In a move that has reignited Taiwan's automotive and geopolitical debate, Chinese automaker BYD is reportedly seeking to enter the Taiwanese market by introducing its luxury EV brand Denza through a third-party distributor, Hong Kong-based Swire Motors. The revelation, first reported on August 5, comes weeks after earlier speculation that BYD might circumvent existing trade barriers via a third-country route.
A Florida court has ruled that Tesla must pay US$243 million in damages over a fatal crash that occurred in 2019, holding the automaker partially liable for the incident. The verdict, which assigns one-third of the responsibility to Tesla, has sent ripples through the auto industry—not just because of the hefty penalty, but because it challenges long-standing legal norms around Level 2 (L2) driver-assist technologies. Tesla has vowed to appeal.
Shanghai has issued its first demonstration licenses for Level 4 autonomous vehicles, allowing eight companies to operate fare-based robotaxi services within designated urban zones. The permits, announced during the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), mark a key milestone in the commercial rollout of self-driving technology in one of China's largest and most advanced cities.
BYD, long China's undisputed leader in new energy vehicles (NEV), recently hit an unexpected bump in the road, one that may reshape the industry's competitive landscape: the Chinese government is planning to intervene in BYD's aggressive pricing strategy. While domestic rivals initially appeared to benefit from BYD's troubles, many are now watching the rise of Huawei with heightened interest.
When Jensen Huang, the CEO of global tech titan Nvidia, publicly praised Huawei as a "formidable competitor" and acknowledged its strengths in autonomous driving, AI, chip design, and system software, he made a bold prediction: even without Nvidia, Huawei would find its solutions.
Tesla's financial challenges deepened Wednesday with a sharp drop in second-quarter earnings and revenue, underscoring a tough year marked by falling sales, brand challenges, and growing competition.
Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving unit, has pulled ahead in the robotaxi race, reporting a fivefold surge in rides over the past year to 250,000 paid trips per week as of April. However, as Tesla prepares its autonomous ride-hailing service, Waymo now faces pressure to scale faster and reduce costs, beginning with how its vehicles are manufactured.
