丰田汽车公司计划在中国的一家耗资20亿美元的雷克萨斯工厂使用自研的一体化压铸机械来制造电动汽车，这是其努力扭转在全球最大汽车市场销量下滑势头的一部分。
Motor Corp. plans to use its own gigacasting machinery to make electric vehicles at a $2 billion Lexus factory in China, part of its push to reverse a sales decline in the world’s biggest car market.
当被问及丰田是否正在从当地供应商采购一体化压铸机时，首席技术官中岛裕树表示，这家日本制造商正在“内部”为该厂开发这项技术。这座上海工厂目前正在建设中，预定于2027年开始生产汽车。
The Japanese manufacturer is developing the technology for the site “in-house,” said Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima, when asked if Toyota is procuring gigacasting machines from a local supplier. The Shanghai plant is under construction and due to start producing cars in 2027.
中岛在布鲁塞尔接受采访时表示：“这是改变制造系统的一个重大机会。每一次，起点都在内部。”雷克萨斯工厂将标志着丰田首次使用这种巨型压铸机，这是其力求在本土品牌主导电动汽车领域的中国市场保持竞争力的一部分努力。一体化压铸机由特斯拉公司首创，并被比亚迪股份有限公司和小鹏汽车等企业采用，它能够将整个底盘部分整体压铸成型，从而取代以往需要焊接在一起的数十个零件。这一工艺有助于制造商节省时间、设备、人工和成本。
“This is a big chance to change the manufacturing system,” Nakajima said during an interview in Brussels. “Every time, the starting point is in house.”The Lexus site will mark Toyota’s first use of the giant presses, part of an effort to become competitive in China, where local brands are dominating on EVs. Pioneered by Tesla Inc. and used by the likes of BYD Co. and Xiaomi Corp., gigacast presses can mold entire chassis sections in one piece, replacing dozens of parts that previously needed to be welded together. The process helps manufacturers save on time, equipment, labor and cost.
丰田表示，该公司目前正在日本对这项技术进行测试。该公司拒绝就与其一体化压铸工作相关的潜在供应商置评。
Toyota is currently conducting trials of the technology in Japan, the company said. It declined to comment on potential suppliers related to its gigacasting efforts.
其不利的一面是，这项技术成本高昂，且在生产不同车型时灵活性较低。由于更换零件更大，发生事故时的代价往往也更高。
The downside is that the technology is expensive and offers less flexibility when producing different models. Accidents tend to be more costly as replacement parts are bigger.
汽车制造商经常与压铸供应商（如印度的伊德拉集团或中国的海天）密切合作，以便根据自身需求定制机器。
Carmakers often work closely with die-casting suppliers such as Italy’s Idra Group or China’s Haitian to tailor the machines to their needs.
丰田及其欧洲同行一直在应对中国不断缩小的市场，由于持续的房地产危机，当地消费者对昂贵的购买持回避态度。他们还非常青睐本土品牌的电动汽车。在今年前八个月之后，丰田在中国市场的销量下降了19%。
Toyota and its European peers have been contending with a shrinking market in China, where consumers are shying away from expensive purchases due to an ongoing real estate crisis. They’re also heavily favoring EVs from local brands. Toyota’s sales in China are down 19% after the first eight months of the year.
中岛是在丰田位于布鲁塞尔的技术中心发表上述讲话的，期间他展示了该公司正在研发的最新技术。其中包括混合动力发动机、电动汽车和氢燃料电池方面的进展，因为丰田仍在推进其推崇所有动力总成的多路径战略。
Nakajima was speaking at Toyota’s technical center in Brussels, showing off the latest technologies the company is working on. These include advancements in hybrid engines, EVs and hydrogen fuel cells, as Toyota continues with its multi-pathway strategy pushing all powertrains.
丰田正在工厂自动化方面做出重大努力以加快开发时间，并在最新设备上投入了数十亿美元。
A major effort is being made on automation in factories to speed up development times, with Toyota spending billions of dollars on the latest equipment.