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TSMC lost only 1% of its revenue when the deal to produce chips for Tesla collapsed. Photo: WSJ . |
Tesla’s $16.5 billion deal with Samsung to produce next-generation AI chips is seen as a major boost for the South Korean conglomerate’s struggling semiconductor business. However, according to Morgan Stanley, the deal will only cost Tesla’s longtime partner TSMC about 1% of its revenue, which is unlikely to significantly impact the chip company’s position as the number one chipmaker.
In July, Tesla confirmed that it had signed a partnership with Samsung to produce a new generation of AI chips for electric vehicles and humanoid robots. These chips will be manufactured at Samsung's factory in Austin (USA), under the direct supervision of CEO Elon Musk. Immediately after the information was announced, Samsung shares increased sharply by 6% on the Korean stock exchange.
While Samsung and TSMC are the only contract chipmakers with the capacity to make advanced chips, the South Korean company lags behind its rivals in terms of production efficiency and market size, according to Morgan Stanley. Tesla will continue to work closely with both chipmakers in the future, the investment bank said.
The deal with Tesla could add $50 billion to Samsung’s market value if it makes good use of its US factory capacity, Morgan Stanley added. Samsung plans to manufacture Tesla’s AI6 chip using 2-nanometer technology, aiming for mass production by 2025.
Meanwhile, TSMC is manufacturing the A15 chip on a 3-nanometer process and is expected to launch the A15 in early 2026, while Samsung's A16 chip will be deployed in 2027.
Despite winning orders for Tesla’s next-generation chips, Samsung still faces a major productivity challenge. Its advanced manufacturing processes appear to have lower yield rates than TSMC’s. However, one factor that Tesla chose Samsung this time around is that it allows the Tesla team to have deep control over the manufacturing process, something that is rare in the semiconductor industry.
Elon Musk shared on social media that the $16.5 billion is only the minimum production level, hinting at the possibility of expanding the cooperation in the future. He also revealed that the AI5 chip has just completed the design stage, while emphasizing that the AI6 chip will become the main platform for both Tesla's FSD autopilot system and humanoid robots.
This will be the first time a chip has taken on two key roles at the same time, demonstrating Musk's long-term ambition to turn Tesla into a "robotics manufacturing center".
Source: https://znews.vn/tsmc-chi-mat-1-doanh-thu-khi-mat-thoa-thuan-voi-tesla-post1573926.html
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