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- Mar 21, 202690% CONFIDENCEfrom the source
Musk Launches Terafab, a Tesla-SpaceX Chip Fab Project, in Austin
- Elon Musk launched Terafab on 21 March 2026 from the defunct Seaholm Power Plant in downtown Austin, in a livestream on X[1][2]
- Terafab is a joint project of Tesla, SpaceX and xAI (which SpaceX acquired in February) to make logic chips, memory and packaging, test chips and produce lithography masks in one building[1][4]
- Musk said the world's fabs make only about 2% of what his companies will need: 'We either build the TeraFab, or we don't have the chips'[1][4]
- He projected 100 to 200 gigawatts a year of terrestrial chips and up to a terawatt of compute for solar-powered satellites; Electrek reports 80% of output would go to space[1][4]
- The project was reported at $20 billion; Tesla's CFO put the full cost at an estimated $20-25 billion, not yet in its 2026 capital plan[1][4]
- Tesla's first step is a prototype 'Advanced Technology Fab' at Giga Texas, meant to produce AI5 in small batches in 2026 and in volume in 2027[1][3]
- Musk gave no date for first chips; he said Tesla and SpaceX will keep buying from TSMC, Samsung and Micron[4]
- Intel joined the project in April 2026[2]
References 482% CONFIDENCEOverall confidence: 82%How well the pin's source and references back up its dates.Weighted average of how firmly 4 references, the source included, support the pin's start and end times; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newestShow all pins at 75% confidence or better
The first entry is always the pin's source. Overall confidence is a weighted average of how firmly each reference supports the start and end times used above; a reference counts half as much for every 180 days older than the newest.
- [1]90%electrek.co/2026/03/22/tesla-spacex-terafab-chip-factory-ai-desperationelectrek.co· Posted Sep 28, 2026· Starts Mar 21, 2026 ✓· 30% of score
Electrek, 22 March 2026: 'Musk took the stage at the defunct Seaholm Power Plant in Austin on March 21 to officially launch the project'. No start time is given, so the pin is all day.
- [2]75%
- [3]80%Tesla advances Austin chip facility as Musk's Texas Terafab takes shapestatesman.com· Published Sep 1, 2026· 27% of score
Austin American-Statesman: Tesla is building its 'Austin semiconductor fab' research operation at Gigafactory Texas, with ground preparation visible on 6 August, alongside Cortex 2.0; the main Terafab plant goes to Grimes County.
- [4]85%Elon Musk unveils $20 billion 'TeraFab' chip project to make chips, memory, and package processors all under one roof — targets a terawatt of annual computetomshardware.com· Published Mar 22, 2026· 14% of score
Tom's Hardware on the livestreamed launch from the defunct Seaholm Power Plant: a reported $20 billion joint Tesla-SpaceX fab housing logic, memory, packaging, testing and mask production in one building; Musk projected 100-200 GW a year of terrestrial chips and about a terawatt in space, and gave no timeline for first chips.[1]
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