Toyota shows gigacasting: a rear body section that took 86 parts and 33 steps cast as one piece in about three minutes

Toyota/Lexus Shanghai gigacasting line

Toyota demonstrated a large die-casting process, inspired by Tesla's, that makes the rear section of a car body as a single aluminium part. The conventional version needs 86 parts and 33 steps; the cast one takes about three minutes. Toyota planned to use front and rear castings on a new EV from 2026, alongside other changes meant to halve assembly time.

• 86 parts and 33 process steps replaced by one casting.
• Casting time about three minutes, versus hours of welding.
• Gigacasting first planned for a new EV in 2026.
• Tesla began using the technique for the Model Y in 2021.