Nanya Technology has achieved safety certification for its automotive LPDDR4 series from SGS-TUV, while Winbond Electronics is working to advance its manufacturing nodes to expand its car-use product portfolio.
Automotive optical components will see rising adoption, with ADAS playing a key part in boosting shipments for lenses used in autos, according to industry sources said.
Japan-based firms' investments in their home market in 2022 were more robust than in years past and three main factors were the driver for their relocation back to Japan, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest study covering Japan-based enterprises.
Tesla's recent announcement that its next-generation EVs will reduce demand for SiC components by 75% has sent shockwaves through the global SiC supply chain, inspiring Taiwan-based suppliers of third-generation semiconductors to explore reasons behind the EV giant's policy change and study whether or not it may backtrack in the future.
With the rise of self-driving vehicles, the demand for in-vehicle sensors is booming. Take Afeela, a car brand launched by a joint venture between Sony and Honda, as an example. It uses a total of 45 lenses and sensors inside and outside the prototype car, and a lidar is also installed on the roof.
With Tesla's recent announcement to cut the use of silicon carbide (SiC) by 75%, some see it as an opportunity for gallium nitride (GaN) to boost its presence in vehicle power electronics. To date, the yield of crystal growth has been a major challenge faced by the SiC industry, and the process accounts for 30% of the total cost of SiC MOSFET.
On Investor Day on March 1, Tesla revealed a master plan to electrify transportation from cars to planes and increase the sustainability of the global economy. CEO Elon Musk said the master plan will take US$6-10 trillion throughout 10 or 20 years to achieve, which is only 0.5%-1% of the total value of the global economy and 60% of the total investment made in fossil fuel infrastructures last year.
With smart auto lighting becoming a trend in the automotive market, LEDs are widely used in auto lighting products. Compared to conventional halogen- and xenon-based auto lighting products, LED lighting features higher brightness and longer life, according to DIGITIMES Research's latest study on the global auto lighting industry.
HKT Technology is ready to enter 6-inch SiC crystal growth production and is eyeing expansion to 8-inch SiC crystal growth in the future, according to the company.
Taiwan's government announced a plan to phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2040. The high population density could make Taiwan a world leader in the frequency and efficiency of charging infrastructure, not to mention numerous EV charging solution providers from the silicon island. Nonetheless, Taiwan is still a long way off its 7,500 charging points by 2025, far fewer than 700,000 in China, 500,000 in the United States, and 3.5 million in Europe. Why?
As cars become more intelligent, ensuring better vision has been the priority, especially at night. US-based Owl Autonomous Imaging integrates thermal images with artificial intelligence to do object detection, classification and ranging for a vehicle. The company launched its first commercial product in early January.
Huawei will not build cars on its own, but will continue to strengthen its automotive ecosystem alliance and platform, integrating R&D efforts of related carmakers to provide diverse resources of smart systems, software, chips and other aspects, a top company official has reiterated.
Delta Electronics said on Feb 23 that its EV business – on-board chargers and battery management systems, will get even better this year, after announcing improved financial results for last year. Chairman Yancey Hai said at the latest earnings call that "availability of materials and components has much recovered" but there is still "a little bit of a shortage of some MCU and MOSFET."
Primax Electronics, a manufacturer of audio-visual components and solutions, plans to increase sales from the automotive segment in 2023 in order to shore up its gross margin.
Global supply chains have experienced many disruptions in recent years, pushing logistics company Dimerco to adapt operations to create more opportunities. George Chiou, Dimerco's air freight president, said as OEMs and ODMs destock in the first half of this year, the logistics industry expects the peak season to rise in the fourth quarter of 2023.
