[Robotbeat]

All the more reason for them to go with the proven and far cheaper 14nm process node rather than 7nm (which Intel/MobilEye have had difficulties with as far as yields). https://www.techpowerup.com/248008/intel-at-least-5-years-be...

EDIT: Corrected below. MobilEye is using TSMC even though they're owned by Intel.

[dragontamer]

Intel/MobilEye is using TSMC 7nm for the EyeQ5 chip. There won't be any issues.

https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333990

TSMC 7nm has already deployed the iPhone A12, the iPad A12x, and AMD's Radeon VII. Its mature and ready for mass production.

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The problem with Tesla's 14nm chip is that their capabilities are about to be leap-frogged by a commercial-off-the-shelf solution in just a year. Note that the EyeQ5 is sampling TODAY. MobilEye is aiming at cars being deployed with the thing for 2020.

[Robotbeat]

Being potentially "leap frogged" in a couple years is only a problem if you're not planning on improving the chip in that time. Tesla is, in fact, planning on deploying an improved NN chip in 2 years (currently in development). They can use whatever process is available at that time.

And thank you for the correction about Intel/MobilEye using TSMC instead. Of course, anyone can use TSMC, so there's less vertical integration advantage for Intel/MobilEye than I had previously expected.

[dragontamer]

> Tesla is, in fact, planning on deploying an improved NN chip in 2 years (currently in development).

So Tesla is planning to spend another $100 to $200 Million on this project? For another chip? That's 10% of its remaining cash (Tesla only has $2.2 Billion left)

I'm not convinced that Tesla has the cash for these projects.

[Robotbeat]

It's effectively coming out of the cash they were sending to Nvidia, so the effect on cash flow is actually positive.

[hef19898]

More like all the more reason to source these chips from outside, I would argue