The prolonged Middle East conflict is adding to mounting pressure on the global automotive industry, disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and driving up energy, logistics and raw-material costs. With consumer confidence weakening and vehicle prices already elevated, automakers are finding it increasingly difficult to pass on higher expenses, forcing many to absorb the impact through shrinking profit margins.

Two leading server component manufacturers remain optimistic about AI demand despite potential short-term volatility following the US midterm elections. Chenbro Micom CEO Corona Chen said the elections would not derail AI's medium- to long-term development, while Advanced Energy Solution (AES) President Wei-Che Sung said customer demand would remain strong in 2027.

Global sales of electrified vehicles, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), are forecast to rise 11.9% to more than 36 million units in 2026, even as overall vehicle sales decline 1.4%, reflecting the accelerating shift toward electrification. Electrified vehicles are expected to account for more than 35% of global new-vehicle sales, while China's BYD is poised to enter the world's top five automakers for the first time, according to Richard Hsieh, senior research manager at the Industry, Science and Technology International Strategy Center of Taiwan's government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

Automotive powertrain and safety component maker Global PMX reported 3Q26 consolidated revenue of NT$2.417 billion (US$73.76 million), up 5.87% quarter-on-quarter and 24.59% year-on-year. Stronger operating scale and tight cost controls lifted quarterly operating profit to NT$340 million, while net income attributable to the parent company reached NT$271 million, with earnings per share (EPS) of NT$2.36.

A Seoul court has dismissed LG Chem's request for a preliminary injunction that would have halted production and sales of certain cathode materials by JS Energy, the South Korean subsidiary of Chinese cathode maker Ronbay, The Elec reported on November 7, citing industry sources. LG Chem has appealed.

Infineon Technologies is betting on RISC-V scalability with AURIX RC1, its first RISC-V-based microcontroller (MCU) platform, unveiled this week. A single instruction set lets the platform span everything from very small controllers to real-time vehicle computers and robotic motion controllers, so RC1 can serve automotive, robotics, and industrial customers at the same time.

Excellence Opto (EOI), a major automotive LED light-source supplier, posted record revenue and profit for the first nine months as product-mix optimization, supply-chain efficiencies and high global capacity utilization lifted results. The company is also preparing to begin mass production at its Mexico plant in the fourth quarter and to develop SiPh optical communication module samples by 2027.

LG Chem's expanding battery business is cushioning the group against another petrochemical downturn, but its latest results show that stronger shipments alone are insufficient to restore profitability. The company is pursuing more specialized chemicals and battery materials as pressure returns to its commodity operations.

Democrats won majorities in both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections, making it significantly harder for the Trump administration to push through its automotive agenda. Tariffs, emissions standards, EV purchase incentives, and the North American free-trade framework are all set to face closer congressional scrutiny and legislative gridlock, which could bring fresh policy uncertainty to the global automotive supply chain.

Ecarx, an automotive technology supplier, reported a 65% year-over-year reduction in profit for the third quarter of 2026 on November 4 as rising memory-chip costs eroded margins despite higher sales.

Electric vehicles (EVs) represent the single-most effective starting point for the automotive industry's net-zero transition, as their energy efficiency is nearly four times that of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, according to Adam Chen, President of Foxtron Vehicle Technologies.