Micron: Driverless Cars Could ‘Drain’ the Memory Market
Thanks to the efforts of AI giants, memory prices have already risen significantly — but this could be just the beginning. Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra has identified a new and, judging by available data, far more demanding consumer of memory chips: the automotive market.
According to Mehrotra, self-driving cars with L4 autonomy — meaning fully autonomous operation — will require around 300 GB of RAM, compared to an average of just 16 GB for vehicles at the L1 (lane keeping), L2 (partial traffic control), and L3 (autonomous driving with driver intervention in complex situations) levels.
In a recent financial report, Micron outlined plans to open new manufacturing facilities in Japan, New York, and Singapore by 2029. Mehrotra also predicts that automotive demand for memory will surge precisely as these factories come online — meaning consumers should not expect any relief on pricing anytime soon.
