Elon Musk Confirms Continued Nvidia Chip Purchases for SpaceX AI and Tesla

• March 19, 2026

Elon Musk has reassured that both SpaceX AI and Tesla will maintain substantial purchases of Nvidia chips, responding to recent industry speculation around Tesla’s ambitions to develop its own artificial intelligence chips. The comments came as Tesla considers chip production leveraging Samsung Electronics’ US-based facilities.

Ongoing Nvidia Partnership Amid Tesla’s Chip Development

Amid heightened discussions about Tesla’s strategy for bringing AI chip production in-house, Musk clarified the company’s continued reliance on Nvidia’s semiconductor technology. This reaffirms that Tesla and its sister company SpaceX AI will not immediately transition away from Nvidia’s chips despite reports about Tesla’s plan to design and manufacture its own AI processors.

The decision to keep acquiring Nvidia chips in large quantities underlines the current dependency on Nvidia’s well-established chipsets for AI applications across SpaceX and Tesla ventures. These chips support a range of functions from autonomous vehicle operations to complex aerospace AI tasks.

Meanwhile, Tesla’s exploration into producing proprietary AI chips using Samsung Electronics’ American plants signals a strategic move to enhance its technology stack and supply chain autonomy. However, Musk’s recent statement emphasizes that this initiative will coexist with, rather than replace, Nvidia chip sourcing.

This approach reflects a balanced strategy, ensuring ongoing hardware markets stability while investing in long-term in-house AI chip capabilities. While further details about Tesla’s own chip designs, manufacturing timelines, or impact on Nvidia partnership remain undisclosed, Musk’s affirmation offers clarity on the near-term operational sourcing.

For SpaceX AI, securing advanced Nvidia processors remains critical for advancing the company’s machine learning infrastructure that contributes to space exploration and satellite technologies. Tesla’s continued bulk purchases similarly play a key role in sustaining its leading position in electric vehicle AI systems.

Overall, Musk’s announcement highlights that despite shifting trends in semiconductor manufacturing and AI hardware development, Nvidia chips remain central to the AI-related workflows at two of Musk’s flagship companies.

Elon Musk confirms SpaceX AI and Tesla will keep buying Nvidia chips in significant volumes amidst Tesla’s own AI chip plans.