BMW introduced the humanoid robot Aeon at its Leipzig production facility in early 2026, a move framed as both a production innovation and a symbolic milestone in the leadership transition to Milan Nedeljkovic, who will assume the role of group chief executive in May 2026.
Primax Electronics' push into automotive, AIoT and robotics signals a strategic shift that should reshape revenue mix over the next two to three years, even as near-term margins face pressure from currency and component costs.
Within the past five years, BYD has overtaken Tesla in sales across more than 20 countries and regions to reshape the landscape in the global electric vehicle (EV) market. This competition reached a dramatic turning point in 2025, as BYD surpassed Tesla for the first time in the UK, while also claiming the title of the world's top annual EV seller.
Taiwan's scooter market declined in February 2026 due to the Lunar New Year holiday, with fewer working days for vehicle registration. Total monthly sales dropped to 44,817 units in February, down 22.55% from the previous month's 57,867 units and 24.37% lower than the 59,258 units recorded in February 2025.
Following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy and shipping flows. The move has lifted prices for petrochemical feedstocks, synthetic rubber and plastic components, creating 15-25% raw material cost pressure for automakers and compressing margins.
South Korea's vibrant startup ecosystem is advancing the country's smart city ambitions through AI-driven infrastructure. Uniqconn—a CES 2026 Innovation Awards Honoree—and Warp Solution have proposed blueprints for distributed AI infrastructure and battery-free smart cities, respectively, aiming to address massive national computing demands and reduce maintenance costs for urban traffic sensors.
Germany's automotive giants—Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi (collectively known as BBA)—have engaged in aggressive price cuts in China's auto market, sparking fierce competition that has extended from electric vehicles (EVs) to internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. This price war threatens the long-standing asset value preservation moat these German luxury brands have built over 30 years.
With Northvolt, Cellforce, and ACC all defunct, Europe's battery ambitions have collided with a brutal market reality: Chinese manufacturers now own nearly 70% of global lithium battery installations, led by CATL's commanding 39.2% share. The numbers make clear this isn't a run of bad luck; it's a structural problem.
Wayve, the UK-based autonomous driving startup, has raised US$1.2 billion in a Series D funding round, pushing its valuation to US$8.6 billion. The round was led by venture capital firms Eclipse Capital, Balderton Capital, and SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and included major tech and automotive investors such as Nvidia, Microsoft, Uber, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and Stellantis. Uber also committed up to an additional US$300 million in milestone-based funding to accelerate the deployment of Wayve-powered robotaxi services globally.
Europe's auto market stumbled at the start of 2026. Overall vehicle sales fell 3.9% in January from a year earlier, as most major manufacturers reported declines and consumer demand remained uneven.
As the global EV industry consolidates around a handful of charging standards, Mazda has made its choice.
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