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Tuesday 3 February 2026
Commentary: Why lower tariffs on US cars won't necessarily mean lower prices in Taiwan
Lunar New Year 2026 is approaching. So is the outcome of tariff negotiations between Taiwan and the United States. Few issues are being watched more closely than the potential opening of Taiwan's market to American-made cars.
Monday 2 February 2026
China's auto industry hits record low 4.1% profit margin in 2025
China's automotive sector faces mounting profit pressure despite growing sales volume, with the average profit margin dropping to a near five-year low of 4.1% in 2025, according to the China Automobile Dealers Association. Dong-Shu Cui, secretary-general of the China Passenger Car Association, revealed that total industry profits reached about CNY461 billion (US$66.3 billion) in 2025, up only 0.6% year-over-year.
Saturday 31 January 2026
China claims 64% of ESS battery market as South Korea scrambles to launch a comeback
The global energy storage system (ESS) market based on lithium-ion batteries expanded in 2025. According to ET News and Ddaily, SNE Research reported that global shipments of lithium-ion batteries for ESS by manufacturers totaled 550 GWh in 2025, up 79% from 307 GWh in 2024, reflecting strong growth momentum. However, China alone accounted for more than 60% of the total. Unlike electric vehicle (EV) batteries, which are installed in vehicles and then sold to consumers, ESS batteries are typically deployed directly into regional projects. As a result, there is little discrepancy between shipment volumes and actual installed capacity.
Friday 30 January 2026
Exclusive: Tariffs and trade talks shape Suntek Motor's outlook for Taiwan's auto market
Ray Wu, CEO of Suntek Motor Group, a leading Taiwanese importer and dealer of luxury brands including Porsche and Skoda, told DIGITIMES that while Taiwan's auto market is expected to outperform in 2026, the company does not view growth as merely a matter of securing larger allocations from overseas manufacturers. Instead, Suntek is pursuing a rolling, quarter-by-quarter operational strategy designed to manage inventory risk—an approach shaped by recent market volatility.
Thursday 29 January 2026
Kim Long Motor and BYD plan US$130 million battery factory in Vietnam
Vietnamese automaker Kim Long Motor announced plans to collaborate with Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer BYD on a US$130 million battery factory in central Vietnam, signaling a growing push into the region's electrification sector.
Thursday 29 January 2026
A year of transformation: Tesla pivots to Robotaxis and domestic chip production
Tesla is entering what executives describe as a "turning point" year. As the company pushes forward with robotaxi deployment and Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, it must also navigate potential bottlenecks in global semiconductor supply that could define its medium-term growth.
Thursday 29 January 2026
Musk moves Tesla past Model S and X, betting on robots and AI

Tesla reported fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday that topped Wall Street's profit expectations despite the fact that its revenue had slipped and vehicle deliveries continued to decline.

Thursday 29 January 2026
AI boom threatens global chip supply, automakers warned

The Covid-19 pandemic once sparked a wave of upgrades for personal computers and smartphones, fueling strong demand for semiconductors. However, it also exposed vulnerabilities in supply chains, leaving companies like TSMC entangled in the global automotive chip crunch and prompting the US and Europe to invite TSMC to build factories on their soil.

Wednesday 28 January 2026
Taiwan's auto market sees cautious recovery as tariff talks and tax reforms bring clarity for 2026
Taiwan's automotive market faced caution and subdued consumer demand throughout 2025 due to uncertainties over US tariffs and delayed tax amendments. Market confidence improved late last year with the passage of Article 12-5 of the Commodity Tax Act, which took effect in the fourth quarter of 2025, and progress in Taiwan-US trade negotiations, setting the stage for gradual growth in 2026.
Tuesday 27 January 2026
GlobalFoundries' MIPS takes aim at Arm's hold on automotive AI
Following GlobalFoundries' acquisition of Synopsys' ARC Processor IP business, MIPS CEO Sameer Wasson is not just integrating a portfolio; he is orchestrating a pivot.
Tuesday 27 January 2026
Trump's 25% tariff move against South Korea paints hard line on unratified trade deals

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a steep tariff hike on South Korean imports Monday, plunging Seoul into political chaos and delivering a stark message to US allies: domestic legislative delays will no longer be tolerated.

Tuesday 27 January 2026
Analysis: Why Foxconn and Hotai are targeting Japan's toughest market
Taiwan's industrial heavyweights are moving into Japan's commercial vehicle market with a level of ambition and visibility rarely seen before.
Monday 26 January 2026
Tariff uncertainty pushes US allies to rethink China ties

When US President Donald Trump erected a high wall of tariffs—and repeatedly adjusted its height—the stated goal was to protect the US industry. The unintended consequence, however, is that they have pushed some of the US's closest allies closer to China.

Monday 26 January 2026
Humanoid robots edge toward mass production as Tesla aims for 2026 launch
As artificial intelligence, sensing, and motion-control technologies mature, humanoid robots are moving beyond concept demonstrations toward early-stage deployment. The shift was evident at CES 2026, where many systems moved from static displays to live demonstrations—such as competitive sparring and household tasks—underscoring gains in dynamic performance.
Saturday 24 January 2026
Canada cuts tariffs on Chinese EVs, shaking the North American auto market
The North American automotive landscape is cloaked in strategic uncertainty. In a move that has captured international attention, Canada recently announced a dramatic, one-time reduction of tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles to 6.1%—a full 100% cut—while setting an initial import cap of 49,000 vehicles per year, gradually rising to 70,000 over five years.
Friday 23 January 2026
15% relief without reassurance: Taiwan's auto industry after the tariff talks
As the initial results of trade negotiations between Taiwan and the US emerged in early 2026, a long-standing cloud over Taiwan's industrial sector appeared, at least briefly, to lift. The two sides agreed to set reciprocal tariffs at 15%, without stacking them on top of existing most-favored-nation rates, and Taiwan secured a key exemption under Section 232 of US trade law, which covers national security-related tariffs.
Friday 23 January 2026
Tesla's BEV moat erodes as Europe's legacy depth meets China's digital speed
In 2025, Tesla's EV market share declined as Volkswagen's BEV sales surged in Europe, while Xiaomi aggressively expanded in China, challenging Tesla's position in that market. Tesla's global deliveries fell by 8.6%, ceding the top spot to BYD.
Thursday 22 January 2026
MFTBC, Foxconn to form joint venture for e-bus manufacturing

Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), a major Japanese commercial vehicle maker, has announced to establish a joint venture with Taiwan-based Foxconn.

Thursday 22 January 2026
Mercedes-Benz scales back L3 autonomy as AI reshapes the auto industry

Despite the debut of the Alpamayo self-driving AI architecture by Nvidia at CES 2026, Mercedes-Benz, the earliest adoptor of the architecture, instead turned to focus on enhanced Level 2 systems (L2+) with the removal of the L3 autonomous driving functionalities in the refreshed version of its flagship S-Class in late January.

Thursday 22 January 2026
EMS watch: Chinese EMS champions reshape their playbooks around AI hardware, autos, and global delivery
A cluster of China's leading electronics manufacturers and component suppliers is entering the new year with a clearer division of labor across the AI device wave, automotive electrification, and globalized manufacturing. Recent company filings, investor communications, and post‑autumn analyst commentary point to a common theme: growth is being pursued less through single-product cycles and more through platform capabilities—vertical integration, module-level design, and cross‑sector customer expansion—while capital market actions and overseas footprints are being positioned as strategic amplifiers.
Thursday 22 January 2026
US-Canada trade tensions rattle Detroit's Big Three

A century-old automotive trading relationship between the US and Canada is approaching a breaking point, accelerated by repeated statements from President Trump that have cast doubt on the future of cross-border integration.

Thursday 22 January 2026
Global robotaxi industry may take off in 2026
The global market for robotaxis is set to move decisively from long-held promise to commercial reality in 2026, as autonomous driving shifts from experimental pilots to an increasingly competitive business.
Wednesday 21 January 2026
Seeking new growth, Huawei pushes deeper into China's auto industry with ADS expansion
Huawei plans a sweeping expansion of its presence in China's smart car industry in 2026, betting that advanced driver-assistance software, in-car operating systems, and digital chassis technologies can become a new pillar of growth as US sanctions continue to constrain its core telecommunications business.
Wednesday 21 January 2026
Commentary: Taiwan secures tariff deal with US, lifting cloud over auto parts industry

As Taiwan and the US reached a consensus in their tariff negotiations, a long-standing cloud hanging over Taiwan's automotive aftermarket industry began to lift. Securing the most favorable treatment under Section 232—capping tariffs at 15%—was not only a trade victory but a psychological turning point for Taiwan's vehicle-parts supply chain. The agreement has injected new confidence into the sector, allowing manufacturers to shift from a posture of defensive caution to one of proactive expansion.

Wednesday 21 January 2026
Trump signals new tariffs, casting fresh shadow over Europe's auto industry

President Trump's recent decision to link the question of Greenland's sovereignty with punitive tariffs has sent a chill through Europe's auto industry and Asia's manufacturing supply chains. What might once have been dismissed as a trade dispute now looks more like a form of geopolitical brinkmanship; an attempt to bind industrial lifelines to strategic demands.