. This is strange enough to stir controversies, especially as the megacastings to the right are placed on the floor. They are also marked with a "C" for more debates. Thanks to Tesla releasing pictures of the Cybertruck body on the production line, enthusiasts have been able to positively identify the megacastings as belonging to the Cybertruck.

The electric pickup is the first Tesla vehicle designed from the ground up with megacastings as part of its integrated structure. A recent analysis showed that the Cybertruck doesn't feature a body-on-frame design, which is a characteristic of tougher work trucks. Tesla talked about an "exoskeleton," although the recent Cybertruck body pictures revealed that the hyped-up truck adopts a unibody construction, much like a mid-sized Honda Ridgeline or Ford Maverick.

Cybertruck test production is slated to begin this summer, but the electric pickup will not start deliveries earlier than 2024. Besides setting up the production line, Tesla has also started signing up suppliers. Too bad people already have second feelings about the Cybertruck's design, which no longer seems so cool with the latest prototype sightings.