Samsung primed for AI6 chip revenue bonanza as Tesla tries to secure more wafers

Faced with rising prices of components like AI chips and batteries, Tesla had to mark its highest-ever capital expenditure figure during the last quarterly earnings press conference.

It will have to spend $20 billion to stay in the EV, robot, and energy storage game in 2026 alone, double its historical average, and a lot of this increase in payments will go to Samsung.

Tesla is reportedly trying to secure more AI6 wafers from its Texas foundry and may be paying Samsung up to $5 billion annually for its chips and 5G modems developed with Tesla products in mind.

Last year's foundry contract with Samsung is valued at about $2 billion per year for 16,000 wafers per month, but Tesla thinks it will need 40,000, so it is now meeting with Samsung to secure the additional capacity. 

Tesla's AI6 silicon will be done on Samsung's advanced 2nm process, while the chip maker has also developed a 5G modem to supply to Tesla starting later this year. For comparison, the current AI4 chip in the 2026 Model Y is fabricated on a 5nm process. The AI6 processor is not expected to enter Tesla vehicles or robots before 2028, though, and Samsung may not be ready with its Taylor fab in Texas this year as previously planned.

It remains to be seen if Samsung will be able to accommodate Tesla's request and at what price. It has been able to charge Nvidia double for its next-gen HBM4 memory, for instance, riding high on the AI chip craze that has raised its stock price to record highs.

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