If the main stage at CES 2026 still tried to preserve a sense of future possibility for software-defined vehicles, conversations away from the spotlight told a different story. In private discussions among supply-chain executives and engineers, the tone was noticeably cooler; it is pragmatic, cautious, and marked by hard-earned restraint.
At CES 2026, the global auto industry's conversation has shifted. The focus is no longer confined to the aspirational language of software-defined vehicles (SDVs), but increasingly to the physical limits those ambitions must confront. Battery-electric vehicles are often cast as the most natural embodiment of this future. Yet quietly, and perhaps more consequentially, vehicles powered by internal combustion engines are running up against a harsh and largely irreversible constraint of their own: the physics of computing.
MediaTek recently announced its December 2025 and full-year revenue results. December revenue reached NT$51.266 billion (approx. US$1.6 billion), up 9.32% month-over-month and 22.99% year-over-year, while the full-year revenue totaled NT$595.966 billion, marking a 12.32% year-over-year increase. The strong rebound in December not only pushed annual revenue close to the NT$600 billion mark but also surpassed the company's high-end fourth quarter financial forecast.
Benefiting from increased shipments of new and existing electric vehicle (EV) models, LED automotive lighting module maker Laster Tech reported consolidated revenue of NT$2.201 billion (approx. US$69.5 million) for the fourth quarter of 2025, marking a quarter-over-quarter growth of 8.83%. The company plans to adopt a selective order strategy in the Chinese market while enhancing its competitiveness within the North American supply chain.
Venturing into the artificial intelligence (AI) robotics sector may seem like a way for automakers to find an alternative path in the fiercely competitive automotive market. Yet, it could just as easily be a smokescreen designed to mask stagnation in core technologies and divert attention in the capital markets.
LED driver IC designer Macroblock stated that Micro LED applications based on PCB substrates have been rolled out one after another, while Micro LED applications using glass substrates are expected to enter the mass production stage starting in 2026. The company expects double-digit annual growth, with more than 10 new vehicle models set to adopt its automotive IC products in 2026. Macroblock is optimistic that the share of automotive products will increase from 14% to nearly 20% in 2026.
As 2026 begins, China has put into force the world's first mandatory national standard governing energy consumption for electric vehicles, drawing a sharp new line for an industry that has expanded at breakneck speed for more than a decade.
At the opening of his keynote, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivered a stark message: the world's US$10 trillion computing infrastructure is entering a fundamental modernization phase, driven by two platform shifts unfolding in parallel.
China's largest battery maker, CATL, said it had signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio, deepening ties between two of the country's most influential players in the EV ecosystem.
Tex Year Industries has just about completed its layout in specialty adhesives, materials, and chemicals for the AI and optoelectronics industries. It expects to see a significant increase in shipments and double-digit growth in 2026. This year, Tex Year will focus on five areas: AI cloud data centers, EVs, drones, smartphones, and Mini LED displays.
At CES 2026 in the US, NXP showcased a comprehensive display area at the LVCC central plaza, highlighting its latest automotive computing processors, including the recently launched S32N7 and multiple module solutions. These modules are supplied largely by Taiwanese electronics giants such as Pegatron, Quanta, and Delta, underscoring Taiwan's growing influence in the automotive electronics market.
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