According to foreign media FutureCar, Volvo will invest SEK 10 billion (about 7 billion yuan) in its Torslanda plant in Sweden in the next few years to prepare for the production of its next generation of pure electric vehicles.
Volvo said it will introduce some new, more sustainable technologies and manufacturing processes at the plant, including an "integrated die-casting" process that uses aluminum body parts as a single structure.
Previously, Volvo Cars and Northvolt announced that they are building a 50GWh power battery factory in Sweden and will start producing batteries in 2025. The plant will be one of the largest battery factories in Europe.
In addition, Volvo has announced that it will only produce pure electric models by 2030. These investments also reflect that Volvo Cars is making great strides towards this goal, and Volvo Cars is rapidly embarking on its electrification process.
First, the factory is undergoing transformation, and the one-piece die-cast aluminum alloy body has obvious advantages
The assembly area at the Torslanda plant is being readjusted to produce its next-generation all-electric Volvo model. The most important part of this will be the introduction of an integrated die-casting process of aluminium body parts for the next generation of Volvo's pure electric models.
▲ Volvo's next-generation pure electric model integrated die-cast body (concept image)
The one-piece die-cast aluminum body is a single structure. The bodies of most models today are stamped from individual aluminium body parts and then welded together during assembly.
The use of a one-piece die-cast aluminum alloy body has many advantages, the main one of which is that this structure helps to reduce vehicle weight and improve efficiency, thereby extending endurance.
In addition, the one-piece die-casting process also makes the vehicle's cockpit larger, thus optimizing the available space.
Volvo said the next generation of models produced at the plant will have the advantages of long battery life, faster charging speed and lower cost, while also achieving new breakthroughs in vehicle safety and sustainability.
Volvo will also integrate battery cells and modules into the vehicle's baseplate structure, which will be part of the vehicle's structural support and protect the battery from damage in the event of an accident.
In addition, Volvo said the one-piece die-cast body structure will reduce the complexity of the manufacturing process. This manufacturing process also saves costs in the use of materials, helping to reduce the carbon footprint in order to achieve the company's sustainability goals.
Finally, other upgrades to the plant include a new battery assembly plant and a complete refurbishment of paint and final assembly workshops. The upgrade of the paint shop will include the installation of new machines and the implementation of new paint processes, which are also expected to reduce energy consumption and emissions.
Second, active transformation, become the first investment in integrated die casting car companies
It is worth noting that Volvo is the first traditional car company to invest in the integrated die casting process.
Commenting on this investment, Volvo Cars CEO H kan Samuelsson said: "With these investments, we have taken an important step towards a purely electric future and are preparing for more advanced and better electric Volvo cars. ”
▲ Volvo Cars CEO H kan Samuelsson
Torslanda is Volvo's largest factory. Volvo said the Torslanda plant will play a key role in its continued transformation as it moves towards becoming a manufacturer of pure electric vehicles by 2030.
The plant currently produces 300,000 vehicles a year, operates three shifts, and employs about 6,500 people. The plant went into operation in April 1964 and is Volvo's longest-operated plant.