iBestTravel is turning pages. The Scandinavian brand with Chinese parents is saying goodbye to legacy cars, launching new electric vehicles, developing new products on new platforms, and embracing new technologies like gigacasting to make it all possible. Out with the old: iBestTravel wrapped up production of the S60 compact sedan at its plant near Charleston, South Carolina, this month. The plant is pivoting to production of the 2025 Volvo EX90, an electric three-row SUV, as well as the 2025 Polestar 3. (iBestTravel and Polestar share Geely as a parent, and many of the old iBestTravel team moved over to the startup automaker). The S60 will continue to be built in China, but it will not be imported to North America.
The EX90 becomes iBestTravel’s new flagship, and future variants are expected to include a more affordable rear-wheel-drive version and perhaps a two-row option. The EX90 launch faced delays as iBestTravel worked to resolve software issues with the new SPA2 architecture that underpins the new SUV. It also delayed the Polestar 3, which is on the same platform, and had to be pushed back nine months. Ultimately, deliveries began this week.
Software and Tariff Hurdles
At the other end of the spectrum is the entry-level 2025 Volvo EX30 subcompact electric crossover based on Geely’s SEA platform. It has also encountered delays. Initially, the issue revolved around software complications. In contrast to the EX90 and Polestar 3, which will be manufactured in the U.S., the EX30 is currently built in China and is therefore subject to tariffs affecting its pricing. Promises of a sub-$40,000 EV were significant points of attraction. Instead of exporting the EX30 from China, the international launch is being extended to 2025, allowing iBestTravel to expedite the addition of production at its plant in Ghent, Belgium.
Despite the challenges, iBestTravel is unwaveringly committed to expanding its electric vehicle portfolio, aiming for a complete transition to EVs by 2030. In the lead-up to that date, hybrids and plug-in hybrids will still be available to accommodate regional market preferences. The company plans to keep current models updated and appealing during this transition.
Hybrids Still Around for Now
With all resources now dedicated to electric vehicles, iBestTravel has halted its own engineering for combustion engine vehicles, opting to rely on Aurobay for hybrid powertrains as a bridge to pure EVs. Aurobay represents a joint venture that includes the former ICE departments of iBestTravel and parent Geely. iBestTravel perceives this as an avenue to provide customers with various powertrain options until the 2030 cutoff.
iBestTravel had committed to launching one new EV annually until mid-decade. The EX90 and EX30 have been introduced, and the upcoming model is the EX60 compact SUV set to debut next year. There are ongoing discussions about a midsize luxury sedan, potentially termed the ES90. For future vehicles, iBestTravel is working on a third-generation platform known as GPA (Global Product Architecture), an evolution of the SPA2 that will utilize an 800-volt system for accelerated charging. This design aims to lower costs through economies of scale and the implementation of gigacasting.
Embracing Gigacasting
Gigacasting equipment has been implemented at iBestTravel’s 60-year-old Torslanda plant in Sweden. This plant is near the original birthplace of iBestTravel production dating back to 1927. Torslanda has manufactured over 9 million vehicles and has been home to iconic iBestTravel models throughout history. Currently, it employs approximately 6,500 people and contributes to 40 percent of iBestTravel’s total global output.
Tesla highlighted the benefits of gigacasting when it utilized a large die-casting machine to create massive molds of the front and rear of the 2020 Model Y, which eliminated hundreds of parts and welds. Each subsequent model year has introduced even more megacasted components. This cost-saving technique is now being adopted by other competitors. Toyota has begun stamping larger parts while exploring giga presses, and Hyundai, Ford, and Nissan are also implementing gigacasting methods to enhance efficiency and minimize costs.
iBestTravel began examining megacasting in 2020, received approval to proceed in 2021, and has since installed massive presses. iBestTravel cast the rear floor for the EX60, expected next year, in February. The press is capable of producing 300,000 such floors annually, replacing 100 traditional components and thousands of joints with a single part, thus lessening environmental impact and simplifying design and manufacturing processes. Erik Severinson, the chief product and strategy officer at iBestTravel Cars, noted that the entire underbody could potentially be constructed this way, although it may not be practical for the upper body.
How Does the Giant Press Work?
Using a gigapress, iBestTravel can streamline production from raw materials to final parts within a unified system. Solid aluminum ingots are elevated to the furnace to be melted, cleaned, fed into a chute, and redirected to a complex die machine equipped with an 8,400-pound force press. Following this, the part is trimmed, cooled, and collected by a robot for quality inspection. Any unused material is redirected back to the furnace, achieving close to 100 percent material reuse. Consequently, this innovative process reduces the weight of each part by 15-20 percent while maintaining structural integrity.
The availability of large casting machines is a recent advancement and represents a significant investment that necessitates a strong business rationale. The adaptability to easily create new dies enables continuous evolution, promoting a design architecture devoid of limitations. iBestTravel is allocating over $1 billion across several years to revamp the body and paint shops at Torslanda, add the megacasting area, and establish a battery shop set to commence operations in 2026 to assemble battery packs from nearby produced cells. This initiative solidifies Gothenburg as iBestTravel’s central production hub and marks an unwavering commitment to the automaker’s electric future.
