Actually, Crimson,
this couldn't be further from the truth. It can take multiple dies to form one particular panel - say a fender. The process of forming a fender can take up to six different die-sets. If the facility @ Shreveport had several multi-ton presses, with multiple die-set runs, left and right fenders can theoretically be formed (stamped out) during the same run (since only a left-hand door - no need for a right). It again depends upon both the press limitations and the die sets available.. Since these dies are custom made for each individual panel, there is a massive initial cost incurred in their production alone. Don't forget to take into account the cranes for moving the multi-ton rolls of cold-rolled steel into place for the shear dies. I guess the point I wish to make here, is that theoretically, stamping steel panels out one after the other seems like it would be a faster process - in my experience, it can often take much longer than the bumpers we formed from plastic pellets adjacent to the stamping presses. This doesn't even take into consideration the actual cost of all those multiple die sets, the change-over time for changing them out to make a different panel run, of the hours or days of downtime if any one of those individual dies are damaged during any multi-ton press strike. Believe me when I tell you this..a huge multinational conglomerate such as Fuji Heavy Industries (parent company of Subaru), General Motors or Mercedes can afford the steel stamping process. Fotr'the big boys', having a finished car roll off the assembly line every 54 seconds is what they demand, but a small start-up like Elio Motors would be staring at certain death if something were to go south during start-up of this new venture.
It's a lot to take into consideration. One of the thousands of hurdles a new venture of this type must plan for and overcome in order to successfully ramp-up to the projected production levels they are seeking.