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Dec 22
Auto suppliers pivot to smart cockpits as EV momentum cools
The global automotive supplier landscape is entering a period of heightened competition as slowing electric vehicle adoption forces a strategic pivot toward digital cabin technology and automated driving systems. While macroeconomic headwinds cloud the sales outlook heading into 2026, the push to upgrade vehicle intelligence is creating a rift between entrenched industry leaders and aggressive new entrants.
US autonomous sensing technology firm Luminar, once hailed as a rising star in the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sector, recently filed for bankruptcy protection, raising alarms across the industry. LiDAR has long been regarded as a critical sensor technology for achieving Level 3 autonomous driving, but its global adoption is clearly following an "East fast, West slow" pattern due to regulatory, cost, and market structure factors.
XING Mobility announced it will showcase advancements in electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage systems, and AI data center backup batteries at the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2026) in the US. The presentation will focus on a decade of development in immersive cooling technology.
Star Charger, a charging operator under HD Renewable Energy (HDRE), has announced it has achieved 159 operational stations across Taiwan. To meet the growing electric vehicle (EV) charging demand, Star Charger launched its first 1 MW-class high-power fast-charging dedicated station in Taichung City, and plans to bring online 10 more large-scale dedicated stations by 2026.
Talks between China's Wingtech Technology and its Dutch subsidiary Nexperia are ongoing as the companies seek to resolve a governance dispute that has disrupted semiconductor supplies, with Wingtech's chair warning that prolonged uncertainty could further damage global supply chains.
Major contract electronics makers are accelerating strategic realignments in line with the rapid development of automotive electronics and architectures for software-defined vehicles (SDV). Foxconn has continued to clarify its automotive layout as it expands from full vehicle assembly into core electronics for SDVs, by integrating semiconductors, smart cockpits, battery management systems (BMS), and silicon carbide (SiC) power components into its contract design and manufacturing services (CDMS).
The PC market has been heavily impacted by memory supply disruptions. In response, Acer Group's subsidiary Acer Gadget has partnered with Quanta Group's RoyalTek and Taiwan's leading auto parts retailer New Focus Auto (NFA) to launch smart in-vehicle products.
Foxtron Inc. has confirmed its acquisition of 100% of Luxgen Motor from Yulon Group for NT$7.876 billion (US$250 million), aiming to solidify its foothold in Taiwan's electric vehicle (EV) market. The deal, announced at a joint press conference on the evening of December 19, marks a significant step in Foxtron's strategic expansion within the local EV sector.
Shihlin Electric is experiencing robust growth driven by expanding AI computing power needs and accelerated investment in power infrastructure. At HCT Logistics' smart electric vehicle (EV) launch event on December 18, 2025, Shihlin Electric showcased its commercial electric logistics fleet developed with CMC, alongside an integrated solar, charging, and energy storage power system.

Global automotive sales are likely to edge higher in 2026, returning roughly to pre-pandemic levels, but the industry should not expect a swift or robust recovery, according to Jay Shen, managing director of the Garmin Asia Auto OEM Group. While demand is improving compared with 2025, he said, structural pressures and policy uncertainty will continue to weigh on growth.

The global auto industry is entering an unusual phase of expansion—one driven less by strategic ambition than by the need to survive. China's automakers have unleashed a surge of exports that, at first glance, looks like an aggressive push into overseas markets. Beneath the surface, however, lies a harsher reality: cutthroat competition at home and a deepening structural overcapacity that is leaving many firms with few viable alternatives.

Line go, a leading Mobility as a Service (MaaS) platform in Taiwan, has integrated seven key transportation services into a single digital ecosystem, now serving over 4.8 million users nationwide. The company recently obtained dual international ISO certifications for information security and privacy protection as it rapidly expands its service offerings and technological capabilities.