Last month Tesla's Giga Press supplier, IDRA, announced that it has completed assembling and testing a new 9000-t Giga Press that will be used to build the Cybertruck's body. And today, after being disassembled and shipped to the US, the 9000-t Giga Press has finally made it to Giga Texas.
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A few months back, Tesla’s Giga Press manufacturer IDRA released a video teasing a new 9000-ton Giga Press being assembled at the company’s Italy factory. In the 21-second video, IDRA did not share a lot of details about the new machine besides stating it will be “coming in 3 weeks.”
Currently, Tesla uses 6000-ton Giga Presses to build the front and rear chassis of the Model Y as single pieces. Using the Giga Press has allowed Tesla to decrease the parts that make up the rear body of the Model Y from 120 to 1.
This enables Tesla to eliminate several welding robots from the production line, decrease the footprint of the factory, and decrease manufacturing time, complexity, and assembly errors.
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Having a single-piece rear body as opposed to 120 also makes the Mode Y lighter, stiffer, and simply an overall better product but at a cheaper price.
Going back to the new 9000-ton Giga Press, when IDRA released the video teasing this machine, there was confusion as to what product Tesla will use the new Giga Press for. However, a few days after IDRA’s video Elon Musk confirmed the new machine will be used to build the Cybertruck’s body.
According to Tesla, the Cybertruck is not expected to begin production until mid-2023 with initial deliveries not starting until the second half of the year. However, there are unconfirmed rumors that Tesla might deliver 30 hand-built Cybertrucks as early as next month.
Currently, IDRA has finished assembling the 9000-ton Giga Press that will be used to build the Cybertruck. And IDRA has shared this information through the company’s official YouTube channel.
In the video, IDRA shows off the final assembly of the Giga Press. The parts we have seen getting built in previous IDRA videos all come together and now the machine stands as a single magnificent piece.
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On top of that, IDRA showcases the new 9000-t Giga Press in action and says that the machine has successfully completed testing.
It’s incredible to imagine the new 9000-ton Giga Press basically “printing” large chunks of the Cybertruck as single pieces. However, before Tesla can begin utilizing the new Giga Press, there is a process it needs to undergo.
The machine will need to be disassembled, transported to the Cybertruck factory in Austin Texas, reassembled, undergo testing, and only then can the new 9000-ton Giga Press begin building the Cybertruck’s body.
This entire process is expected to take several months. However, today we have gotten some good news that suggests Tesla is one step close to starting the Cybertruck’s production.
Joe Tegtmeyer, who has been flying drones over Giga Texas and documenting the factory’s progress since the early days, on his latest drone flyover noticed trucks with heavy trailers unloading parts to the factory.
And based on his educated guess, Tegtmeyer believes the trucks are carrying the same 9000-t Giga Press that will build the Cybertruck’s body which we last saw undergoing final testing in Italy a couple of months back.
This news is really exciting and shows that Tesla is getting closer to beginning the Cybertruck’s production. Having said that, currently, we only have a single drone flyover to say the 9000-t Giga Press has indeed arrived at Giga Texas but, given all the work being done at the factory, there is still a chance the trucks might be unloading heavy equipment destined for other purposes.
However, we will be sure to keep you posted once we learn more about the situation. Until then, make sure to visit our site torquenews.com/Tesla regularly for the latest updates.
So what do you think? Excited to see the 9000-ton Giga Press slated to build the Cybertruck’s body already in Giga Texas? Also, how do you think this will accelerate Cybertruck’s production ramp? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Image: Screenshot from IDRA’s YouTube channel
For more information check out: Fremont Factory Gears Up For The Next Tesla Model 3 Restyling
Tinsae Aregay has been following Tesla and The evolution of the EV space on a daily basis for several years. He covers everything about Tesla from the cars to Elon Musk, the energy business, and autonomy. Follow Tinsae on Twitter at @TinsaeAregay for daily Tesla news.
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