Samsung to build Tesla AI5 chip in Texas on 2 nm node

Samsung is preparing to mass-produce Tesla’s AI5 SoC at its Taylor, Texas fabrication plant using the SF2 2 nm node. The move puts a key Tesla processor on U.S. soil and aligns with the use of CHIPS Act funding to support domestic silicon manufacturing for American companies.

The deal represents a significant customer win for Samsung, which typically concentrates most leading-edge production in South Korea. Tesla has been working with Samsung and TSMC to use American-based facilities and bring important parts of its supply chain closer to where the company is headquartered and does much of its business.

The AI5 chip is designed for Full Self-Driving, with Elon Musk saying its performance will be comparable to NVIDIA’s ‘Hopper’ architecture and that two AI5 units can match the power of a single ‘Blackwell’ processor. The package is described with 12 LPDDR5X memory modules from SK hynix, and with 16 GB per module, that amounts to 192 GB of LPDDR5X memory per AI5 SoC.

Tesla is also planning ambitious nine-month design cycles for AI6, which is expected to involve Samsung, TSMC, and possibly Intel advanced packaging. Musk confirmed that AI6 and Dojo 3 projects are in progress alongside other custom chip efforts.