Taiwan's auto market has entered unfamiliar territory in 2025, marked by mounting signs of disruption. With large volumes of imported cars clogging port terminals, erratic price swings, early factory shutdowns, and a sharp freeze in consumer demand, the market has slowed across virtually all major brands. Yet in the midst of the downturn, market leader Hotai Motor Co. has managed to maintain steady sales momentum.
Germany's once-dominant automotive sector is facing its most profound reckoning in decades, shedding over 52,000 jobs — a 6.7% decline — in the past year alone, according to fresh data released by Destatis. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019, the broader industrial sector has cut a total of 245,000 positions, with nearly half of those losses concentrated in the auto industry, according to estimates by the auditing and consulting firm EY.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is preparing to raise tariffs on a wide range of Chinese imports in her 2026 federal budget proposal, a move aimed at shielding domestic industries from low-cost competition and aligning more closely with the US's strategic trade agenda, according to people familiar with the matter.
Hesai Group, the world's top LiDAR maker, has filed with China's securities regulator to pursue a secondary listing in Hong Kong. The move comes months after rival RoboSense Technology's Hong Kong debut in January 2024, setting the stage for another major LiDAR player to tap Asian capital markets.
The implementation of US tariffs on automobiles and auto parts has already delivered a significant blow to global carmakers. Despite Washington's reassurances to allies like the UK, the European Union, and Japan that tariffs will be eased, a new and potentially disruptive regulatory shift is quietly taking shape. The potential reactivation of Section 232—an obscure but powerful trade mechanism—could soon send fresh shockwaves through an already fragile global automotive supply chain.
As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the global auto industry, Germany—the historic heart of automotive excellence—finds itself unexpectedly lagging. According to a recent report by McKinsey & Company, German automakers are trailing their American and Chinese counterparts in the race to integrate AI across production lines, vehicles, and enterprise systems.
As the global auto industry shifts toward electrification, autonomy, and digitalization, the collection and processing of data have become central to innovation, particularly in autonomous driving. Automotive cameras, despite their compact size, are now mission-critical components. For Taiwan's optical manufacturers, the sector presents a tempting opportunity. Yet two formidable obstacles remain: China's early dominance in the market, and automakers' prioritization of cost over quality.
China's fiercely competitive auto market is entering a new phase of high-stakes rivalry, with two private-sector titans — Geely Automobile and BYD — locked in an increasingly intense battle for dominance.
As part of its broader effort to strengthen competitiveness in the next generation of vehicles, Hyundai Motor Group is accelerating its transformation toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs)—a shift that includes not only the development of in-car software platforms but also a strategic move toward in-house automotive semiconductor development.
Hyundai Motor has launched its second-generation hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), the All-New NEXO, to a warm reception at home. Early sales suggest a spike in consumer interest, but industry analysts warn that without broader industry participation and major infrastructure improvements, the global FCEV market remains deeply constrained.
