EX60’s megacasting.
Christine Shaw
EX60’s megacasting.
Christine Shaw
Take a closer look at the supports.
Christine Shaw
Take a closer look at the supports.
Christine Shaw
EX60’s body, megacasting floor in place.
Christine Shaw
EX60’s body, megacasting floor in place.
Christine Shaw
Take a closer look at the supports.
Christine Shaw
EX60’s body, megacasting floor in place.
Christine Shaw
Volvo engineer Mats Brodin says the rear floor is cast from 50 percent recyclable aluminum collected from post-consumer materials. He describes himself as a “megacasting architect” who adapts the Volvo EV to building design.
Brodin says the casting is made mostly of aluminum mixed with a smaller amount of silicon and is forced into a megacast machine in about 90 milliseconds. Then it takes a minute to dry. At Volvo’s Torslanda plant near its headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, EX60s are ready to roll off the line quickly, with two megadrive machines.
Volvo uses megacasting wisely. For example, if a car crashes and the pressed part is damaged, it is more likely to be scrapped because it cannot be easily repaired. So it makes sense for Volvo to megacast a single rear floor section rather than a larger section.
The EX60 is the first Volvo to use megacasting, so while it may seem new, the plan has been in place since at least 2022. The company has invested 10 billion Swedish kroner—about $1.1 billion—in the production facility, including these huge megacasting pieces.
Smart battery integration and superior single-pedal driving
The EX60 will use a structural battery design similar to the one used BMW iX3 or the Tesla Model Y; Volvo says the EX60 will have a “cell-to-body” battery. Unlike typical EVs with bulky battery packs (such as the GMC Hummer EV), the EX60’s battery cells are integrated directly into its body.
Basically, the battery pack becomes the floor of the car. This offers weight and packaging efficiency and opens up more cabin space. Most importantly for an EV, it reduces weight, which improves range. It’s all part of Volvo’s new SPA3 platform, designed specifically for electric vehicles.
During testing in and around Barcelona, Spain, the EX60 performed well with one-pedal driving and improved the car’s regenerative assets. I barely touched the brakes on twisty roads outside of town, relieved by the EV’s handling quality. I’ve never been a big fan of single-pedal drives, as many tend to bend and are difficult to adjust to; Not so with the EX60.
