"The Detroit automaker on Tuesday showed off some of the engineering advances behind its new $30,000 electric pickup, which launches in 2027. In addition to improved aerodynamics and a new battery system, Ford said its new EV production line would deploy unicasting for the first time. It's a process that uses giant hydraulic presses to shape molten aluminium into large pieces of the vehicle frame, reducing the number of parts and allowing different sections of the vehicle to be assembled separately."
"Ford said that the unicasting approach means that its new electric pickup truck would use just two body parts in its front and rear structure, compared to 147 on Ford's Maverick pickup. Tesla has been using large-scale aluminium castings on its production lines since 2020. A number of other automakers, including Toyota and Volvo, have since adopted the technique. In 2023, Reuters reported that Ford had purchased a giant "gigapress" for R&D purposes from the same Italian supplier used by Tesla."
Ford will launch a $30,000 electric pickup in 2027 that uses unicasting to cut parts and weight. The production line will use giant hydraulic presses to shape molten aluminium into large structural pieces, reducing component count and allowing separate assembly of sections. The new truck's front and rear structures will consist of just two body parts compared with 147 on the Maverick. Ford obtained a large gigapress for R&D and pursued improved aerodynamics and a new battery system. Former Tesla executive Alan Clarke said Ford's approach could make its EVs roughly 27% lighter than the best current competitors.
Read at Business Insider
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