Tesla anchors 2nm in US

Tesla is lining up future artificial-intelligence chips at two U.S. factories, with Samsung in Texas and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in Arizona, according to reports citing Elon Musk’s comments. (koreajoongangdaily.joins.com) Musk said on April 17 that Tesla’s AI6 chip will use Samsung’s 2-nanometer process in Texas, and that a later AI6.5 version will use TSMC’s 2-nanometer process in Arizona. Forbes reported in July 2025 that Musk had already assigned Tesla’s AI6 program to Samsung’s Taylor, Texas fab under a $16.5 billion supply deal running through 2033. (wccftech.com, forbes.com) These chips are the computers that process camera feeds and driving models inside Tesla vehicles. Musk said in July 2025 that AI5 would be made first by TSMC in Taiwan and later at TSMC’s Arizona plant, putting Tesla on a multi-fab path before the new AI6 split emerged. (forbes.com) A 2-nanometer chip is a newer manufacturing generation that packs more transistors into the same area, which usually improves speed and power efficiency. TSMC says its third Arizona fab is slated for N2 and A16 process technologies, while its first Arizona fab started high-volume N4 production in the fourth quarter of 2024 and its second fab is targeting N3 production in the second half of 2027. (tsmc.com) That means Tesla is trying to secure U.S. capacity before those factories are fully saturated by other artificial-intelligence and high-performance computing customers. TSMC says its Arizona plan now spans six wafer fabs, two advanced-packaging facilities and an research-and-development center, a sign that the state is becoming a larger share of the U.S. chip supply chain. (tsmc.com) Samsung’s Taylor plant is also moving from construction into operations. Korea Times reported on April 20 that the plant would soon begin operations with Tesla chips ready for fabrication, after Samsung’s South Korean filing and Musk’s 2025 post tied Taylor to Tesla’s AI6 program. (koreatimes.co.kr, forbes.com) The Arizona side is expanding at the same time. TSMC says it has raised its Arizona commitment from $12 billion in 2020 to $165 billion, and Arizona Republic reported on April 17 that the company completed construction on its second Arizona fab and expects volume production there in the second half of 2027. (tsmc.com, azcentral.com) Tesla has not published a full production schedule for AI6 or AI6.5, and the detailed split has circulated mainly through Musk’s posts and follow-on industry reports rather than a formal Tesla filing. But if Tesla keeps both programs onshore, it will be reserving some of the newest U.S. chipmaking lines for the computers it says will power its next generation of vehicle autonomy. (wccftech.com, koreajoongangdaily.joins.com)