As Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and other Japanese carmakers seek to make up for lost ground in the shift to electric vehicles, they’re starting to embrace a disruptive technology that’s become one of the industry’s hottest topics: gigacasting.

Tesla Inc. pioneered the use of huge machines capable of casting entire sections of a chassis in a single step, replacing dozens of parts that were welded together previously. The process helps manufacturers squeeze out savings — in terms of time, equipment, labor and cost — from every EV they assemble.