Ugly box or an engineering marvel?
Revolutionizing Manufacturing: The Tesla Cybertruck
I don’t always write, but when I do, I write multiple posts in 24 hours. This next one I’ve been thinking about for a few months now — join me on this journey. Let’s talk about Tesla Cybertruck, and explore why it looks the way that it does. Is it really the ugliest car ever built, or is there a good reason for that?
My bet is that Tesla built this car around the most advanced manufacturing process that will make them billions and rewriting the rules of how cars are built. The Cybertruck is a testament to engineering ingenuity, pushing automotive production forward with innovations that prioritize efficiency, scalability, and sustainability. I’ve got the receipts. Let’s explore?
What I’ve got below is 7 good reasons as to why Cebertruck’s design was created to make the most efficient assembly of the future. Cybertruck is not the vehicle as we know them, it is not your typical electrical car either, it isn’t even a Tesla. Cybertruck is a beast of its own.
Take a look at the points I’ve collected. I am not trying to convince you of anything, just sharing my opinion.
1. Gigacasting: Fewer Parts, Faster Assembly
Imagine building a car like assembling a giant Lego set, but instead of snapping together dozens of tiny bricks, you mold massive, single-piece sections in one go. That’s gigacasting. Tesla uses the Giga Press, a colossal die-casting machine, to create the Cybertruck’s front and rear underbody from single aluminum castings. Traditional trucks stitch together dozens of stamped metal parts with welds—this is a radical departure.
Now, The Cybertruck was not the first vehicle to use a Giga Press. The 6,000 ton Giga Press was first implemented by Tesla in 2020 at its Fremont factory for the production of the Tesla Model Y. The Cybertruck, however, is using an even bigger press, weighting 9,000 ton. Tesla is, supposedly, the first ever car manufacturer to do this.
You can see below why Giga Press is not just an improvement to the car making process, but a complete reinvention of that process.
Here, this is how Gigapress works:
Why It’s a Game-Changer
Parts Reduction: Each gigacasting replaces up to 70 individual components. That’s 70 fewer pieces to stamp, align, and weld, cutting assembly steps by about 30%. Fewer parts mean fewer chances for error and a leaner production line.
Lightning-Fast Production: The Giga Press churns out a casting in roughly 90 seconds. Compare that to the hours it takes to weld a traditional underbody, and you see why Tesla can build Cybertrucks at breakneck speed. It also reduces factory floor space by 30%, needing fewer robots and weld stations.
Weight Savings: Using a lightweight aluminum alloy, each casting trims about 10% of the weight—around 50 pounds—compared to multi-part assemblies. For an electric vehicle, that’s gold: less weight means a longer range, boosting the Cybertruck’s base model to 325 miles.
The Engineering Logic
Think of gigacasting like baking a cake in one pan instead of smashing dozens of cupcakes together. It’s simpler, faster, and uses less energy. Tesla’s bet is that long-term high-volume production offsets the Giga Press’s $10 million price tag. And with fewer joints, the Cybertruck’s underbody is stiffer—improving crash safety and handling.
It’s not only better for the Cybertruck to assemble the car using a giant mold, it’s better for the mold itself; fewer parts, fewer processes.
2. 48-Volt Electrical System
Why 48 Volts?
Cars have used used the 12-volt electrical systems sine about 1950. 12 volts struck a balance: it provided enough power for starter motors, lights, and accessories without requiring overly thick or expensive wiring. Once an industry standard, it was locked in by economies of scale. Manufacturers, suppliers, and repair shops all built around it—batteries, alternators, bulbs, and electronics were designed for 12 volts, making it cheap and reliable. Changing to a higher voltage, like 24 or 48 volts, would’ve required retooling entire supply chains and retraining mechanics, with little immediate benefit for most vehicles.
Even as electrical demands grew, and requirements for higher voltage became more obvious, existing suppliers of 12-volt systems adapted through better alternators and battery designs. Inertia and a rather conservative approach to change also played a role. 12 volts “worked well enough” and nobody wanted to take the heat.
The Cybertruck did it; they sayid goodbye to that relic with a brand new 48-volt architecture—a first for a production vehicle. It was a bold move, focused on future proofing and efficiency.
The Physics Behind It
Less Waste, More Power: Power is voltage times current (P = V × I). For a 400-watt load—like a steering actuator—a 12-volt system draws 33.3 amps, while 48 volts needs just 8.3 amps. Power loss in wiring is I² × R, so lower current slashes energy waste. With 0.1 ohms of resistance, the 12-volt system loses 110 watts, but 48 volts drops that to 6.9 watts—a 16-fold improvement.
Lighter Wires: Lower current means less heat and thus thinner wires. The Cybertruck’s wiring harness is significantly lighter, shedding around 100 pounds per vehicle, according to some secondary sources. That’s an extra 5-10 miles of range without adding a single battery cell.
Durable Components: Less current reduces heat. Power transistors run 20-30°C cooler, lasting longer and needing smaller heat sinks. It’s a win for reliability and efficiency.
Why It Matters
Imagine running a garden hose where a higher-pressure stream (voltage) moves water (power) with less effort (current). Tesla’s 48-volt system delivers energy smarter, not harder, making the Cybertruck lighter and more efficient than its 12-volt peers.
Yes, suppliers had to retool for 48-volt parts, mechanics need new skills to service them, and Tesla had to build many components in-house, but the new system is now future-proof for power-hungry features like autonomous driving, and the increasing amount of in-car devices that we all bring along.
3. Steer-by-Wire: Precision Without Complexity
What Is Steer-by-Wire?
The cars that you are used to drive use physical components to connect the steering column to the wheel to the tires, such that a turn in the wheel causes a turn in the tires via a direct link. The Cybertruck, on the other hand, uses steer-by-wire technology, where turning the yoke sends electronic signals to actuators that move the wheels. It’s like playing a video game—your input is digital, not mechanical.
Airplanes have adopted fly-by-wire for quite some times. Pioneered in military aircraft around 1970s, it was introduced to commercial aviation by Airbus in 1988, and have been widely used ever since.
Adding it to a car was just Brilliant
Simplified Assembly: No steering column, shaft, or joints means fewer parts and thus a light car. Assembly time drops too, freeing up factory resources, and of course making it easier to get assembled by robots.
Custom Control: Software defines the steering feel. The yoke turns just 340 degrees lock-to-lock—a third of the 1,080 degrees in a typical truck—making tight turns a breeze. Simpler design, and Tesla can tweak this function in post-production, no hardware swaps needed.
Safety First: Triple-redundant sensors and dual controllers ensure the system won’t fail. It’s overkill by design, built to handle the toughest conditions. Of course, in the future of fully self driving cars, it’s not even need, but at least it’s still fewer parts than a typical driving unit.
The Logic
Steer-by-wire is like upgrading from a rotary phone network to a cellphone. It’s lighter, smarter, and infinitely adaptable. Fewer moving parts also mean less wear—and fewer headaches on the assembly line.
4. Modular Air Suspension: One Design, Many Benefits
Most trucks tweak suspension for each trim level. The Cybertruck uses one modular air suspension design across all models—base, dual-motor, and tri-motor. Simple, yet genius.
Less Complexity: A single design cuts part variants by 50%, trimming assembly time. Fewer bins, fewer headaches.
Light and Capable, it adds a few extra miles of range. Software adjusts ride height for towing 11,000 pounds, no extra hardware required.
Quick Install: Four air springs and one compressor beat the complexity of multi-link setups, speeding up production.
One tool, multiple jobs. Modularity slashes inventory costs while delivering a smooth ride and heavy-duty performance. Air systems can leak, and repairs aren’t cheap, but this is a calculated risk with big rewards.
5. Simplified Body Design: Efficiency in Every Angle
Why The Weird Look?
The Cybertruck’s flat, stainless-steel panels aren’t just edgy—they’re efficient. Made from 30X cold-rolled stainless steel, they’re folded, not stamped, into a futuristic exoskeleton.
It’s ugly because it’s simple, but simplicity makes it great.
No Fancy Stamping: Curved panels need costly presses and molds. Flat ones? Just bend them. It’s cheaper and faster.
Fewer Parts: With under 100 structural parts versus 300 in a typical truck, body assembly time drops by a significant %. Less to bolt together means quicker builds.
The exoskeleton doubles as structure and armor, reducing weight elsewhere.
6. Simplifying Glass Production
The Cybertruck’s windshield is as flat as a sheet of paper—a stark contrast to the curved, aerodynamic glass you’d find on most modern vehicles. Do you think it’s a styling choice?
I think it’s a manufacturing choice
Curved glass requires precision molds and complex forming processes, which are time-consuming and expensive. A flat windshield? It’s cut from a sheet, laminated for safety, and installed. Lower production costs, lower maintenance costs, easier to transport and so on. It might even be strong and better at repelling road rocks too.
A flat windshield is a a small detail with big implications—proof that even the most overlooked parts can be optimized for efficiency, while also being the centerpiece of the design.
7. Single-Wiper Design: Enhanced Reliability
What, am I really trying to say that even a wiper is a design choice aimed at improved manufacturing efficiency? Hell yeah!
Most cars have two wipers working in tandem. The Cybertruck? It’s got one that sweeps nearly the entire windshield in a single arc.
They didn’t do it because it was cool
Fewer Moving Parts: A single wiper means one motor, one arm, and fewer linkages. That’s fewer components to assemble, fewer points of failure, and less maintenance. In engineering, simplicity is king.
Reliability Boost: Statistically speaking, with two wipers, the chance of a wiper failing doubles. It’s the same reason why modern airplanes have 2 engines, instead of 4. Tesla looked at state of the art in other disciplines, and cut their risks in half. Plus, the wiper’s design ensures it clears the vast, flat windshield effectively, even in heavy rain or snow.
Streamlined Production: Building and installing one wiper is faster and cheaper than syncing two. It’s another way Tesla trims assembly time and costs without compromising performance.
Yes, I am pretty sure even the wiper is a choice, party for function, but mostly done so to streamline manufacturing.
Efficiency Meets Design
I like Tesla, I own some tiny amount of stock, and I have a Model X too. The funniest thing, I’ve not been a fanboy up until recently. We got our Model X 10 years ago because we wanted to “ live in the future “ and for this whole time it has been an amazing car to drive. I’ve driven about 100,000 miles in my car, most of the highway drives on autopilot. I’ve taken it from Alberta to California and across the country to Colorado and back again.
The only thing we wish that we did differently — We wish instead of buying the car we bought the stock. I would’ve retired by now.
But, you live an you learn. Driving a Tesla, seeing the future, and at the same time rejecting the signs of what the future holds taught me to open up my mind and to envision the possibilities. Believe in what could be if enough smart and hard working people make it a reality, don’t worry about the status quo.
Tesla Cybertruck isn’t just a truck—it’s a revolution on wheels. It’s a masterclass in rethinking manufacturing, and a great example of how to think non-linearly.
Instead of hating on the car, the design, the company, or anything that is so easy to pick and dislike, I encourage you to ponder about the future, to question the reason, the choices, and to use those question to expand your mind.
Alright, if I had more time, I’d write a shorter post.
I am camping with the kids in the mountains of Colorado.
This post is brought to you by Starlink. No literally, there’s no cell service here.
Good night,
— Kirill.
p.s. Liked this post? Read the others too — https://novice.media/archive