BYD Claims the U8L Yangwang Aluminum Chassis Passed a 12-Ton Lift Test

JAKARTA - BYD revealed more technical details about the one-piece aluminum frame used on the Yangwang U8L premium SUV. The development of the technology began in 2023.

Reported by Carnewschina, Tuesday, June 2, this cooperation involves Hantek, a supplier company with a background in the aerospace industry. Where, creating the largest automotive integrated casting machine in China.

This latest information complements the previous report on the world's first one-piece low-pressure cast aluminum vehicle frame on the Yangwang U8L. The structure carries an integrated casting area of 4.2 square meters with wall thicknesses ranging from 4 mm to 50 mm.

It is a manufacturing achievement that was previously considered difficult to achieve through conventional automotive casting methods. According to the BYD engineering team, this project is designed to produce a full-sized vehicle frame that is capable of offering lighter weight, high strength, corrosion resistance, and better durability compared to traditional steel construction.

In its development process, BYD evaluated various materials, including high-strength steel, hot-formed steel, titanium alloys, to aluminum alloys. After undergoing various tests, aluminum was chosen because it was considered the only material that was able to meet all performance targets while still being in line with the production capabilities currently available.

Unlike the aluminum structure commonly used in the automotive industry, the U8L frame utilizes a combination of aluminum alloys series 6 and series 7 commonly used in the aerospace sector. The material is combined with a high-integrated structural design to increase rigidity while reducing vehicle weight.

The challenges faced are not only related to material selection. To achieve the desired strength level, engineers assess that large-scale integrated casting technology and reduction of the heat-affected area due to the welding process are needed.

Because of this, BYD switched to cold-welding methods such as bolts and rivets, a technique more commonly used in the aviation industry. BYD revealed that when the project began, there were no suppliers who had equipment capable of producing structures of that size.

After the approach using a multi-part back casting solution failed to meet the repeated endurance test target, the company finally partnered with Hantek to develop the largest integrated casting machine currently used in the Chinese automotive sector.

As a result, the process became the first application of integrated low pressure casting technology for large vehicle frames developed domestically. The number of components was successfully reduced from 251 to 119 parts, while 67 components on the rear frame were combined into a single casting part.

Production efficiency has also increased thanks to the reduction of the welding length from around 100 meters to only 9 meters. This step is said to be able to reduce the potential for material fatigue points as well as structural deformation.

In addition, the engineers applied a dimensional chain control method adapted from the aerospace industry to ensure the distribution of bolt loads and the reliability of the joints when faced with dynamic loads. BYD claims that the performance of the main joint point has increased more than fourfold, while the tensile strength has increased more than twice compared to the previous development stage.

The finished aluminum frame is said to be able to reduce the weight of the vehicle by up to 56 kg while significantly increasing the rigidity of the structure. BYD also said that the Yangwang U8L is the first vehicle in the automotive industry to pass a load-lifting test weighing 12 tons using an integrated frame structure.

The vehicle's torsional rigidity is even claimed to be more than 50 percent higher than its class models. The disclosure of this technology comes amid Yangwang's efforts to strengthen its position as a premium technology brand owned by BYD.

At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, Yangwang displayed special versions of the U8L and U9 Xtreme. Meanwhile, the limited edition U9 Xtreme is recorded as the most expensive vehicle ever marketed by BYD with a price tag of up to 20 million yuan.