Tesla CEO Elon Musk is pushing forward with unprecedented speed in its chip manufacturing plans. It is reported that Samsung Electronics, Tesla's main foundry partner, will set up a dedicated office for Musk at its wafer fab in Taylor, Texas.
WccfTech reports
According to tech media outlet WccfTech, Tesla has been actively advancing its mass production strategy for customized chips in recent years, and has already incorporated Samsung and TSMC into its core supply chain. Market sources also suggest that the company may consider using Intel's chip manufacturing services in the future.
Elon Musk has repeatedly mentioned Tesla's ambitious plans in the semiconductor field, including the envisioned "TeraFab," which aims to meet Tesla's massive demand of 100 to 200 billion chips annually.
According to South Korean media outlet Jukan, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong recently visited the company's wafer fab in Taylor, Texas, and met with Musk. The two sides held in-depth discussions on the direction and technical details of their collaboration on Tesla's AI5 chip and the next-generation AI6 chip.
The most noteworthy detail in the report is that Musk will set up a dedicated office within Samsung's Taylor wafer fab and personally oversee part of the chip production process to accelerate engineering feedback and decision-making efficiency.
Elon Musk has long been known for his preference for personally overseeing key decisions, from electric vehicles and aerospace technology to artificial intelligence (AI). Now, chip manufacturing has clearly become a new strategic area of high interest for him.
Currently, Tesla is among Samsung's largest partners in the US market. The two companies previously signed a cooperation agreement worth $16.5 billion, under which Samsung will provide Tesla with full-process semiconductor ecosystem support, from chip design and manufacturing to mass production.
Despite Samsung's strong support, Musk believes that existing foundry partners may not be able to fully meet Tesla's future demand for customized chips—a key reason for his vision of building an independent chip supply chain.
Musk particularly emphasizes the importance of the "stability" of chip supply, stating frankly that the feasibility of long-term reliance on TSMC remains uncertain due to geopolitical factors.
Foreign media outlets point out that Musk seems intent on personally participating in the ongoing "semiconductor industry revolution" in the US, building a dedicated chip supply system for Tesla from scratch.
It's worth noting that as electric vehicle manufacturers like Rivian also increase their investment in developing their own chips, Tesla's customized chip plan is facing increasingly fierce industry competition.
However, Musk previously stated that Tesla's AI5 and AI6 chips are "unique" in terms of product positioning.
Source: Semiconductor Industry Summary
