DIGITIMES' latest analysis predicts that the global electric vehicle (EV) market will enter a phase of slower growth in 2026, with an annual growth rate of roughly 15.2%—down from the double-digit surges exceeding 20% seen through 2025. After a period of rapid expansion, the industry is showing signs of saturation, prompting automakers to shift their strategic focus toward advanced autonomous-driving technologies to maintain competitiveness.
Luxgen, the homegrown automotive brand under Taiwan's Yulon Motor, holds a unique place in the island's industrial history. Recent reports that Foxtron—a subsidiary of Foxconn—may acquire Luxgen have stirred significant discussion in Taiwan's automotive circles.
As one of the most demanding testing grounds for AI, autonomous driving technology has become a high-security laboratory where next-generation AI applications are forged. Analysts note that as much as 50 to 70 percent of the algorithms used in self-driving systems can be efficiently transferred to non-automotive fields, giving established players a distinct "spillover advantage" over newcomers. From Tesla to Chinese automakers and established brands in Europe, the United States, Japan, and South Korea, automotive AI is now extending into adjacent industries such as smart manufacturing, robotics, and unmanned aerial systems (UAVs).
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.
After dominating China's first wave of electric vehicle (EV) adoption, BYD is shifting its focus in 2025 from electrification to intelligent mobility. The automaker has launched what it calls a campaign for "smart driving for everyone," aiming to make autonomous driving technologies accessible to mass-market consumers.
Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) used this week's GTC event in Washington to highlight two fronts of collaboration with Nvidia: expanding US-based AI server manufacturing and joining a new alliance with Stellantis and Uber to develop level-4 robotaxis.
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.
China's recent order banning exports from the Chinese factories of Dutch semiconductor firm Nexperia has sent shockwaves through the global automotive supply chain, raising fears of a new wave of disruptions reminiscent of the chip shortages that paralyzed carmakers during the pandemic.
Taiwan officially opened Southeast Asia's first all-weather, full-speed, multi-vehicle autonomous vehicle testing facility on October 21, a major step in advancing its smart mobility and automotive electronics sector. Located at the Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC), the site is now one of the few in the region capable of supporting end-to-end validation of autonomous systems across diverse weather conditions, road types, and vehicle platforms.
A fatal crash involving a Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan in the southwestern city of Chengdu has raised new questions about the safety of electronic car doors, after reports that the vehicle's doors failed to open following impact.
