Toyota Execs Geek Out Over Disassembled Tesla Model Y

Despite its size and considerable resources, Toyota has been slow to develop and release new EV models. That will likely change under its new CEO, but the automaker has a long way to go, as its recent tear-down of a Tesla Model Y highlighted its deficiencies in EV engineering.

Toyota got ahold of a new 4680 Model Y, which uses Tesla’s newest battery design as a structural element of the chassis. The Japanese automaker’s engineers discovered that the popular SUV’s unchanging exterior shell had hidden several innovations under the skin, including significant weight reductions and an overall simplification of its design.

One executive was taken by the Tesla, exclaiming, “taking the skin off the Model Y, it was truly a work of art. It’s unbelievable.” Part of that artistry comes from Tesla’s megacasts, which are large single-piece components that help reduce the number of parts used in manufacturing. The automaker is currently the only one casting such pieces, as most OEMs manufacture much smaller components and bolt them together later.

Beyond a hit to executives’ egos, the teardown revealed the importance of ground-up EV platform design. Toyota is accelerating its development processes and plans to have its own platform ready by 2026. That said, it’s sticking to previous CEO Akio Toyoda’s philosophy of a diverse mix of low- and zero-emissions vehicles moving forward. 

[Image: ice_blue via Shutterstock]

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