Tesla planned to launch its next-generation vehicles on a new vehicle architecture allowing unprecedented manufacturing efficiency. The so-called unboxed vehicle manufacturing process is no longer a priority as Tesla pivoted toward artificial intelligence and robotics. However, it wasn’t abandoned, as a new international patent shows.

Tesla’s unboxed vehicle manufacturing process introduced a revolutionary concept in March 2023 when it was announced. Instead of building cars the traditional way, by stamping body parts and putting them together, Tesla wanted to divide the vehicle into several sections and work on them simultaneously. Instead of stamping and welding, Tesla would use castings to streamline production. In the final assembly, the completed sections would be put together, and a new vehicle would roll off at the end of the production line.

The unboxed vehicle process would eliminate several steps in the manufacturing process, including during assembly and painting. It would also allow more people to work concurrently, providing a 44% operator density. It also increases factory space utilization efficiency by 30% and shrinks the required production area by more than 40%. Besides that, it can cut production time significantly.

However revolutionary this process seems, Tesla almost abandoned it. It’s unclear when Elon Musk got cold feet about the unboxed process, but the final nail in the coffin came earlier this year. At the time, rumors indicated that Tesla had abandoned the compact EV plans and would focus on producing a robotaxi.

Tesla offered more details during the second-quarter earnings call when it announced that only the robotaxi would use the unboxed process in the future. On the contrary, the next-generation compact EV will use elements of the existing Model 3/Y architecture (Gen 2) with bits of the unboxed process.

However, before Elon Musk changed Tesla’s strategy, the EV maker filed for an international patent for the unboxed manufacturing process. Even though Tesla is no longer pursuing this vehicle architecture for its mainstream EVs, the patent was published on September 6, revealing new details about the unconventional vehicle architecture.

The most obvious thing is that the modular vehicle architecture described in the patent filing was based on the Cybertruck. Considering that the first patents were filed in February 2023, this gives us an idea of what the Cybertruck should’ve been. This explains why Tesla needed five years before launching the electric pickup. It also gives new meaning to the technologies used for the Cybertruck, including the network architecture, steer-by-wire, and the 48-volt electrical architecture.

For the unboxed vehicle process to work, every vehicle section should be self-contained and have as few wire (and pipe) connections as possible. However, the Cybertruck only goes halfway toward the unboxed vehicle process, probably because Tesla realized it needed more time and the market was not patient. This is why the truck still features hydraulic brakes and an air suspension that includes a compressor, tank, and air lines.

The patent describes in detail not only the new vehicle architecture but also the manufacturing process, including various assembly line sections and workflows. The document shows different levels of unboxing, suitable for various vehicle types, from sedans to SUVs and trucks. You can find it attached at the bottom of this page, although Seti Park has also made a nice summary in the thread below.