Ensilience, a subsidiary of the Yuen Foong Yu (YFY) Group, announced on December 26 a partnership with Shin-Shin Bus to launch a groundbreaking "Smart Charging and Storage System Application for Virtual Power Plant Platform" project. This collaboration is Taiwan's first initiative to aggregate electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, integrate energy storage systems, and offer services via Taiwan Power Company's (Taipower) trading platform.
Xiaomi founder, chairman, and CEO Jun Lei announced on December 25, 2024, that the company's automotive division has partnered with Nio, XPeng, and Li Auto to integrate their charging networks. The collaboration will add over 10,000 charging stations to Xiaomi's charging map.
The Japanese government, which has a history of consolidating domestic semiconductor and display panel industries, has now stepped in to facilitate a merger between Honda and Nissan to bolster the nation's automotive sector.
Elon Musk's historically amicable approach towards China, including his praises of "China speed" during Tesla's factory establishment, and his marveling at Shanghai's administrative efficiency and infrastructure development, may face new challenges. With Trump set to retake office in January 2025, the potential policy differences regarding China between these two influential figures remain a critical question.
Tesla China has reduced the starting price of its Model Y rear-wheel drive model to CNY239,900 (US$32,870) on its official website, making it the lowest-priced version of this model globally. The company has also introduced a five-year zero-interest financing scheme to make its vehicles more accessible to Chinese consumers.
Following Xiaomi's venture into electric vehicles, automakers are now emerging as key players in the humanoid robot market. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced that the company's future focus will gradually shift from electric vehicles (EVs) to humanoid robots, particularly its "Optimus" model, which he described as Tesla's core competitive advantage for the next decade.
Honda Motor Co. absorbing Nissan Motor Co. could give the two struggling Japanese brands the scale they need to take on China's BYD, sales figures released Wednesday show.
China's electric vehicle (EV) industry has endured a two-year price war, leading to significant profit compression across the supply chain. Automakers have slashed costs to defend their market share, but this strategy has intensified upstream financial strain. Suppliers face cash flow crises, disrupting component stability and driving up costs, creating a self-perpetuating cycle of instability.
Toyota Motor reportedly plans to set up a new plant in Shanghai, China, to produce EVs for its luxury Lexus brand. This would mark the first fully-owned manufacturing facility by a Japanese automaker in China, similar to Tesla's ownership model. Previously, companies like Toyota have partnered with local manufacturers through joint ventures to operate in China.
Japanese automakers are perceived as antiquated and slow to innovate, especially when compared with the rapid growth of Chinese new energy vehicles (NEV) brands. However, major Japanese car brands such as Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are exploring everything from building new factories to mergers in an effort to secure future growth.
On December 24, 2024, Taiwan-based mobility solutions leader Line Go hosted a media event where Chairman and CEO Lin Chun-sheng detailed the current state of Taiwan's Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) industry and the company's 2025 development plans.
Reports have emerged that Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) is considering an investment in Nissan Motor, potentially influencing Nissan and Honda Motor to accelerate their merger plans.
Chinese automakers captured their smallest share of Europe's electric vehicle (EV) market in eight months after new tariffs increased the cost of importing cars to the region by as much as 35%.
Taiwan's automotive sector is witnessing a shift toward digital and smart transformation, driving the Mobility as a Service (MaaS) industry into a new phase of growth. Global car brands, including Volvo, are capitalizing on this momentum by introducing diversified mobility services to meet evolving consumer needs.
Tesla's Shanghai "Gigafactory" is undergoing significant personnel changes as Chinese media reports indicate that Gang Song, the site's director and VP of manufacturing, has departed to pursue a position in the green energy industry with Envision Group.
The European Union initiated a sweeping investigation into Chinese EVs in October 2023, imposing additional tariffs based on automaker compliance levels. BYD and Geely Auto face tariffs of 17% and 18.8%, respectively, while SAIC encounters a steeper 35.3% rate, according to the latest findings.
Chinese automakers, including NIO, XPeng Motors, BYD, and Taiwan's Foxconn, are reportedly exploring partnerships with cash-strapped Nissan, leveraging its global distribution networks to enter the US market, according to Japanese supplier Ibiden via Chinese media.
Taiwan's Sanyang Motor (SYM) and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) have reached a significant milestone in their joint hydrogen fuel cell motorcycle project, successfully completing a key road test.
Nissan and Honda, two of Japan's automotive giants, are set to hold merger talks on December 23, 2024. Renault, Nissan's largest shareholder and a French automotive leader, is reportedly open to the proposed merger, signaling a pivotal moment for the Japanese automakers.
Germany and Japan have built powerful automotive manufacturing industries over decades, establishing global dominance with brands like Toyota, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Nissan, and Honda. However, the rapid rise of China's electric vehicle (EV) industry is now transforming an automotive sector that has remained stable for decades.
The landscape of Japan's automotive industry faces potential reshaping as Honda and Nissan explore integration possibilities, complicated by Foxconn's reported interest in acquiring Nissan shares. This development could significantly impact both automakers' strategies in addressing the competitive electric vehicle (EV) market landscape.
Chinese carmakers are rumored to be targeting financially troubled Nissan as a means of indirect entry into the US market. Rumors have also pointed to Foxconn as a possible suitor for an acquisition or potential joint control with a Chinese company.
The European Union has imposed anti-subsidy tariffs on Chinese battery electric vehicles (BEVs), reaching nearly 50%, forcing NIO to consider aligning its prices with luxury automakers like Porsche. NIO CEO William Li indicated the move is unavoidable as the company grapples with rising costs and dwindling incentives.
