Volvo EX60 to introduce radical new production process

Volvo volition present mega-casting into the accumulation of its next-generation electric cars, owed successful 2026 – a determination it says volition greatly amended ratio and make much state for aboriginal conveyance plan and manufacturing.

The steadfast says the precocious manufacturing process volition beryllium introduced connected the next-generation EVs produced astatine its main Torslanda works successful Sweden.

Although the shaper has fixed nary method details, this volition necktie successful with the planned instauration of the SPA3 level – which is simply a improvement of existing architectures and being utilized to awesome the 3rd procreation of the firm’s bespoke electrical cars.

Erik Severinson, Volvo’s caput of strategy and programme management, declined to remark connected the archetypal exemplary to beryllium produced connected that platform.

He said: “What I tin accidental is that by 2030 we person committed to being afloat electric, and by past we request to redo our full merchandise portfolio to person electrical options for each our customers. And that requires a batch of caller cars betwixt present and 2030.”

Given Volvo’s absorption connected SUVs, the wide spread successful its electrical line-up is an EX60, which would beryllium alongside the XC60, its existent best-seller. That exemplary had been expected to get successful 2025 and its presumption arsenic 1 of the firm’s astir important products would marque Torslanda a earthy prime arsenic a accumulation site.

The mega-casting process involves producing ample azygous car parts formed by pouring molten metallic into a die-cast mould. That enables ample sections of a car level to beryllium produced arsenic azygous pieces, alternatively than manufacturing galore abstracted parts and welding oregon bolting them together. The method is already utilized by Tesla and Toyota volition present it connected aboriginal models.

Volvo volition commencement by producing the rear level conception of its next-generation models arsenic a azygous aluminium portion utilizing the mega-casting technique. The steadfast says this volition beryllium a azygous car portion and regenerate astir 100 parts utilized previously. Because of that reduced complexity, the rear level volition person 84% less welded joints and measurement astir 50% less.

According to Mikael Fermér Volvo’s conveyance level pb architect, the process volition revolutionise the firm’s attack to construction. He noted that, astatine present, the fixed points and structures of a level mean that it fundamentally has a support beingness erstwhile launched.

But due to the fact that the megacast parts tin beryllium changed simply by adapting the moulds – which request attraction each 4 months oregon truthful – it becomes overmuch easier to marque important changes to the structure, efficaciously giving a level “an unlimited lifespan”. That could besides pb to much accelerated deployment of caller conveyance types.

Volvo is aiming to summation the usage of mega-casting successful aboriginal years, with the eventual extremity of producing overmuch of the level arsenic a fistful of pieces.

Fermér said the level is “a bully starting point” due to the fact that “it’s reasonably casual to plan a harmless and robust rear floor. You person a batch of analyzable interfaces that you regenerate erstwhile you spell from 100 parts to one”.

He added that “it’s your imagination” that limits what tin beryllium done with mega-casting, but said: “It should ever beryllium based connected the concern lawsuit and function. We person looked into casting a implicit artillery tray, which makes consciousness due to the fact that it could regenerate galore parts.”

Fermér besides said determination are nary concerns implicit safety, oregon perchance higher repair costs if a ample mega-cast portion is damaged – an contented that Tesla has been striving to resoluteness with immoderate security firms. He noted Volvo’s long-standing committedness to safety, adding: “We extremity the mega-cast portion down the wheelhouse and past person a bumper beam and a rear clang structure, which is simply a large portion that we tin crush and replace.

“It is imaginable to repair a mega-cast portion to immoderate extent, but if it’s a truly terrible crash, past it volition beryllium scrapped. But that’s the aforesaid for a accepted car, and astir apt astir arsenic apt arsenic the main assemblage of a existent car being written off.” As good arsenic the advantages successful car design, mega-casting offers respective accumulation benefits.

These see large reductions successful CO2 emissions – not conscionable from production, but besides done reducing the fig of parts that request to beryllium shipped successful from extracurricular suppliers oregon different Volvo factories. It allows for importantly higher worldly utilisation too, due to the fact that immoderate leftover aluminium tin simply beryllium melted down and re-cast.

Volvo volition initially usage caller pressed aluminium for the process due to the fact that of the request for prime control, but it is evaluating the usage of recycled metallic successful the aboriginal – oregon adjacent bringing successful readymolten aluminium.

The immense mega-casting instrumentality Volvo has constructed tin formed a azygous rear tray successful astir 120 seconds and moving 2 successful parallel means it tin conscionable the demands of the accumulation enactment to nutrient astir 60 cars an hour.

Volvo’s caller mega-casting installation astatine Torslanda is portion of a large £800 cardinal upgrade to hole the tract for aboriginal electrical car production. The institution volition besides unfastened a caller artillery assembly plant, which volition conception packs utilizing cells produced astatine an adjacent caller accumulation installation that volition beryllium operated by spouse steadfast Northvolt.

Volvo besides plans to usage mega-casting astatine a caller mill presently nether operation successful Slovakia and it could yet beryllium introduced crossed its different planetary plants arsenic the request arises.