Long seen as a global automaker struggling to yield meaningful results from its massive investments in vehicle electronics and electrification, Volkswagen is now entering its most important market: China. It is preparing to launch development of its first system-on-chip (SoC) designed entirely in China, a key component that will power Level 3 driver-assistance systems and future fully autonomous driving functions.
The aftershocks of Nexperia's abrupt suspension of power semiconductor shipments continue to reverberate across the global electronics industry, forcing yet another wave of supply chain realignments. Industry insiders say the episode underscores how a US$5 chip can cripple a US$50,000 car, revealing the vulnerability of even the most complex manufacturing systems to disruptions in basic components.
Nissan Motor on October 30 announced it expects an operating loss of JPY275 billion (approx. US$17.8 billion) for the 2025 fiscal year (April 2025–March 2026), a sharp reversal from a JPY69.8 billion operating profit in 2024.
A deepening dispute over Nexperia, the China-backed semiconductor maker based in the Netherlands, has triggered a fresh global supply chain crisis for the auto industry. Following a Dutch government intervention that froze exports of its China-made chips, European and Japanese car associations are warning that vehicle production could soon come to a standstill.
BYD reported a sharp 33% decline in third-quarter profit, highlighting the growing toll of China's intensifying electric-vehicle price war and renewed investor caution over the company's sales outlook.
Sharp Corp. announced on October 24 that it will enter Japan's electric vehicle (EV) market in fiscal 2027 (April 2027–March 2028), unveiling plans to launch its first self-branded EV built on a vehicle platform developed by its parent company, Foxconn. The company said the EV will be sold through unconventional channels, including home electronics retailers and housing manufacturers.
