was thinking about this... since teslas are radically different cars and perhaps not using a lot of the same suppliers as 'traditional' makers, i was wondering if they're less vulnerable to the chip shortages? if so, it could be a giant win for them with a fixed price approach, capacity, vs traditional dealers seemingly in a shark feeding frenzy to see who can out-stiff the consumers the most for the remaining inventory.

thoughts?

 

No...they are hurting. They aren't at peak capacity and they spoke of this during the earnings call. The chip shortage has definitely affected them and they believe it won't recover until sometime 2022. Even though they use unique chipsets, they also use standard stuff to control airbags and other functions of the car.

I do believe they aren't hurting as much as the others because their volumes are so low. I hope this supply shortage ends soon as that new tax credit is going to get me to buy a new EV

 

Tesla does all their own firmware in house (no other auto maker is capable) so they've been able to repurpose controllers. But even with that they have run into supply issues so shortages don't benefit Tesla.

 

tesla is hurting pretty bad too for sure

 

well that stinks for tesla (and everyone else).

 

A typical luxury vehicle requires approximately 1,300 chips to perform its microprocessor-directed tricks. An EV requires twice that many. So some experts say most chip prices and supplies aren't likely to return to normal until sometime in mid- to late 2022.

 

Well, as I see it, since Musk is (supposedly) such a brilliant guy, let him figure out a way to maybe start producing his own computer-chips...or special-contract with a company that can do so for him.

A century ago, Henry Ford came to the same conclusion. Unlike other auto manufacturers, he believed in the ownership of Ford's own River-Rouge Steel-Plant for sheet-metal and vehicle-frames, rubber-plantations in Brazil and Southeast Asia for tires and other rubber-based parts like hoses and weather-seals, fabric-shops and cow-farms for seat-upholstery, etc..... His idea was that the more the company could order and produce on its own, the less it had to depend on outside shortages and economic-influences. The same thing, today, could apply to computer chips.

 

late 2022 at the earliest, that's if demand doesn't continue to increase. and that's only for supply to pick up. manufacturers still need to work things back into production, etc... this whole vehicle supply thing is going to stick around for a while.

 

just wondering why, if it's over a year out, why can't car companies design new or repurpose other chips to do what they need? i get that cost is an issue, but heck, apple and google can bring out new phones every year with new custom chips. why do car companies have to just say 'oh well, we'll wait over a year to get the same old chips we've been using for years'... there's got to be some degree of workarounds.

one thing we know is elon musk is demanding and creative... i doubt he'd blame a chip shortage for his spaceships (granted much lower production volume!) - i just have a sense he's going to outflank other traditional makers who are moribund and stuck with huge complex supply chains.

 

Because all the chips are being used in the vaccines lol. Jokes aside, I'm hoping the supply shortages continue for decades, way too many cars on the road.

One thing they can do, is start building simple cars, without all the infotainment and graphics. Instead of tens if not hundreds of chip then will only need one, for engine management, and it could be a simple 8 bit chip.

 

Let's just go back to horse drawn carriages and eliminate any requirement for chips altogether.

 

A carburetor works fine and don't need no stinkin chips.

 

Chip shortage won’t help Tesla. It will put them at a significant disadvantage. Other smaller manufacturers of Tesla’s scale will suffer too

 

My aunt ordered a Model S as a surprise for my uncles retirement on 7/7/21. They said delivery sometime in late September or early October. She just got the call that it will be here on 9/28. That seems like a reasonable time for me to build a car and get it to you.

 

Tesla has and does repurpose microcontrollers but there there are still only so many out there.
Wafer purchase contracts are inked years in advance and the bigger you are the more buying power. Apple goes to TSMC and says we need x million wafers in the next 3 years hence they get priority. Also TSMC would rather make higher margin processors than low priced low margin microcontrollers.
Maybe, but this could be a problem not even Elon can solve. Intel is apparently building a fab to compete with TSMC I wish them luck. The timeline is to open in 2025 so even if Tesla started now building their own chip factory it would be years off. And they have zero experience doing it.