Taiwan's electric vehicle (EV) market is poised to enter a new phase of fierce competition by the end of 2025, as the island's three major automotive groups prepare to launch a wave of new battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) aimed at capturing the fast-growing mainstream segment.

The future development of Taiwan's battery industry must be grounded in the global competitive landscape and domestic industrial conditions, implementing differentiated, niche, and advantage-based strategies. The focus should be on developing small-volume, diverse, high-value, and cost-effective products to build technical barriers and avoid falling into price competition traps.

Leading Chinese battery maker CATL's 2024 revenue was more than four times the average of South Korea's three major battery firms, highlighting a structural gap in the global battery market. Against this backdrop, CATL chairman Robin Zeng's attendance at the APEC summit in Gyeongju, South Korea, on October 28, 2025, has drawn significant attention.

Hotai Motor, the Taiwanese distributor for Toyota, held a launch event for the newly redesigned bZ4X all-electric SUV on October 27, 2025, which features a maximum range of 743 kilometers and peak power output of 227 PS, with upgrades tailored to the pure electric driving experience sought by consumers in Taiwan. As the market for battery electric vehicles (BEV) in Taiwan continues to grow, Hotai projects registrations to reach as high as 40,000 vehicles in 2026.

Smart Mobility, a joint venture between Foxconn's Foxconn Interconnect Technology (FIT) and Saudi Arabia's Saleh Suleiman Alrajhi & Sons, recently unveiled its self-developed Charging Point Management System (CPMS) at the EV Auto Show Riyadh 2025. The system attracted significant attention at the exhibition, highlighting the company's ambition to advance regional EV infrastructure.

AI data centers are putting tremendous pressure on the US's already fragile power infrastructure. In addition to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, multiple Wall Street investment banks and industry organizations have recently warned that the US power grid faces increasing risks of blackouts and rising electricity prices.

Taiwan's electric scooter industry is currently coping with a number of bottlenecks in terms of domestic supply chains, battery reliability, government subsidy policies, and consumer confidence, all of which are tied closely to battery costs. The tight interconnection between batteries, supply chains, and market dynamics was recently highlighted with the unveiling of SYM Motor's PE3 range-extended electric scooter technology, further raising industry concerns about the actual cost required to produce an electric scooter.

NXP Semiconductors posted third-quarter revenue of US$3.17 billion, down 2.4% year-on-year but above the midpoint of its guidance, reflecting steady demand across key end markets. The company reported a gross margin of 57%, slightly below 58.2% in the same period last year, while operating income fell 7.1% to US$1.07 billion, with an operating margin of 33.8% versus 35.5% a year earlier. Research and development spending was nearly flat at US$575 million, while capex dropped sharply to US$77 million from US$186 million last year, underscoring NXP's focus on disciplined investment.

Young Optics booked profits for two straight quarters in 2025 on non-operating gains from fire insurance claims, but returned to a net loss in the third quarter, posting NT$10.08 million (approx. US$321,000) after tax. The cumulative net loss for the first three quarters widened to NT$1.86 million, offsetting earlier gains, with fourth-quarter shipments expected to stay flat or edge lower from the previous quarter.

Following an over 10% on-year growth in China's PCB revenues in the first half of 2025, CPCA Show Plus 2025, hosted by China Printed Circuit Association (CPCA), will be held from October 28-30 at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center.