Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to begin South Korea's first large-scale autonomous driving demonstration project in the second half of 2026, deploying about 200 vehicles equipped with the companies' internally developed Atria AI autonomous driving system on public roads in the city of Gwangju.
Whetron Electronics, a Taiwanese automotive electronics supplier specializing in vehicle sensing systems, said it is positioning itself for the next wave of growth by expanding into AI-powered driver assistance technologies, smart cockpit sensing, and advanced radar applications.
Ilitek, a Taiwan-based DDI maker, said its first-quarter 2026 results were hit by seasonal softness and rising memory prices, which prompted Chinese smartphone brands to become more cautious on inventory. General manager Tai-Yuan Chen said business will recover broadly in the second quarter of 2026, with smart mobile, IT equipment, industrial control, and automotive all set to grow sequentially, while order visibility now extends into the third quarter of 2026.
As American battery startups continue working to commercialize next-generation silicon-carbon batteries, Chinese manufacturers are already deploying the technology at scale and now pushing it into aviation-grade territory.
Taiwan scooter-sharing leader WeMo on May 12 announced a major service upgrade that introduced a new white-license model, dubbed WeMo Go, and signaled plans to integrate its platform with multiple mobility and payment services by the end of 2026. The company said the move launches a dual electric-scooter era designed to expand user choice and scale shared mobility across Taiwan.
China's Luxshare is accelerating its push into the global automotive supply chain through a proposed acquisition of BeijingWest Industries International Limited, marking another major step in its transition from a consumer electronics assembler into a global automotive Tier 1 supplier.
US policy tilts the market, driving buyers to US-made lithium batteries despite higher costs, with global supply chains and investment flows likely to shift as subsidies, tariffs, and tight reviews reshape where and how energy storage systems are sourced and built over the coming years, and policy uncertainty.
Foxconn will hold its first-quarter 2026 earnings briefing on May 14, with investors expecting detailed updates on AI server demand, the commercialization of co-packaged optics, and the strategic significance of recent alliances with Mitsubishi Electric and ElectroMobility Poland. The company's record first-quarter revenue has heightened expectations for a dense briefing.
Tesla has entered what analysts describe as a "high-investment cycle" in 2026, marking a pivotal shift in the company's strategic priorities from pure electric-vehicle expansion toward artificial intelligence, robotics, and semiconductor self-sufficiency.
As the autonomous driving industry pushes toward "eyes-off" highway driving, the race is increasingly shifting from electric vehicles to perception systems capable of operating safely in the real world.
IC design firm PixArt Imaging said on May 12 that its three core business areas will post strong growth in the second quarter of 2026, with revenue expected to rise by the double digits quarter over quarter. The company said better-than-expected game console shipments lifted first-quarter 2026 results above its earlier forecast, helping offset a weak PC market.
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