Waymo Cracks Code on Custom Chips, Outshines NVIDIA in Autonomous Driving Performance
Waymo, Alphabet's (GOOGL.US) self-driving subsidiary, has started mass production of its custom-designed chips for autonomous driving. The new chip offers performance comparable to NVIDIA's (NVDA.US) latest systems and can perform over 1,000 TOPS of computing power.
The chip is produced using Taiwan Semiconductor's (TSM.US) 5-nanometer process and has been deployed in Waymo's latest-generation robotaxi. This move marks a significant shift for the company, as it now controls its core hardware technologies and no longer relies on third-party suppliers.
Waymo believes this approach will not only reduce vehicle costs but also deliver passengers a more spacious and convenient riding experience. The company is already seeing results, with its robotaxi model developed in collaboration with Zeekr, under the Chinese automaker Geely Auto, featuring Waymo's latest self-developed chip.