Megacasting: Revolution or Risk for the Automotive Industry?

High-Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) presents significant global market opportunities—particularly for structural components in Body-in-White (BiW), battery frames, and large-format Megacasting parts. Driven by lightweight construction and more efficient production processes, this technology is gaining traction. While traditional aluminum die-cast components are typically produced on machines with clamping forces below 4,000 tons, Megacasting requires presses with 6,000 to 9,000 tons, or in some cases, even up to 16,000 tons.

Tesla, in collaboration with IDRA, pioneered “Gigacasting” (as they named it). New EV manufacturers can integrate Megacasting relatively easily into greenfield production facilities. In contrast, traditional OEMs face the challenge of amortizing existing production lines before investing sums of money to Megacasting. Moreover, the technology is not equally viable for every platform or model, as cost-effectiveness heavily depends on production volume and tool lifecycle.

There are still technical challenges and opportunities for improvement, particularly in process stability (OEE), new aluminum alloys for greater stability and improved recyclability, and advanced joining technologies to integrate large die-cast components into existing vehicle structures.

Regional differences characterize market development:

• Europe: Volvo is heavily investing in Megacasting, while VW and Renault are also planning to adopt the technology. Meanwhile, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and JLR are taking a more gradual approach, incorporating mid-sized die-cast parts.
• North America: GM and Ford are pushing forward with Megacasting to follow Tesla’s lead. Honda is starting its development in North America, with a particular focus on battery housings.
• China: Megacasting has become almost standard practice. New EV players such as Xpeng, Nio, and Xiaomi have made it a core strategy, while traditional OEMs like Geely and Chery are making massive investments. However, the rapid scale-up has already led to overcapacity in the region.

Despite an expected market growth of over 30% per year until 2030, the development remains closely linked to EV adoption rates. Political regulations and consumer acceptance of BEVs will be key factors influencing demand.

Megacasting offers OEMs significant advantages in cost, weight, and production speed—making it difficult for any manufacturer to ignore. Suppliers, in particular, have promising opportunities in North America and Europe, where the market is still in its early stages.

Are you interested in further information?

Please do not hesitate to contact us:
Sebastian Lüttig
Phone: +49 6201 9915 67
sebastian.luettig@SchlegelundPartner.de

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