World’s first one-piece cast aluminium vehicle frame revealed on BYD Yangwang U8L
The world’s first one-piece, low-pressure-cast, all-aluminium large-vehicle frame has been revealed by Hubei Hantek Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Hantek). It is installed on the BYD Yangwang U8L, a high-end electric SUV launched in September 2025. The frame was publicly unveiled on December 2, 2025, at the 2025 Yangtze River Industry and Technology Innovation Conference in Hubei, as reported by IT-home.
The frame addresses previous manufacturing limits for ultra-large thin-walled components. It achieves a projected area of 4.2 square meters and a wall thickness ranging from 4 millimetres to 50 millimetres, a ratio exceeding 12:1. Hantek states that no prior global project has successfully cast a frame with such extreme thickness variation.
Conventional all-aluminium frames typically require assembly from dozens of separate components through welding, riveting, or other joining methods. These processes are complex and costly, and joints often become structural weak points, affecting rigidity and safety.
After years of research, Hantek overcame multiple technical challenges in low-pressure casting ultra-large, thin-walled structures, including controlling molten-metal filling and achieving gradient solidification across varying thickness sections. The result is a single, integrated aluminium frame that replaces traditional multi-part assemblies.
The integrated frame design improves overall body rigidity and torsional stiffness. Optimised force flow through the structure enhances crash protection. Hantek also highlighted that its aluminium alloy material and heat treatment provide a balance of high strength, toughness, and fatigue resistance.
BYD launched the Yangwang U8L, a full-size luxury SUV priced at 1.28 million yuan (181,200 USD), on September 12, 2025. Built on the e4 (Yisifang) platform, it features a 2.0T engine, four electric motors, and a 55.53 kWh Blade battery, producing 880 kW (1,180 hp) and 1,520 Nm of torque, with a 200 km electric range and 1,160 km total range. The SUV offers 13 driving modes and BYD’s “God’s Eye” driver-assistance system, which uses lidar, radar, and infrared sensors. The six-seat interior includes multiple screens, executive second-row seats, 32 speakers, a panoramic sunroof, a refrigerator, and 14 airbags, with cabin noise capped at 64.6 dB at 120 km/h.
Officials at the Yangtze River Industry Group, organiser of the conference, noted that Hantek’s low-pressure casting technology represents a significant milestone in China’s manufacturing of large, complex aluminium structural components. They suggested that this approach could influence future large-vehicle frame design and production.
Hantek, an automotive lightweight chassis solutions provider, has established partnerships with domestic and international automakers, including BYD, Nio, Faw Hongqi, and Dongfeng Lantu.
