TSMC looks to double down on U.S. chip factories as talks in Europe falter

Is automotive industry all that EU cares about? What about IoT/robotics? The fact that TSMC want to build only their older fab here is really disappointing to me.

Older lithography is what European automakers need, and the same can be said for robotics. The only reason for EU to demand fabrication of leading edge chips in Europe is hubris. How many laptops and mobile phones, in percent terms relative to those respective markets, are assembled in Europe?

I've actually always wondered why automakers never try to make consumer electronics. They wouldn't even need to compete with Apple or Dell; would you consider an Audi or Toyota laptop in place of a Panasonic Toughbook?

Caterpillar does it with phones[1], and their main business is heavy industry. Why not auto manufacturers? Could easier access to smaller process nodes incentivize them to branch out into new markets like that?

[1]: https://www.catphones.com/

I've always wondered why most household appliances recycling factories don't sell the parts, but hey, I'm just a lowly employee, not a CEO getting paid five+ figures a year.

When I looked into it, the most cited reasons were "that's not our business" (really? then what is?) and "it costs more than it's worth" (it doesn't, plus you get government subsidies for green initiatives).

No mention of contracts forbidding that, some manufacturers do forbid resale of whole units, but not of spare parts.

Caterpillar sold/licensed their brand for use in industries they're not competing in, btw, just like many other big companies.