Elon Musk Announces $20B 'Terafab' Chip Plant in Texas To Supply His Companies (yahoo.com)
- Reference: 0181078838
- News link: https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/26/03/22/2151236/elon-musk-announces-20b-terafab-chip-plant-in-texas-to-supply-his-companies
- Source link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/musk-says-tesla-spacex-xai-chip-project-to-kick-off-in-texas-045035316.html
> Musk announced on Saturday night during a [2]livestream on his social media platform X that the plant, called "Terafab," will be built near Tesla's campus and gigafactory in eastern Travis County. The long-anticipated project is a joint venture between Musk-owned properties Tesla, SpaceX and xAI... The Terafab plant is expected to begin production in 2027.
Musk "has said the semiconductor industry is moving too slow to keep up with the supply of chips he expects to need," [3]writes Bloomberg — quoting Musk as saying "We either build the Terafab or we don't have the chips, and we need the chips, so we build the Terafab."
> Musk detailed some specific plans, including producing chips that can support 100 to 200 gigawatts a year of computing power on Earth, and chips that can support a terawatt in space, but gave no timelines for the facility or its output... The facility is expected to make two types of chips, one of which will be optimized for edge and inference, primarily for his vehicle, robotaxi and Optimus humanoid robots. The other will be a high-power chip, designed for space that could be used by SpaceX and xAI... Musk said he expects xAI to use the vast majority of the chips.
>
> During the presentation, Musk also unveiled a speculative rendering of a future "mini" AI data center satellite, one piece of a much larger satellite system that he wants SpaceX to build to do complex computing in space. In January, SpaceX requested a license from the Federal Communications Commission to launch one million data center satellites into orbit around Earth. Musk said that the mini satellite he revealed would have the capacity for 100 kilowatts of power. "We expect future satellites to probably go to the megawatt range," Musk said.
>
> Raising money to build and launch AI data centers in space is one of the driving forces behind SpaceX's planned IPO later this year. SpaceX is expected to raise as much as $50 billion in a record-setting IPO this summer which could value it at more than $1.75 trillion, Bloomberg News reported earlier.
[1] https://www.kvue.com/article/tech/elon-musk-announces-chip-plant-austin-travis-county-texas/269-fd28ad7c-2e20-4c9b-a358-f56835c5355a
[2] https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1yKAPMzlvgWxb
[3] https://finance.yahoo.com/news/musk-says-tesla-spacex-xai-chip-project-to-kick-off-in-texas-045035316.html
I'm sure it'll be ready- (Score:3)
-next year, for the next 10 years.
Where's the talent going to come from? (Score:2)
1 . California? Not Musk's first choice. They'll mostly vote Democrat. All that will do is swell the democratic base in Austin. You're also going to have a tough time getting [most] Californians to move to Texas unless they like hot sticky weather and the Republican values.
2. H-1B? Not with Trumps $100,000.00 visa fee. But Musk's upside to this is that they can't vote.
3. No engineers or white collar employees, just blue collar workers and AI. (Musk's wet dream). Blue collar workers are for the most part R
Re: (Score:2)
Are modern fabs really labor intensive these days?
Re: (Score:2)
Robots can't solve technical issues on the production line. AI might however.
Re: (Score:2)
Yes because making chips is not about turning machines on and everything magically works. At the leading edge of chip fabrication is engineering to determine how to make things work and at acceptable yields.
Elon Musk Announces $20 BS 'Terafab' Chip Plant (Score:2)
is more accurate.
Re: (Score:2)
Should read 'Terafib'.
What's the backlog at ASML? (Score:2)
Because a giant building with no equipment isn't exactly useful.
Re: (Score:2)
That’s what his company xAI is for. I am sure they are working on this problem right now. People just have to believe.
Re: (Score:2)
Last I knew, about 18-24 months, and growing. With enough money you might be able able to buy someone else's earlier delivery spot, but that is not going to be more than drop in the bucket into the claimed needs of a terafab.
Why not petafab? (Score:2)
C'mon Elon, you could have used petamicrowatt units to justify calling it a petafab chip plant. I'm disappointed in your imagination for exaggeration
Why are you idiots thinking it canâ(TM)t be d (Score:3)
Unlike reusable rockets, EVs, and full self driving .. all of which he achieved. Yes that includes full self driving, I own a Model Y with FSD and it works great for at least a year now (since v13 and recently v14). Letâ(TM)s not forget how quickly they built the xAI data center and automobile Gigafactories in Nevada, Texas, and Berlin. Semiconductor fabs are known technology. He just has to hire ex TSMC, Samsung, Intel, and ASML employees and heâ(TM)s set. There isnâ(TM)t anything new to invent or hope isnâ(TM)t impossible to do. The processes are well known and documented. He just has to plonk down a bunch of cash for an ASML machine. Oh and btw the companies I mentioned laid off a bunch of workers recently so itâ(TM)s not like he wonâ(TM)t be able to find people. And I am sure with a large enough check many people would cross over. So please, letâ(TM)s not hear any BS about âoeElon has no experience building a fab.â He had no experience building rocket engines, his first employee Tom Mueller did. He didnâ(TM)t have experience designing cars .. that Franz Hof-something dude did. And unlike back then, when he couldnâ(TM)t even write them a fat check, he has a lot more resources at his disposal. He just has to ask around who the top guys in the business are.
Re: (Score:2)
that you Elon? I'm sure the folks at the other foundries will be rushing to join after the way your latest startup XAI has exceeded all expectations It's rare to see to a company treat its staff with such care and compassion.
But what else has he ever done for us? (Score:2)
> Unlike reusable rockets, EVs, and full self driving...
Yeah, but other than that, what has Elon Musk [1]ever done [youtube.com] for us?
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc7HmhrgTuQ
He might pull it off (Score:2)
When it comes to building physical engineering companies, there are very few people on the planet that are better than Musk. He is, arguably, the best industrial businessman. Ever. In the history of our species.
It’s different for bits vs. atoms. Musk is an atoms guy. He just plain sucks at computer and internet stuff. Regarding his politics, well, you either love him or hate him.
But, a fab is pure hardware. If he still has the mojo, the energy and the drive to make it happen (my jury is out), he
Guarantees (Score:3)
Make sure the plant is built and running before they get a penny of the tax breaks
Re: (Score:2)
Hey, Musk don't need no gov'ment guarantees or tax breaks. He'll just pay with it using the savings from starving all those children to death.
Gimme Funny!