Tesla AI6.5 Chips Reportedly May Shift from TSMC to Intel

The Weibo account "Phone Chip Expert" stated on May 9th that Tesla's current AI5 chip Helios is manufactured by TSMC and Samsung, and the next generation AI6 was originally also to be handled by these two companies. The account claimed that a friend involved in Tesla's project informed that under the request and strong urging of the Trump administration, the part originally undertaken by TSMC would be transferred to Intel for manufacturing.

Citrini Research analyst Jukan later paraphrased, stating that Tesla's AI5 is reportedly manufactured by TSMC and Samsung, and the next generation AI6 was also expected to be allocated between the two. The change lies in the part originally allocated to TSMC, which may, under the strong push of the Trump administration, shift towards Intel Foundry.

AI6.5 is part of Tesla's next generation AI computing platform. Musk stated in April that the AI6 would be manufactured by Samsung's Arizona 2nm factory, while the higher specification AI6.5 would be the responsibility of TSMC's Arizona campus.

According to the reported timeline, AI6 is scheduled to tape out in December 2026, with AI6