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Thursday 8 October 2026
Ledlink hits record revenue as automotive optics and AI server components fuel growth
LED lens manufacturer Ledlink Optics reported record monthly and quarterly revenue in September and the third quarter of 2026, respectively, driven by sustained demand for automotive optical lenses and steadily increasing shipments of precision structural components for AI servers.
Thursday 8 October 2026
Samsung to exit in-house automotive AP, focus on high-margin chips
Samsung Electronics' System LSI division is reportedly planning a retreat from the automotive application processor (AP) business and launching a major restructuring, with a future focus on high-margin areas such as image sensors and mobile system-on-chip (SoC) products. Analysts say Samsung is seeking to improve profitability in its non-memory businesses through a selection and concentration strategy after years of losses at System LSI and its foundry operations.
Thursday 8 October 2026
European carmakers urge delay to battery localization rules
The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) and European automakers are pressing the European Commission to delay localization rules for EV batteries under the draft Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), warning that Europe's homegrown battery supply chain is still too weak to support the plan. The push comes as ACEA warns that local battery production may fall short of demand, potentially leaving some EVs ineligible for incentives under a rushed law.
Tuesday 6 October 2026
Drone share tops 10% as Calin Technology eyes LEO optics, auto growth
Optical lens maker Calin Technology is seeing its new business ventures bear fruit. Revenue from its drone camera module segment has surpassed 10% of total sales in 2026 and is targeting over 15%, making it the company's fastest-growing product line this year. Meanwhile, automotive lens revenue is projected to remain flat in 2026 before returning to growth in 2027, driven by a new design-in project with a US automaker.
Tuesday 6 October 2026
Electric scooter sales rise 33% in September but year-over-year slowdown persists
Taiwan's motorcycle market emerged from the seasonal lull in September 2026, with total registrations rising to 70,189, up 16.78% month-over-month. Electric scooter sales also rebounded, with 3,482 units sold in the month, up 32.9%.
Tuesday 6 October 2026
September auto market beats expectations; Hotai sees stable Q4
Hotai Motor said Taiwan's auto market should remain stable in the fourth quarter, after September sales came in better than expected and the company kept its full-year 2026 forecast at 430,000 vehicles. The distributor also said sales of Toyota, Lexus, and Hino models will still target 165,000 units in 2026.
Tuesday 6 October 2026
Analysis: China automakers' US entry paths remain open
The recent summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded without progress on automotive issues—namely, whether Chinese automakers might enter the US market or build manufacturing plants on American soil. While the prospect had previously sparked anxiety among American, European, and Japanese carmakers, the topic yielded no tangible breakthrough during the talks.
Monday 5 October 2026
Lite-On invests NT$8.85 billion in Kaohsiung expansion; subsidiary Leotek to acquire AmpUp
Lite-On Technology is stepping up its strategic investment in server hardware manufacturing and electric vehicle (EV) charging software integration to support overall revenue growth. On October 2, the company announced that its board approved a capital expenditure plan to expand capacity at its Kaohsiung branch in southern Taiwan. Its wholly owned US subsidiary Leotek Electronics also announced the acquisition of California-based EV charging software provider AmpUp through a reverse triangular merger.
Friday 2 October 2026
Nidec impairment loss far exceeds estimates as auditor withholds opinion
Japanese motor and electronic components maker Nidec said on September 30 that its long-delayed consolidated financial report for fiscal year 2025 (from April 2025 to March 2026) showed losses from accounting irregularities of JPY632.1 billion (US$3.99 billion), far above earlier estimates. Uncertainty over the company's turnaround also deepened after auditors declined to issue an opinion.
Friday 2 October 2026
Hiroca targets Tier 1 shift, global capacity overhaul
Auto components maker Hiroca posted a pre-tax loss of NT$146 million (US$4.57 million) in the first half of 2026, owing to weak demand in China's auto market and a number of one-time factors. However, during its earnings call on October 1, the company stressed that gross margin remained at a healthy 23–24%, and that most losses will be absorbed by the end of 2026, leaving no drag on earnings in 2027.
Friday 2 October 2026
Chinese automakers' shift to the US may reshape supply chains and supplier margins
Hiroca said two major Chinese automakers are likely to build factories in the US, a move that could redraw supply chains across North America, alter supplier demand patterns, and deepen pressure on parts makers already facing tighter pricing, faster product cycles, and weaker visibility in China's increasingly competitive auto market.
Wednesday 30 September 2026
Leisure vehicles become Eurocharm's largest segment with capacity expanding in Vietnam, North America
Taiwan's Eurocharm Holdings, an OEM automotive and motorcycle parts maker, said at an earnings call on September 29 that leisure vehicles had become its largest product segment, as it expands production capacity in Vietnam and North America to meet rising customer demand. The company reported strong year-over-year growth in revenue and profit for the first half of 2026.
Wednesday 30 September 2026
Magnesium prices fall below aluminum as EV makers look to cut weight
Automakers looking to cut the weight of electric vehicles (EVs) to extend driving range have another reason to consider magnesium alloys: magnesium ingots are now cheaper than aluminum ingots.
Thursday 24 September 2026
Yusin Malaysia plant to fully ramp up by 4Q26

Brake system parts maker Yusin said at an investor conference on September 23 that key equipment at its new Malaysia plant is expected to be installed by the fourth quarter of 2026, with production targeted at 557,500 sets in 2027. Chairman Ching-te Chi said the company was hit by the restructuring of its largest customer, First Brands Group (FBG), which pushed Yusin into a loss in 2025 and sharply cut first-half 2026 revenue, but July and August sales have returned to year-over-year growth, suggesting early signs of a rebound.

Thursday 24 September 2026
Taiwan's Yusin pivots China OE brake pad business from BYD to JV automakers
Taiwan-listed Yusin Holding Corp. said on September 23 that its Chinese subsidiary Fuzhou Assured Brake Systems is reducing its reliance on BYD and shifting its China original-equipment (OE) brake pad business toward joint-venture automakers including Volkswagen, Nissan and Honda. The subsidiary is targeting an 11% share of China's OE brake pad market by 2027.
Wednesday 23 September 2026
Automotive display growth shifts to HUDs, passenger screens

The global automotive display market is entering a new phase of growth, with demand shifting away from central consoles and instrument clusters toward niche applications such as head-up displays (HUDs) and front-passenger entertainment panels. DIGITIMES Intelligence analyst Jason Yang said the global automotive display shipment compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to reach only about 2.4% from 2026 to 2031, but HUDs and entertainment panels will grow 14.4% and 17.9%, respectively.

Wednesday 23 September 2026
Taiwan's Master Bus scales 450 kW direct-drive motor for the intercity EV market

Master Transportation Bus Manufacturing (Master Bus) is deepening its electric-bus strategy around proprietary motors and chassis.

Wednesday 23 September 2026
Taiwan tire maker Cheng Shin turns 'virtual tires' into an EV development weapon

Taiwanese tire maker Cheng Shin Rubber, best known for its Maxxis brand, is nearing its 60th anniversary and using AI and digital twins to compete in a faster-moving automotive market.

Wednesday 23 September 2026
China Steel expands recycled steel into EV motor market amid growing low-carbon demand

Taiwan's largest steelmaker China Steel (CSC) is actively expanding its high-recycled-content steel products, as the global automotive industry accelerates its transition toward net-zero emissions and electrification, boosting demand for low-carbon materials worldwide. The move allows the company to move beyond general industrial applications into automotive sheet metal, electric vehicle (EV) motors, high-strength fasteners, and vehicle body structures.

Wednesday 23 September 2026
Li Auto opens Mach chips, SiC modules to external customers

Li Auto's move to open its in-house technologies to outside customers marks a broader shift in the electric vehicle maker's strategy, turning years of internal research into a possible new revenue stream. The company is now seeking external buyers for its Mach intelligent-driving chip, silicon carbide (SiC) power modules, and range-extender system, according to Chinese media reports.

Wednesday 23 September 2026
Qualcomm's agentic AI era begins with smartphones and new HBC architecture
Qualcomm president and CEO Cristiano Amon made agentic AI the sole theme of his keynote at Snapdragon Summit 2026 in Maui, Hawaii.
Tuesday 22 September 2026
Chinese automakers step up battery in-house push to reclaim cost control

As Li Auto, NIO, Xiaomi, Geely, GAC, GWM, Chongqing Changan Automobile, and Chery step up efforts to develop and manufacture batteries in-house, the tug-of-war between China's automakers and battery leader CATL over self-production versus outsourcing is intensifying.

Tuesday 22 September 2026
Xpeng plans to license tech to more foreign automakers

Chinese EV maker Xpeng is planning to offer its technology to foreign automakers beyond Volkswagen, according to people familiar with the matter, as technology licensing emerges as a new revenue engine for the company.

Sunday 20 September 2026
BYD plans four Europe factories as EU tariff pressure rises

BYD is planning four factories in Europe over the long term as it works to meet local manufacturing rules and expand its customer base. The Chinese electric vehicle maker wants three vehicle assembly plants and one EV battery plant, according to company adviser and former Fiat Chrysler executive Alfredo Altavilla.

Thursday 17 September 2026
Column: China tightens rare earth controls, exposing hidden vulnerabilities in Taiwan's supply chain
China's rare earth export controls are changing the rules governing global critical mineral supply chains. For Taiwan, the real concern is not that China could suddenly halt all exports one day, but that export licensing, end-use reviews, price volatility, longer lead times, and "hidden dependencies" embedded in intermediate materials and components could gradually raise the cost and uncertainty of maintaining normal production.