Despite the debut of the Alpamayo self-driving AI architecture by Nvidia at CES 2026, Mercedes-Benz, the earliest adoptor of the architecture, instead turned to focus on enhanced Level 2 systems (L2+) with the removal of the L3 autonomous driving functionalities in the refreshed version of its flagship S-Class in late January.
As the global automotive market shows signs of recovery in 2026, Excellence Opto has completed a corporate restructuring and opened a new factory in Mexico, positioning the company to launch new products and showcase the impact of its AI-powered automotive electronics transformation. In tandem, Excellence Opto has issued 7,000 secured convertible bonds totaling NT$739 million (approx. US$23.3 million), now listed on the local exchange.
As Taiwan and the US reached a consensus in their tariff negotiations, a long-standing cloud hanging over Taiwan's automotive aftermarket industry began to lift. Securing the most favorable treatment under Section 232—capping tariffs at 15%—was not only a trade victory but a psychological turning point for Taiwan's vehicle-parts supply chain. The agreement has injected new confidence into the sector, allowing manufacturers to shift from a posture of defensive caution to one of proactive expansion.
President Trump's recent decision to link the question of Greenland's sovereignty with punitive tariffs has sent a chill through Europe's auto industry and Asia's manufacturing supply chains. What might once have been dismissed as a trade dispute now looks more like a form of geopolitical brinkmanship; an attempt to bind industrial lifelines to strategic demands.
