Tesla запускает собственное производство чипов для авангардных технологий Translation: Tesla launches its own chip production for cutting-edge technologies

Tesla is set to establish a «massive» semiconductor manufacturing facility to fulfill its aspirations in artificial intelligence and robotics. This announcement was made by company CEO Elon Musk during the annual shareholder meeting, as reported by CNBC.

«One of the things I’m trying to figure out is how we can produce enough chips,» he expressed.

Currently, the company relies on TSMC and Samsung for its chip supply, with potential collaboration with Intel being considered.

«Even if we project the best-case scenario for chip production from our suppliers, it still won’t be enough,» the entrepreneur added.

Musk believes the company needs to build what he termed the Tesla terra fab. He sees no alternative to secure an adequate supply of chips.

Semiconductors serve as the «brain» for nearly all modern technologies, powering various devices ranging from smartphones and televisions to large data centers. With the evolution of artificial intelligence, the demand for these components has skyrocketed.

According to the billionaire, the initial capacity of the prospective facility is expected to be 100,000 wafers per month, which will subsequently increase to 1 million.

For context, TSMC reports an annual production of 17 million wafers, translating to about 1.42 million per month.

While Tesla does not manufacture its own microchips, it has been developing specialized chips for autonomous driving for several years.

Currently, the latest generation AI5 processors have been outsourced. Musk stated these will be cheaper, more energy-efficient, and optimized for the company’s proprietary AI software.

The billionaire announced plans to launch production of the Cybercab—an autonomous, pedal-less, and steering wheel-less electric vehicle—in April.

Musk’s statements highlight Tesla’s pivot towards artificial intelligence and robotics.

«With these tools, we can potentially increase the global economy by 10 or even 100 times. There doesn’t seem to be an obvious limit,» he remarked during the shareholder meeting.

Seventy-five percent of voting Tesla shareholders supported Musk’s nearly $1 trillion compensation plan.

The package involves 12 stock tranches to be awarded upon achieving specific targets over the next decade, which will enhance Musk’s voting power from about 13% to 25%, equating to an increase of 423 million shares.

The first tranche will be granted if Tesla reaches a valuation of $2 trillion (currently it stands at $1.54 trillion). The subsequent nine will be awarded as the company’s valuation grows by $500 billion increments, totaling up to $6.5 trillion.

The final two tranches will be awarded after an increase of $2 trillion—$1 trillion each. Thus, for Musk to receive the full package, the electric vehicle manufacturer’s value would need to reach $8.5 trillion.

Compensation tied to valuation increases is coupled with operational milestones. Tesla has set a range of profit targets for Musk, starting from $50 billion annually and going up to $400 billion.

Other benchmarks include producing 20 million vehicles, manufacturing 1 million Optimus robots, creating 1 million robotaxis, and reaching 10 million active subscriptions for the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.

At the shareholder meeting, Musk stated that the company’s bots will «eliminate poverty,» «provide everyone with amazing healthcare,» and be «greater than mobile phones and anything else.» He also mentioned their role in combating crime.

The CEO of Tesla indicated that China is expected to fully approve driver-assist systems similar to FSD by February or March.

The company has long sought regulatory approval for its software from authorities. Securing this permission is considered crucial for reviving the automaker’s sales in China.

Currently, the company has partial approval, which has allowed it to conduct tests. During these trials, Tesla omitted the FSD designation to comply with stricter local regulations.

The company’s efforts to implement the technology began in April 2024.

Lastly, it should be noted that in November, Musk hinted at the possibility of releasing a flying car by the end of 2025.