IC design firm PixArt Imaging said on May 12 that its three core business areas will post strong growth in the second quarter of 2026, with revenue expected to rise by the double digits quarter over quarter. The company said better-than-expected game console shipments lifted first-quarter 2026 results above its earlier forecast, helping offset a weak PC market.

Under a new Canada-China electric vehicle (EV) agreement, Lotus, owned by China's Geely Group, has become one of the first automakers to begin shipments to Canada from Chinese ports. Other Chinese brands, including Chery and BYD, are expected to enter the Canadian market gradually before the end of the year. At the same time, market speculation has emerged that Tesla may have quietly shifted supply sources for its Model 3 in Canada to its Shanghai factory, after the model recently appeared at sharply lower prices.

Tesla is investing US$250 million to expand battery-cell production at its Berlin-Brandenburg Gigafactory, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Europe just as the company starts to regain momentum in the region after more than a year of weak sales.

Canada and industry groups pushed back against the prospect of linked concessions as the US prepared for a high-level summit with China on May 14 and North America readied for the sixth-year review of the USMCA, scheduled for July 1. Canadian officials and automotive associations insisted the US must unconditionally remove the 25% tariffs imposed under section 232 on passenger vehicles and that the tariff rollback is essential to the survival of decades of North American economic integration, a spokesperson announced.

Indian conglomerates are accelerating efforts to develop domestic electric vehicle (EV) and battery technologies as access to Chinese know-how becomes increasingly uncertain.

Global electric-vehicle battery demand continued to expand in the first quarter of 2026, even as growth in several major automotive markets slowed, underscoring the industry's shifting competitive landscape and the rising importance of energy-storage and infrastructure businesses.

Rising international oil prices driven by conflict in the Middle East could further support electric vehicle sales in 2026 and boost demand for charging stations, according to charging operators. But resolving land-use and grid-construction bottlenecks has become a key challenge as operators compete for a share in Taiwan's EV charging market.

China's retail penetration rate for new-energy vehicles, including battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, reached 61.4% in April, the highest on record and the first time it crossed 60%, according to the China Passenger Car Association. The surge from 52% in March coincided with rising international oil prices linked to the Middle East conflict, which supply chain sources said accelerated the shift away from gasoline cars.

Himax Technologies said its revenue and profit in the first quarter of 2026 both came in at the upper end of its original financial forecasts, and it expects operations to trend higher over the next several quarters as new automotive projects enter mass production and non-driver ICs gain traction, particularly timing controllers (TCONs) and WiseEye AI. The Taiwan-based display driver IC (DDI) maker disclosed these results in its latest earnings report.

Taiwan and Germany signed a Science and Technology Arrangement (STA) in 2023 to promote joint research in semiconductors, hydrogen energy, artificial intelligence (AI), and other fields. Officials from Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) recently attended a lithium battery cooperation workshop in Dresden, Germany, where both sides confirmed continued support for a bilateral advanced battery research and development program from 2026 to 2029.