Samsung is gearing up to commence operations at its Texas chip facility in the US. The factoryβs construction has picked a pace after the Tesla order. Samsung Lee has just met Elon Musk and toured the Taylor semiconductor plant.
A new report reveals that Samsung chief Jay Y Lee and Tesla CEO Elon Musk toured the Taylor semiconductor facility on Thursday.
Chairman Lee and CEO Musk have reportedly mapped out the production lines. The heads have also discussed yield targets and potential technological collaborations during the meetup.
Additionally, Elon suggested Lee set up a dedicated workspace inside Samsungβs Taylor plant for Tesla, so the working personnel remain on site to monitor and speed up chip output.
It aligns with the details that emerged right after Samsung and Tesla signed their deals. From the start, Elon wants an insider role at Samsungβs cutting-edge semiconductor production facility.
Under the new business model being tested, the client (Tesla) participates in every stage of the process, from chip design to plant construction, production line configuration, and packaging, to speed up feedback cycles.
The year-end meeting indicates that the two companies are gearing up to expand their current partnership. In the past, Tesla awarded Samsung a huge $16.5 billion order for its AI chips to be used in various products.
The South Korean tech giant is rapidly finalizing its Taylor chip plant to initiate operations. The company has invested over $34 billion in its Texas plant to set up a massive production facility for advanced chips.
The South Korean new car market edges down -1.1% year-on-year in November to 145,936 units. Local carmakers pull the market down at -5.8% to 116,588 whereas foreigners jump +23.4% to 29,348. Year-to-date figures are up 2.8% to 1,531,044 including 1,252,508 locals (+0.2%) and 278,536 foreigners (+16.2%). Hyundai (-5.1%) retains the brands pole position with 33.9% share above sister brand Kia (-0.6%) at 32.8%. Genesis (+4.7%) is back above 10,000 monthly sales for the first time since last June, distancing Tesla (+110.9%), BMW (-2.1%) and Mercedes (+20.7%). Renault Korea (-51%) collapses year-on-year while Volvo (+10.6%) is solid at #9. Newcomer BYD breaks into the Top 10 for the first time at #10 with 0.8% share.
Looking at domestic models, the Kia Sorento (-3.7%) manages a 13th win in the past 15 months and is way above the competition this month. The Kia Sportage (+62.2%) takes the second spot ahead of the Hyundai Grandeur (+28.8%). The Hyundai Sonata (-11.4%) follows, distancing the Hyundai Avante (+0.1%) and Tucson (-3.6%). The Hyundai Palisade (+124.5%) continues to benefit from its new generation at #8 overall.
Over in the foreign models ranking, the Tesla Model Y (+102.8%) surges ahead year-on-year to dominate the charts head and shoulders with over 6,000 sales. The Mercedes E Class (+50.3%) is also in fantastic shape at #2 ahead of the BMW 5 Series (-5.3%), in difficulty. The Tesla Model 3 (+193.6%) is back up three spots on October to #4, a ranking it also holds year-to-date. Notice also the Mercedes GLE up 256.7% and the BYD Sealion 7 up to a record 7th place.
49,027 new passenger cars found a buyer in Poland in November, a tiny -0.2% year-on-year loss. The year-to-date tally remains in frank positive however at +6.8% to 529,648. Toyota (-32.7%) collapses but stays atop the brands charts with 13.5% share vs. 15.7% so far this year. Skoda (+10.3%) is catching up, to 12% of the market vs. 10.9% over the first 11 months of the year. Volkswagen (-2.8%) is weak at #3 unlike Audi (+15.4%), BMW (+23.3%) and Mercedes (+5.6%) all very solid. Just outside the Top 10, MG (+46.8%) and Cupra (+43.6%) stand out. Chinese carmakers are up 213.6% year-on-year to 5,105 units and 10.4% share vs. 3.3% in November 2024, with BYD up 1059.4%, Jaecoo (+274.8%), Omoda (+243.4%) and BAIC (+84.8%) among the best performers. Tesla is up 98.2%.
The Skoda Octavia (+24.1%) stays above the traditional leader, the Toyota Corolla (-61.1%) for the 2nd month running while the Toyota Yaris Cross (-18.2%) rounds out the podium with 2.4% share. The VW T-Roc (-11.9%) is up five spots on last month to #4 with the Kia Sportage (-19.3%) and Hyundai Tucson (-23.1%), both struggling, in tow. The MG HS (+17.4%) is down one rank on October to #7 but delivers only the 2nd year-on-year uptick in the Top 10. The Renault Captur (-0.9%) points its bonnet at #9.
The Renault 5 hits an all time Danish ranking record in November.
15,910 new cars hit Danish roads in November, a 6.5% year-on-year improvement. The year-to-date tally is now up 6.8% to 166,163. Strikingly, 6 of the Top 7 carmakers easily beat the market with double-digit gains. Volkswagen (+13.3%) is on top with 13.7% share vs. 16% year-to-date, followed by Skoda (+28.6%) and Audi (+61.6%). Mercedes (-6.2%) disappoints at #4 but BMW (+20%), Renault (+33.6%) and Cupra (+70.9%) all impress below. Further down, MG (+781.8%), Citroen (+313.6%) and Mazda (+100%) stand out with surreal gains. Tesla is down -49.3%.
Over in the models charts, the Soda Elroq continues to dominate, signing a 7th win in the past 8 months. This month it distances the VW ID.4 (+100.5%) and Audi Q4 e-Tron (+54.3%). Leader a year ago, the Skoda Enyaq (-37.1%) falls to #4, a ranking it also holds year-to-date. The new Renault 5 is back up 8 spots on October to reach a record 5th place, also hit last September. The VW ID.3 (+31.1%), Mercedes EQB (+71.5%) and Tesla Model 3 (+28.3%) ensure the Top 8 is entirely composed of BEVs. The BMW X1 (+1100%) and VW ID.Buzz (+130.2%) complete the Top 10 in spectacular fashion. The Tesla Model Y is off -74.1% to #23.