Next-Gen Vehicle Manufacturing
Where the EX60 is born: Volvo’s new era begins in Torslanda
At the Torslanda main plant, Volvo is opening a new chapter: while production is being modernised during ongoing operations, the EX60 is emerging as the key model of the electric future. Megacasting, lean and team spirit shape the transformation in Sweden.
The moment you arrive in Gothenburg, it becomes clear just how important Volvo is in its home country: the brand is everywhere at the airport—models on display between the baggage carousels, promotional films on giant screens celebrating the latest EX and ES90 electric models. But the Swedes are planning their biggest move for next year: with the EX60, the electric counterpart to its most important combustion engine model, Volvo wants to start a new chapter. It will be manufactured where the company's industrial history has been written for six decades – at the main plant in Torslanda, just a few minutes from the city center.
When you enter the factory gates, you immediately sense that the spirit here is different from that in many Western European factories. On the way to a large meeting room in the middle of the assembly hall, you encounter a few dozen employees who are listening to a training session. Between the lines, the workers greet each other with a friendly “Hej” – a greeting that permeates the hard working day with a typically Swedish lightness. Openness and mutual respect are part of the culture, as are precision and discipline.
Torslanda is the heart of Swedish production, both a symbol and a backbone. More than 9.5 million vehicles have been manufactured here since 1964. In 2024, the plant celebrated its 60th anniversary and is simultaneously in the process of reinventing itself. With an annual output of around 280,000 units, Torslanda contributes about 40 per cent towards total production. 6,000 employees in manufacturing and 340 office staff keep the plant running around the clock.
Traditionally, the large models roll off the production line here: the XC90, the best-selling XC60, the V60, and, until recently, the V90 and V90 Cross Country station wagons. But their place is now being taken by the EX60, a model that brings not only a new platform but also a new way of thinking to production.
Conversion during ongoing operations
The plant resembles a huge machine that is reassembling itself. While vehicles are being assembled on one line, new segments are being installed just a few metres away. Almost 90 per cent of the final assembly has been rebuilt during ongoing operations. The architecture is designed to make problems immediately visible: open walls, standardised segments, visual control - every second.
Supervisors monitor the production flow in real time. Buffer zones and digital dashboards visualise every deviation. The conversion has the clear goal of consolidating processes, bringing assemblies into the plant, and enabling single-piece flows. From bumper modules, to tunnel assemblies, to headliners, many things that used to be supplied by external suppliers are now manufactured in-house.
“Production is now the focus,” says plant manager Magnus Olsson. What used to be considered classic “engineering-hands-over-to-production” is now a thing of the past. Today, coordination takes place in a joint Obeya process. Every week, around 40 managers from procurement, supply chain, engineering, and manufacturing meet to coordinate the progress of the EX60. “We are actively driving the product forward and improving it together with the engineering departments,” says Olsson.
The principle of continuous improvement
In Torslanda, the factory is not a place of rigid processes, but a learning organisation. Every change, it seems, is just the prelude to the next. Olsson describes the conversion as a journey without end: “Every time I come into the workshop, there is something new. We will continue to work on improvements. It never stops.”
The plant manager's philosophy is as simple as it is consistent: “If I can turn 6,000 people into the sensor system of this plant, I can beat any AI system.” That's why Torslanda invests not only in machines, but also in people. Employees undergo two weeks of lean training, learning to develop standards and present improvements on their own. On Fridays, they present their results directly to management.
This form of participation is visibly changing the plant. The key concepts are standardised work, open structures, and clear responsibilities. Every mistake should become a learning moment. “All problem solutions must contain four things,” explains Olsson. “Background, problem definition, cause analysis, and concrete measures. And we train, repeat, and repeat.”
Megacasting – the big leap
In a separate hall, the newest and most impressive machine on the entire site is at work: an 8,400-ton die-casting machine that forms the backbone of the new EX60. Here, the rear underbody of the vehicle is created in a single casting. This process replaces around a hundred sheet metal parts, fundamentally changing the way the body is constructed.
Phil Drew, an experienced foundry expert with several decades of professional experience, explains what makes this technology so special: “We've gone from countless individual parts to a single component – a huge, cast floor structure.” Previously, this assembly required several pressing operations and tools, but today everything is done in a single step with a cycle time of just 120 seconds. “We manufacture a part in two minutes. Very, very fast,” says Drew, smiling almost incredulously.
We manufacture a part in two minutes. Very, very fast
The process begins with aluminium in bar form, which is melted inside a gas furnace. This creates a thin oxide layer, which Drew vividly describes as “banana peels” – which is removed before the metal is precisely measured in a dosing furnace and then injected into the huge casting mould. This mould itself weighs around 130 tons and has a modular design. “A big advantage is that the mould consists of inserts – like a puzzle,” explains Peter Schüler, who is responsible for production at the new plant. “This enables us to implement design changes much more quickly.”
After casting, the part cools down in a water bath, following which, sprues and overflow areas are removed in a trimming press. The aluminium residues flow directly back into the cycle. Precision is essential here. Every step is standardised to ensure safe and predictable operation of the system. “The goal is to achieve planned and predictable production,” says Schüler. “Standardisation is just as important as the machine itself.”
Around 60 to 80 people currently work in the hall, and there are plans to expand operations to four shifts. For many, this is a completely new field. Production veteran Drew sees this as an opportunity: “I share my knowledge with my new colleagues so that they understand how casting processes work.” Training courses teach the complex interplay of temperature, material, and time in a tangible way – sometimes using simple comparisons, “like baking a cake.”
The plant is the first of its kind in Volvo's global production network and is seen as preparation for the next generation of vehicles. The team is currently focusing on the EX60, but the modular design will also allow other structural parts such as battery housings and cross members to be manufactured in the future. “From an engineering point of view, it's brilliant,” says Schüler. “You approve a new drawing, manufacture the part, and can put it straight into production.”
But even with all the technology, the process remains challenging. Drew sums it up dryly: “If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.” The 8,400-ton machine is currently being prepared for the introduction of the new EX60.
Larger components are possible, but every percentage point of increased precision means weeks of coordination between the foundry, toolmaking, and production departments. Megacasting is not only a technological project, but also an organisational one. Torslanda is systematically building up expertise for this purpose. Employees were sent to Italy for tool assembly training, and teams trained with a local partner in handling liquid aluminium.
Of course there is pressure on the shop floor; we are directly linked to the company's cash flow ... We'll make it. We have the right strategy and a strong team
In mould maintenance, crane and turning processes standardise the safe handling of tools weighing several tons. Each machine has three moulds in circulation – one in production, one as a spare, and one in maintenance. This keeps operations predictable.
“It is a huge honour to be the plant that is allowed to take these steps,” says plant manager Olsson. He knows that technological advancement alone is not enough. Only the ability to anchor knowledge will make the location sustainable for the future.
The ultimate goal: a single casting
Back in the assembly hall: where the engine and body used to meet, the battery and structure now merge to form a new substructure. The moment of the so-called second marriage is the new heart of production. “The challenge is that we don't have a floor in the middle. We have to be very careful with the geometry,” explains Olsson. This is because the battery takes on load-bearing functions and is an integral part of the crash structure. This shifts the focus of the entire production system. Manufacturing becomes the central location for development, where components, processes, and software interlock.
The boss attaches particular importance to the culture in his factory. Unlike many highly automated factories, Torslanda is not a place where people just monitor. They help shape the process. Every morning, teams gather at the lines to discuss deviations. Problems are solved where they arise. The almost endearing “Hey,” it seems, is more than just politeness. It is part of a system that relies on communication.
On January 21, the new EX60 will celebrate its world premiere. It is the first vehicle whose supporting structure comes in part from the new megacasting plant. For Peter Schüler, it is clear that the responsibility is great: “Of course there is pressure on the shop floor; we are directly linked to the company's cash flow.” But his confidence is palpable: “We'll make it. We have the right strategy and a strong team.”
In the long term, the industry is looking even further ahead. Drew refers to the vision that is driving megacasting worldwide: “The ultimate goal is to produce a complete car in a single casting.” That's still a long way off, but the direction is clear.
For Volvo, Torslanda is more than just a traditional location. It is a learning environment where technology, organisation, and culture shape each other. Getting there requires discipline, patience, and a willingness to embrace new ideas. At the end of his tour of the megacasting hall, Phil Drew sums it up: “This is not just a machine. It is the beginning of a new way of building cars.”
