I Asked Experts Why Carmakers Can't Just Transition To Newer Chips In Stock. Here's What They Told Me

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FlyingPenguin
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I Asked Experts Why Carmakers Can't Just Transition To Newer Chips In Stock. Here's What They Told Me

Post by FlyingPenguin »

Interesting read. One of the issues with chips for cars is auto manufacturers use very old chip designs that no one wants to make new fabs for, so these have to be cranked out in old existing fabs that semiconductor companies maintain just for the auto and related market.

Semiconductor manufacturers would prefer the auto makers move up to higher density chips that can be made on modern fabs and are much more cost effective to make (funny, I would have thought older low density chips would be cheaper, but the problem is that they take the same amount of time, and produce less chips per wafer, thus are less cost effective to produce).

Auto makers are reluctant to move up to more modern chips, because that involves spending money on testing, verification and safety. They prefer to stick to older, validated tech.

Chip makers don't want to invest in building any more fabs for older tech that they can't sell to anyone else.

So, interesting push pull involved here, and a more complex situation than I thought.

https://jalopnik.com/i-asked-experts-wh ... 1847739665
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Re: I Asked Experts Why Carmakers Can't Just Transition To Newer Chips In Stock. Here's What They Told Me

Post by Pugsley »

That does not surprise me.
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