Rebirth 99 to become a car giant

"Mr. Cao, Qiantu Motor has arranged for people to come over to discuss the NS8155. Several other car companies are also in contact with us. It is expected that there will be new progress soon."

As the flagship product of Nanshan Semiconductor Imperial City Factory, the sales of NS8155 is naturally something that Cao Yang is more concerned about.

Zhang Jing also reported to Cao Yang in time.

NS8155 now has technical advantages and will have no rivals in a short time.

But whether we can make full use of this technological advantage and form a market advantage will obviously have to be looked at again.

Some products have very good technology, but ultimately failed to win the market. There are many similar cases.

"Because Q9 of Qiantu Motor caught fire in space, all aspects of marketing were suspended for a while. However, the monthly sales volume is more than a thousand units, which is not particularly bad."

"Did they say which car model NS8155 is going to be used in?"

Cao Yang is quite concerned about the developments of new domestic car-making forces.

Although these car companies are unlikely to pose much of a threat to future cars in the short term, some of the actions of people outside the industry are often very different from traditional car companies.

Some things are still worth learning from.

"It is estimated that Qiantu Q9 will be used in the mid-facelift model, and a new model they are still developing will probably be temporarily switched to NS8155."

"In the past year since Qiantu Q9 was launched, it is estimated that we have also received many complaints from consumers about screen freezes and other aspects."

"If the problem can be solved by replacing the chip, they should still be willing to spend the cost."

Although Zhang Jing is from the semiconductor industry, the company's flagship product now is chips for electric vehicles, so he is naturally willing to spend time learning about the automotive industry.

In particular, the new car-making forces are the most enthusiastic about using Nanshan Semiconductor's NS8155 chip.

These are the important pillars for NS8155 to reach the altar.

"If they want to use it, just sell it."

"The price is as mentioned before. Whether it is Qiantu Motor, Xpeng Motors, or other companies such as LeTV Motors, it can be sold."

"Even if Tesla has the guts to buy from us, we will sell it."

Although NS8155 currently has no rivals, its technological leadership is actually not particularly great.

It's just that none of the chip companies wanted to produce chips like that before, so the gap between automotive-grade chips and NS8155 is very big.

In fact, in theory, using 28nm process technology to produce chips similar to NS8155, the final performance can reach 2TOPS.

Although there is still a relatively large gap with the 8TOPS of NS8155, it is no longer an order of magnitude difference, it is considered very close.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

"But if they really want to take measures, they probably won't be able to do so quickly."

“The various adaptive developments alone will take at least a year.”

"However, our improvement in yield rate should not reach an ideal state until the middle of next year."

"At that time, production priority can be given to smartphone chips and computer chips. It just so happens that Honor Technology's new generation of mobile phones and computers are on the market."

Zhang Jing has obviously made overall arrangements for the next production capacity arrangements.

This is actually very important for the continued operation of a factory.

Otherwise, when customers need chips, you won’t be able to produce them.

When customers don't need chips, all your production lines are running.

That waste is absolutely huge.

"Although 14nm will be sufficient within the next two years, the technology of 7nm process still needs to be studied as soon as possible."

"After all, if further breakthroughs can be achieved, not only the computing power of the chip can be greatly improved, but the energy consumption can also be reduced significantly."

"The most important thing is that I think the 7-nanometer process will basically be sufficient in the next ten years. Only a small number of cutting-edge chips require more advanced technology to produce."

"At that time, we can greatly increase the production capacity of 7 nanometers, forming a layout with 28 nanometers as the supplement, 14 nanometers as the foundation, 7 nanometers as the flagship product, and 3 nanometers or 2 nanometers as the leader."

With the development of chip technology to this day, Moore's Law has slowly been unable to adapt.

After all, after the process evolves to 7 nanometers, it will be very difficult to continue evolving.

With such a large investment, the performance improvement is relatively limited, and it is obviously not a particularly good solution commercially.

In the past, Huawei was able to produce world-class chips using the 14-nanometer process. As long as it is used well, there will be no problem using the 7-nanometer process to produce world-class chips.

A further level can only be used on a very small number of high-end chips.

As long as you have this kind of thing, you don't need to make a lot of money from it.

On the contrary, 7nm process products will definitely be Nanshan Semiconductor’s main source of profit.

It is also Nanshan Semiconductor’s weapon to kill other competitors.

"Well, I have arranged a special team to study the 7-nanometer process, and Nanshan Equipment will fully cooperate."

"Companies in the Chip Equipment Industry Alliance have also begun to take action."

"If the progress is satisfactory, we should be able to achieve a technological breakthrough in 2015."

"At that time, Intel and Samsung's 14nm process plants should have just started ramping up production."

"At that time, we can build three 7-nanometer process factories at the same time, bringing high-end chips to a whole new level in one fell swoop."

Zhang Jing is also an ambitious person.

He hopes that one day Nanshan Semiconductor will become the largest and most technologically advanced semiconductor company in the world.

If he had to set a goal, he hoped it would be five years from now.

After all, he is not very young and cannot have so much energy to preside over specific research and development work.

Even in the next few years, he will need to consider his successor.

Of course, it is quite common for people in the high-tech industry to work until they are seventy or eighty years old without fully retiring.

Especially among academicians from all walks of life, I have never seen anyone really retire at the age of 60 and go home to take care of themselves.

If you are willing to do so, neither will your unit.

A certain major in many schools relies on the support of a certain academician to reach the leading level in the country.

Once this academician really retires, the situation will immediately change dramatically.

This is a situation no school wants to see.

"Then follow your plan and proceed with it. At that time, I would like to know whether the United States will continue to restrict their companies from importing our products."

Cao Yang knows that the best way to break other people's restrictions is not to beg for mercy, nor to follow each other to suppress each other, but to make the other party find a better substitute than you.

For example, Nanshan Semiconductor will be mass-producing various chips using the 7-nanometer process, but other chip companies around the world can only produce products with the 14-nanometer process at most.

This will cause related products such as mobile phones and computers to lose their competitiveness.

Is the United States really willing to watch these companies lose their competitiveness?

Will people take the initiative to relax restrictions by then?

Just like in later generations, the United States took so many measures to suppress polar bears, but when it came to enriching uranium, it still relied on polar bears to import it.

Because it is indispensable to them.

What Nanshan Semiconductor has to do now is to make its products indispensable.

By then, as long as the United States does not want to fall behind in the high-tech industry, the United States must relax restrictions on Nanshan Semiconductor.

As long as the restrictions on one company are relaxed, the overall restrictions on the Nanshan System will not be implemented well.

…

While Nanshan Semiconductor is internally counting NS8155 customers, many car companies are also thinking about their next steps.

"Mr. Zhang, the research institute has conducted preliminary tests. If Yangcheng Aian's products can be replaced with an NS8155 chip, the performance of the vehicle system will be greatly improved immediately."

“The various car system and screen problems that consumers complained about in the past can basically be solved.”

"But the price of NS8155 is a bit expensive, costing 2,000 yuan each."

Zeng Guangda is now personally responsible for Yangcheng Aian's affairs, which is an important hope for the development of Yangcheng Automobile Group.

In the past, they focused most on Yangcheng Toyota and Yangcheng Honda, which contributed the most profits to the group.

However, Japanese car companies have been suppressed by Chinese independent brand car companies headed by Nanshan Automobile Group since 2012, and they have not yet fully recovered.

It would be good to be able to maintain the current market share in the future. It is not that difficult to significantly increase sales.

With the rise of Chery, Geely and other car companies, the sales pressure of Yangcheng Toyota and Yangcheng Honda models has also increased.

The car can only be sold through more price reductions.

As a result, the profit per vehicle has naturally dropped a lot.

In the end, although Yangcheng Honda and Yangcheng Toyota are still the cash cows of Yangcheng Automobile Group, their importance is constantly declining.

In this process, Yangcheng Trumpchi has risen rapidly. Although its current profit margin is not as good as that of Yangcheng Toyota and Yangcheng Honda, its total operating profit is close to catching up with Yangcheng Toyota.

If Yangcheng Aian can also turn losses into profits, then the situation of Yangcheng Automobile Group will definitely be prosperous.

"I heard that the S9 will use two NS8155s in the future, with a computing power of 16TOPS."

"If we just use one, can we meet the requirements?"

Put aside those who don’t have money, the first thing to consider now is whether there is any value in doing so.

As the helmsman of Yangcheng Automobile Group, Zhang Jiaqi naturally needs to consider more things.

He is also very ambitious and hopes that Yangcheng Automobile Group can become the top three in China.

This goal is obviously very challenging.

Not to mention the leader Nanshan Automobile Group, Spring City Automobile Group, Xifeng Automobile Group, Modu Automobile Group and Changan Automobile Group are not so easy to surpass.

Not to mention that private automobile companies such as Chery, Geely, Great Wall, and BYD are also full of vitality.

"Yes, after all, we mainly focus on mid-to-low-end models, and the various configurations cannot be compared with the future S9."

"I even think that Yangcheng Aian only uses the NS8155 chip for the mid-to-high-end models of each model, but not for the low-end models."

Zeng Guangda obviously has his own plan.

Taking advantage of this communication opportunity, he was ready to have a good chat with Zhang Jiaqi.

After all, the importance of strategic planning for vehicle models is unquestionable.

A good plan can achieve twice the result with half the effort.

In turn, maybe all the efforts will be in vain.

“Since the research institute’s analysis believes that NS8155 is worth owning, then use it boldly.”

"Maybe when the time comes for marketing, we can compare it with the future S9 and get a taste of their popularity."

Zhang Jiaqi now knows more and more about some new marketing methods.

The publicity level of Yangcheng Aian and Yangcheng Trumpchi is also constantly improving.

…

Even companies like Yangcheng Trumpchi that produce mid- to low-end electric vehicles are beginning to consider using the NS8155 chip in new products.

Naturally, these news will spread one after another.

As the first company to go public in the field of electric vehicles, Tesla has naturally been paying attention to the news of Chinese automobile companies.

Tesla’s team knows better than anyone how good the performance of NS8155 is.

After all, the relevant test comparison reports have now appeared on Masco's desktop.

"Masco, we compared it. Whether it is NXP or Infineon's solution, there is a huge gap with Nanshan Semiconductor's NS8155."

"We want Model X to become a classic product, so it is necessary to consider replacing the smart cockpit chip with NS8155."

As the R\u0026D director of Tesla Motors, Max is also very anxious now.

On the one hand, a very good chip has been discovered, but it was not developed by our own company.

On the other hand, this chip is produced by Nanshan Semiconductor. As an American company, Tesla is not allowed to purchase related products from Nanshan Semiconductor.

Of course, if you want to violate these prohibitions, there are definitely many ways.

It just depends on whether Tesla wants to use it or not.

"Does NS8155 really have such a big advantage?"

Although Masco is a professional technician, he is still not familiar with some specific aspects of chip design and production.

After all, there are specialties in the art industry.

To be able to reach Musko's current level is already a very remarkable existence.

"Yes, the advantage is very big!"

"I even think that in the next three years, the only thing that can beat NS8155 is Nanshan Semiconductor's own new product."

When Max said this, Masco was immediately silenced.

When did China's chip technology become so advanced?

This is not in line with my own understanding.

He feels that some of the practices of relevant departments in the United States may be in the wrong direction.

If you are also chasing and blocking them, the more they want to break through.

By then, every protective net will be riddled with holes, and it will become impossible to continue the blockade.

"Now the conflict between Nanshan Automobile Group, General Motors and Ford Motor is at its most intense. Each side has driven the other out of its home market."

"I heard that General Motors and Ford Motor are already considering a complete withdrawal from the Chinese market and selling off the shares of both GM and Changan Ford."

"Under this situation, if we buy NS8155 from Nanshan Semiconductor, I am afraid that we will immediately become the target of public criticism."

Musk naturally hopes that the performance of Tesla's various models can lead the world.

Otherwise, without this advantage, a lot of marketing would be difficult to do.

"In fact, it's not that there is no room for operation at all. We can purchase a control unit with NS8155 installed from other international mainstream suppliers and ask them to go to Nanshan Semiconductor to purchase chips."

"In this way, we will not violate the relevant regulations."

Max quickly came up with a solution.

Many companies in the United States are doing similar actions.

He even knew that many companies in the United States were using bearings from Nanshan Auto Parts, but these bearings were not necessarily purchased directly from Nanshan Auto Parts.

It is possible that other dealers such as Annan or Luzon purchased it and then exported it to the United States.

Although strictly speaking, this is definitely not in line with the ideas of relevant American departments.

But from a rule perspective, this is obviously no problem.

"We have now arranged a dedicated team to develop autonomous driving chips. Is it possible to develop smart cockpit chips as well?"

Masco knows that chips like the NS8155 will be a very important manifestation of the competitiveness of a model.

If Tesla can solve these problems through self-developed chips, it will undoubtedly be very beneficial to improving Tesla's competitiveness.

"In the long run it will be possible, but in a short period of time we will not be able to develop a more advanced chip than NS8155."

"Even if we develop similar chips in the future, the production cost is not expected to be cheap."

When Diers said this, Masco began to get confused.

However, self-developed core components are a general direction he has set long ago and will definitely not change.

It’s nothing more than an additional self-developed chip.

However, what Diels warned is also reasonable. Self-developed chips will not be competitive enough in the short term.

In this case, considering using Nanshan Semiconductor's NS8155 is an acceptable solution.

As for whether this will make Tesla's models less marketable in China, he is not worried at all.

Because according to the current situation, Tesla models are basically impossible to sell in China.

After all, the United States has blocked Nanshan Automobile Group's market in its own country. Naturally, it is impossible for China to allow Tesla to live happily in its own market.

Musko has recently gained a full understanding of the strength of Nanshan Automobile Group. He knows that if the other party wants to make Tesla unable to sell in the Chinese market, it can be done.

"You can give it a try, but it may not be suitable for us to promote the use of NS8155 chips produced by Chinese companies."

"As long as the experience of the car-machine system improves."

Although Masco agreed with Diels' plan, he obviously still planned to downplay the matter.

Otherwise, it will be a bit unsightly after all if someone digs it out.

During this period, several fire incidents occurred in Tesla's electric vehicles in the American market, which has put Tesla at the forefront of the storm.

He didn't want to cause any trouble at this time.

…

"Mr. Cao, if all BMW China models consider using Nanshan Semiconductor's NS8155 chip, can your production capacity be able to cope with it?"

NS8155 is good, as long as professional technicians analyze it carefully, they can figure it out.

BMW has had a good relationship with Nanshan Automobile Group in recent years, so Phillips called Cao Yang directly.

This kind of cooperation involves a relatively large scale, and Phillips still thinks it would be better to take the high-level route.

BMW itself does not have a chip industry. It will buy it no matter who it buys from.

In the past, most of their chips were supplied by Infineon and NXP. Now Nanshan Semiconductor has achieved a lead in some automotive-grade chips. Infineon and NXP have no way to launch products with similar performance in the short term.

At this time, BMW China is looking for cooperation with Nanshan Semiconductor, and no one can say no.

In particular, BMW China's research institute is mainly responsible for the development of electric vehicles.

NS8155 can give full play to its advantages in electric vehicles.

So BMW has no reason to give up such a good opportunity.

"Phillips, BMW is an old friend of ours. As long as you have needs, NS8155 will definitely give priority to meeting your needs."

"However, the price of this chip is not cheap. I think entry-level products such as BMW 1 Series and X1 do not necessarily need to be equipped with it."

"Models such as the BMW 3 Series and X3 can consider equipping with an NS8155."

"As for the BMW 5 Series, X5 and electric vehicle products, two NS8155s can be considered."

"Of course, if you want to achieve higher computing power requirements, there is no problem in carrying four modules."

Based on the current market demand, even if the yield rate of the Nanshan Semiconductor Imperial Project is not high, it can still meet the requirements.

Not to mention that by the time BMW needs to use NS8155 on a large scale, the yield rate of the Imperial Factory will definitely have improved.

Even the Chang'an factory has been built.

So Cao Yang was naturally confident.

"That's what I've considered too. The specific usage quantities and arrangements will be gradually clarified internally in the future."

"However, the earliest models to be used should be new energy vehicle products developed by Huaxia. For other models, we will try our best to obtain authorization from the headquarters and let the Huaxia branch carry out some localized development."

"For example, lengthening the wheelbase, adding some equipment and other changes."

"Of course, this also includes changes in chips."

Phillips had a very candid exchange with Cao Yang.

Most of BMW's models are developed by the German headquarters.

China basically has no say in development.

However, with the rapid expansion of China's automobile market, the situation is naturally changing.

As president of Asia Pacific, Phillips is happy to see this change.

Cao Yang naturally expressed his understanding of this.

NS8155 is very fragrant. As long as there is an order, he always accepts it.

Of course, the price is naturally not polite at all.