Sandy Munro Comments On Leaked Tesla Cybertruck Casting Image
Earlier this month, an image of the Cybertruck rear underbody casting was leaked from Giga Texas. And it didn’t go unnoticed from the eyes of long-time automotive industry veteran and vehicle teardown expert Sandy Munro.
Munro took the chance to talk about this leaked image of the Cybertruck casting and give us an expert view of his observations.
This image of a half-body shell of a Tesla Cybertruck popped up on Twitter. It was most probably taken randomly at Giga Texas, as Tesla staff can be seen working underneath the truck’s body shell.
After analyzing the photo, Sandy Munro said that this is not a single-piece Giga Casting of the Cybertruck nor the final design — it is a prototype casting.
I’m back from Saudi Arabia! @CorySteuben asked me to react to the leaked image of the @Tesla cybertruck casting, see below. @live_munro @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/gwfOawfWle
— Sandy Munro (@teardowntitan) December 12, 2022
According to Sandy’s observation, there are actually 5 components welded together to make this casting (two on each side and one at the bottom). Although it looks like a Giga Casting, it is made with a different method called “lost foam,” says Sandy.
After making a foam pattern, it is rammed up in the sand and then molten aluminum is poured into the pattern. The extremely hot molten aluminum melts the styrofoam and the shape of the casting is made, Sandy explained, describing the lost foam method.
The lost foam method is good for creating prototype castings such as the one we can see in the leaked Cybertruck development picture above.
A true Giga Casting does not have welds in it. The entire purpose of a Giga Cast is to eliminate as many welds as possible, as we have seen in the case of the Tesla Model Y.
Since aluminum cannot be welded to stainless steel (Cybertruck body), Munro thinks there is some aluminum under the body shell that these castings are welded to, but it cannot be confirmed looking at this photo.
Video: Sandy Munro’s take on the Cybertruck castings seen in the leaked photo.
Tesla ordered a 9000-ton Giga Casting machine from IDRA to create Cybertruck underbody single-piece castings for the production environment.
The first 9000-ton Cybertruck Giga Casting machine was getting prepared to be shipped from Italy to Giga Texas, as we reported in October. This machine might have landed in the United States, but there is no evidence that it has been commissioned at Giga Texas yet.
This is the world’s largest Giga Casting machine and needs to be shipped in parts. Therefore, it might take some more time to enter the installation process at Tesla’s Cybertruck factory in Austin, Texas.
After tearing down the Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, and Tesla Model S Plaid … Sandy Munro and his team of engineers intend to teardown a giant Tesla Semi truck. To purchase a Tesla Semi ($200,000+), MunroLive.com is selling stickers for $15 ($50 signed by Munro) to gather the required funding.
He urges his viewers, Tesla fans, and owners to buy the “Uncle Sandy Wants You” stickers so that he can bring you a fantastic Tesla Semi teardown video series.
Video: Sandy Munro’s crowdfunding effort to buy a Tesla Semi for teardown analysis.
Originally published by Tesla Oracle. By @IqtidarAlii.
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Latest CleanTechnica.TV Video
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.
