Lightweighting of the chassis and body is an important way for the subsequent lightweighting of electric vehicles. The subframe requires low-pressure casting, and the battery shell uses extrusion welding or segmented casting. The requirements for equipment, technology, and design are relatively high. At present, only large companies are able to get involved, and the barriers are high.

Tesla’s production capacity will be affected by the epidemic and battery pack supply in the short term, but it is expected to increase rapidly in the future. Currently, due to the epidemic and insufficient supply of battery packs, Tesla's production is 1,000 units per week, and is expected to reach 3,000 units per week by the end of March. The production capacity is expected to be 14,000-16,000 units in the first quarter, and will increase to 5,000 units per week in the future. Only model 3 is expected to have a production capacity of 150,000-200,000 units throughout the year. Model Y is expected to ramp up in the fourth quarter and 80% of the products will be put into use.

The large value of lightweight bicycles with chassis and body will bring flexibility to the performance of supporting companies. At present, the chassis parts and interior parts of Tuopu Group are worth 5,000-6,000 yuan, the Lingyun body parts are worth 4,000-5,000 yuan, and the battery tray Sekoli is 3,000 yuan, all of which are relatively large in value.

Tesla production situation

1 Production capacity and ramp-up progress?

First quarter and full-year output expectations:

Due to the impact of the epidemic and the bottleneck of battery pack production capacity (the supply in North America is not enough, the factories here are not ready), January did not meet expectations. production capacity. Production in January was 2,000-3,000 units less than expected. Production in the first quarter is expected to be between 14,000 and 16,000, and this year between 150,000 and 200,000 (single model 3).

Climbing progress:

We are currently producing 1,000 vehicles per week. We plan to start production from February 10 and start ramping up from 1,000 vehicles per week. By the end of March, we will reach 3,000 vehicles per week. Weekly (designed capacity is at full production), the company plans to produce 5,000 units per week by mid-May.

Battery:

There are two factories, 1 is a temporary assembly factory, and 2 is a formal battery factory. Initially, LG batteries will be used, and Ningde batteries will be used around July. Bag.

modelY:

For production capacity planning, please refer to model 3. The second phase of the factory is already under construction. It is expected that the factory will be delivered at the end of August and offline in the fourth quarter. The supplier and model 3 have 80% overlap.

2 Supplier situation?

The first step to consider when localizing is car body parts, such as welding parts, which are Korean suppliers. They will be distributed to several large suppliers in China, such as Sai. Keli, Lingyun and the Changshu factory of Korean suppliers. Ling Yun accounts for the majority, while Sekoli is relatively small.

Top:

The front and rear subframes and interior decoration are worth 5,000-6,000 yuan.

Ling Yun:

The body and welding parts, the first batch of 10 parts and the second batch of 18 parts, add up to 4,000-5,000 yuan. The original plan was to complete the switch in December last year, but it was postponed due to quality issues. Now we have basically started supplying, waiting for quality testing.

Secoli will supply battery trays. The cover on the battery will be supplied by Xusheng.

The supplier of the steering knuckle is Mando, and we are not considering switching at the moment.

3 Tesla’s annual decline?

Before, we were very weak against suppliers and there was no year-on-year decline. When introducing China, because the purchasing department is from North America, there is no annual reduction when signing the contract for the first time. Two years after entering the Chinese market, it will gradually localize and consider annual reduction.

4Will you consider dual-track suppliers?

If the supplier's production capacity is sufficient, secondary supply will basically not be considered, because it will pose a relatively big challenge to the supply chain.

5 In what order should the localization rate of parts be followed, and when will it reach 100%?

Before the end of 2020, suppliers will make 20% of their products domestically. The heavy and large parts will be made domestically first. The original plan was to switch all the products by the end of February. Due to the epidemic, there will be a slight delay. It is expected to be in mid-March. Achieve 40% localization rate. The second thing to switch over is the interior trim. Behind them are small electronic components, which are relatively small and light, and are not expensive to transport. There is no strong will. 80% should be achieved by the end of this year.

6 What are Tesla’s main considerations when choosing domestic suppliers?

Under the condition of ensuring production capacity, the price is optimal, and considering quality issues, the quality of the suppliers is very good.

7Who is Tesla’s current supplier of battery trays?

Will you switch to Lingyun in the future? Currently I am using Sekoli. Will not switch suppliers until the project is stable.

8. What is Tesla’s pricing or profit margin for suppliers?

At least average. Because all purchases are made by Americans, they took a lot of benchmarks when they first came in. They don’t know much about the Chinese market but use North American prices for comparison, which may be slightly lower than North American prices.

9Which supplier is Tesla currently using? Will it be switched to domestic production in the future?

Currently, it is a foreign supplier, assembled by Hankook. There is no idea of ??switching, because in our opinion it is already a domestic supplier. It has domestic warehouses and supplies directly from domestic warehouses. None imported.

Will the domestic chassis parts of 10Model Y be supplied to foreign countries?

The gap between domestic and foreign suppliers is very large. I have not paid attention to the list of Model Y suppliers in North America. 80% of the parts for domestic Model 3 and Model Y overlap. For example, Sanhua supplies the same parts for Model 3 and Model Y. This approach is also relatively stable for companies in the early stages of the project.

Well-known joint venture car companies - lightweight trend of chassis

1 What are the main chassis structural parts? What is the degree of lightweight?

Chassis structural parts are mainly front and rear Subframes, control arms, steering knuckles, suspension links, etc. all have different degrees of lightweighting. Lightweighting is an ongoing process. The main purpose is to reduce weight. On the basis of weight reduction, there are many benefits, such as reducing wheel load and improving fuel economy.

Lightweight means

Structural design optimization, material substitution (aluminum alloy replaces steel, plastic replaces steel, high-strength steel), aluminum alloy is more popular. The degree of use is related to the design ideas of each OEM.

The steering knuckle

The degree of lightweighting is relatively deep: some OEMs completely replace it (American models), while Volkswagen’s Japanese cars are half and half.

Lightweight means

Basically all aluminum.

The subframe

The degree is different. Luxury cars will be made of aluminum, while low-end cars are mainly made of stamped steel, depending on the cost.

Control arms

It was popular for a while, but now due to cost pressure, the use of aluminum is gradually reduced, and only high-end cars have it. At present, high-strength steel can be substituted, sheet metal stamping costs are low, and the performance can meet the requirements.

2 What is the trend of lightweight electric vehicle chassis?

The main characteristics of electric vehicles are the changes in the three batteries. The current energy density of the battery is not very high, and the requirements for lightweight are relatively high. New energy chassis parts are lighter than traditional vehicles, which depends on the cost-effective design ideas of the OEM. For example, the weight of the battery pack is reduced, and the chassis is reduced. Generally speaking, electric vehicle chassis will have more lightweight parts.

3 Technical difficulty?

Technical barriers? Aluminum castings have different processes and different technical difficulties. There are four main points: design difficulty, manufacturing difficulty, equipment investment, and own understanding and support of the chassis system. For example, the investment in vacuum high-pressure technology (thin-walled body parts and integral subframes) is very high, with an industry line costing 100-200 million yuan, excluding many small businesses. Technical barriers: understanding of chassis, development capabilities, experimental equipment, development experience, and high yield rate. High energy consumption industries have high requirements on yield rate.

4What suppliers are there?

Different process suppliers are different

High-pressure cast aluminum:

Brackets, gearbox housings, steering gear housings: Hongte Precision, Guangdong Hongtu, Nimark, Tuopu, Zhongding, and other small suppliers.

Differential pressure casting:

Steering knuckles, Bethel supplies GM Volvo, use technology jointly developed with an Indian company, and are relatively professional in steering knuckles: Shanghai Huizhong (Huazhong) domain), Suzhou Anlute, Tuopu, KSM (companies specializing in lightweighting)

Low-pressure casting:

Large products, large shells: Magna, Martin Rui Er, Huizhong, Zhongding.

5 What are your comments on the above companies?

Tuopu:

Started from shock-absorbing parts, now we are doing a lot of lightweighting, mostly high-pressure casting, such as vacuum high-pressure casting aluminum parts and thin-walled body parts. There is a large investment in chassis thin-wall equipment, such as low-pressure casting steering knuckles and forged aluminum control arms, with a full set of lightweight supply capabilities. A new R&D center was established with chassis equipment. Advantages: For example, control arms, ball joints, bushings, and assembly-type supply have relatively high premium capabilities and cost advantages.

Bethel:

Focus on differential pressure casting, steering knuckles. Mainly on the braking system.

Huizhong:

A traditional old company, low-pressure casting, many of Huizhong’s products are traditional subframes, control arms, and some aluminum subframes. In addition to supplying new energy vehicles to SAIC-GM, SAIC is also doing business with GAC, Volvo and Geely.

Zhongding:

In the field of chassis parts, it has developed along the trajectory of Tuopu. There is high-pressure casting business, as well as new control arms and steering knuckles.

6 Trends in battery case technology?

One is segmented casting + welding forming; the other is aluminum extrusion and friction angle process. Secoli does this, and so does Lingyun Co., Ltd. Lingyun has an advantage in welding. Large battery packs cost 2,000 or 3,000 yuan.

7 Other product lightweight technology trends?

Chassis parts will gradually develop, and some are also using plastic instead of steel, aluminum, nylon materials, carbon fiber materials, and glass fiber materials.

8 Domestic enterprises have lightweight supporting opportunities?

Aluminum alloys have a relatively large competitive advantage, especially high-pressure cast aluminum. Many parts are basically made in China, and small aluminum castings Made in China and re-exported. The advantages are low management costs. Especially large structural parts factories are close to the main engine factory (logistics costs). The subframe factory is required to be near the main engine factory. Global companies generally choose joint ventures or partnerships.

9 Will small aluminum product companies be cleared in the future? Lightweight pattern?

Hundreds of companies are mainly engaged in high-pressure aluminum casting, and the technical barriers to equipment investment are not very large. For small molds and small parts, the technical barriers are relatively low. Other processes such as vacuum high-pressure casting (2000t, 3000t) thin-walled parts, large thin-walled castings, all imported equipment, the mold cost is also very high, there is also low pressure differential pressure, the hollow manufacturing industry has high barriers and technical barriers.

10 Trends in Lightweight Electric Vehicle Chassis Parts?

Lightweighting is a slow process and is related to quantity. The cost allocation is high for small quantities, and the cost allocation is low for large quantities. For example, the body and chassis parts of Tesla model X and S are all aluminum alloy, and the front and rear subframes of MODEL 3 are all sheet metal parts to reduce costs. MODEL 3 reduces material costs and achieves high profits. Luxury cars such as NIO also use aluminum bodies.

The aluminum alloy control arm depends on the positioning of the product. The high-end tends to be aluminum alloy, and the low-end considers cost performance. The steering knuckle is basically made of aluminum because the weight reduction efficiency is very high and the cost will not increase much.

Why does the 11 steering knuckle use differential pressure technology?

The steering knuckle links the wheel and the control arm. It needs to ensure strength and durability. It is special-shaped and has a relatively thick wall. Only differential pressure can meet the stiffness and strength performance requirements. It is different from the cast iron process. After heat treatment The final strength becomes higher and there are no pores.

Compare the product reviews of several companies for 12-turn steering knuckles?

The steering knuckle is a fully competitive part.

Bethel:

Specializes in steering knuckles. It has a patent on differential pressure and no design. It was brought over by global business.

Anruite:

American Ford GM uses many products. It focuses on making steering knuckles. It is a sole proprietorship. The domestic technical support is relatively average and it needs foreign technical support. Manufacturing and workmanship are fine.

KSM:

He is relatively experienced and has many of his own patents for Volkswagen subframes and other products, so he has technical advantages. Generally speaking, the competitive advantages of domestic enterprises are stronger than those of foreign companies. Now mass-produced steering knuckles are beginning to use aluminum.

13. What is the barrier threshold for battery cases?

Technical barriers are reflected in the design of the product itself, involving structure, heat dissipation, cooling water channel layout, sealing, and collision resistance. It mainly depends on what process the company uses. One is the friction angle process and the other is casting. The difficulties are welding issues, quality and air tightness. Different OEMs have different requirements. Tesla does a good job in thermal management. Different OEMs have different layouts for battery cases. The technical barriers are not that big. Compared with structural parts, the barriers are mainly reflected in manufacturing capabilities, not design capabilities.

14 What are the advantages of the two routes of extrusion and casting?

Extruded aluminum has good performance and good quality. Profile welding does not require large investment. It requires more experience and process requirements. higher. Casting barriers are relatively high, requiring large-scale equipment, relatively large investments, and relatively large suppliers. The product difference won't be big, it's just a matter of route.

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.