Ford and GlobalFoundries team up to tackle car chip shortages

[rraj2k81]

Ford teaming up with Global Foundries to tackle the chip shortage.
Not sure what the details are, maybe, give Global Foundries access to land and factories owned by Ford to setup semiconductor foundries in the US and hopefully Canada.

Ford and GlobalFoundries team up to tackle car chip shortages | Engadget

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[CommodoreAmiga]

Ford teaming up with Global Foundries to tackle the chip shortage.
Not sure what the details are, maybe, give Global Foundries access to land and factories owned by Ford to setup semiconductor foundries in the US and hopefully Canada.

Ford and GlobalFoundries team up to tackle car chip shortages | Engadget

Seems like that would take several years to become operational.

 

[srwaxalot]

If I remember right the new/fast tracked TSMC plant in AZ is expected to go online in 3-5 years at $10B. So how fast can ford and GF get things going?

 

[rraj2k81]

Seems like that would take several years to become operational.

Yeah, the details are very sparse right now, but you are right this is not going to happen overnight.

But I am guessing this has something to do with Ford trying to tap into the new infrastructure bill money.

 

[Sgt Beavis]

If I remember right the new/fast tracked TSMC plant in AZ is expected to go online in 3-5 years at $10B. So how fast can ford and GF get things going?

Intel has two going up in AZ as well. Not expected to be online until 2024.
Setting up a fab is super expensive and time consuming. Getting it clean is one of the hardest parts.

IMO, Ford would have done better to modernize their cars to use newer chips. That’s exactly what Tesla did to overcome a lot of the issues they faced. Intel’s CEO told the OEMs they have plenty of chips to supply. But they are much newer than those the OEMs typically use. The OEMs have historically been VERY slow in software development. Ford’s Sync 3 was released in 2011. Sync 4 was finally released with the Mustang Mach-E. But Ford also still uses Sync 3 in the NEW Maverick and Bronco Sport.

 

[srwaxalot]

Intel has two going up in AZ as well. Not expected to be online until 2024.
Setting up a fab is super expensive and time consuming. Getting it clean is one of the hardest parts.

IMO, Ford would have done better to modernize their cars to use newer chips. That’s exactly what Tesla did to overcome a lot of the issues they faced. Intel’s CEO told the OEMs they have plenty of chips to supply. But they are much newer than those the OEMs typically use. The OEMs have historically been VERY slow in software development. Ford’s Sync 3 was released in 2011. Sync 4 was finally released with the Mustang Mach-E. But Ford also still uses Sync 3 in the NEW Maverick and Bronco Sport.

My dad’s 2022 ranger has sync 3. The infotainment in my 2019 Kia is way better than the ranger’s.

 

[jjswan33]

My take. It likely doesn't mean adding capacity, that would take years as others have pointed out.

More likely it means Global Foundries is going to make auto chips for Ford, which will add diversity to their supply chain and Global Foundries is likely going to have more capacity for this level of chip technology as TSMC, Samsung, Intel focus on more advanced chips with higher margins.

The article specifically mentions ADAS and Battery management chips. Ford may be able to match/adapt some of their more advance chip designs (for 2023/2024 models) to existing GF process nodes. Then the timeline could be as simple as creating the proper design/mask operations and inserting new wafer starts into an existing factory. You could easily get chips out in a 1-2 year timeframe in this scenario.

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