As global efforts toward the circular economy and net-zero emissions accelerate, the European Union has continued revising its End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive to establish a vehicle recycling framework centered on circular design, high-value material recovery, and life-cycle management. The policy is enforced to help drive worldwide development of end-of-life vehicle recycling and resource recovery.

The South Korean government treats batteries as a strategic asset tied to national economic and energy security, but industry leaders say the growth and survival of South Korea's companies now depend almost entirely on regulatory shifts in the US and Europe amid fierce competition from China. They are calling for urgent, concrete tax support at home, especially a direct refund system that would also benefit loss-making companies.

The European Commission is considering a new credit system for electric vehicles as part of its latest Automotive Package, Reuters reported, in a move aimed at speeding EV adoption while easing pressure on automakers as the EU moves toward its 2035 internal combustion engine ban. The plan would give smaller battery electric vehicles (BEVs) extra weight in fleet emissions calculations, a change that could reshape competition between mass-market and premium brands.

Gus Technology has named Hota Group president Kuo-jung Shen as chairman after a June 30 shareholders' meeting, underscoring a deeper push into batteries, electric mobility, and energy systems. The move could shape supply chains serving vehicle makers, AI data centers, and industrial users as demand for backup power and high-performance batteries expands globally.

China's electric vehicle (EV) and energy storage supply chains are undergoing a profound structural shift. Over the past year, prices of upstream battery materials have continued to rise. According to reports, the sharp increase in lithium battery raw material prices has challenged the market's previous assumptions about industry overcapacity and contradicted the belief that higher prices suppress demand.

CATL is turning sodium-ion batteries from a lithium alternative into a commercial product line, with planned deployment in 10,000 to 20,000 electric vehicles this year and a new sodium energy storage system aimed at global grid markets.

Taiwanese lithium-iron phosphate cathode maker Aleees is changing course after winning a major US order, moving away from licensing its technology and toward in-house production. The shift reflects tighter US supply-chain demands, rising demand from energy storage and artificial intelligence data centers, and growing competition among non-Chinese suppliers globally.

South Korean battery maker SK On has completed a share swap with China's Eve Energy, giving it full ownership of a battery manufacturing joint venture in Yancheng, Jiangsu province, as the company continues efforts to streamline operations and ease financial pressure.

Samsung SDI, a battery and electronic materials manufacturer, has entered an agreement to help US-based Forge Nano build a 3 GWh per year battery manufacturing site in Morrisville, North Carolina. The deal capitalizes on both Samsung's desire to avoid US tariffs and the American military's goal to develop non-China supply chains, including in batteries.

During the launch event for the company's new scooter model "Luna," Gogoro CEO Henry Chiang said that the long-term goal is to become a sustainable and healthy enterprise, while also helping Taiwan's electric scooter supply chain expand into international markets.

Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry, or Aleees, said on June 25 that it will accelerate construction of a phosphoric iron precursor plant in Taiwan, targeting an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes. The move is aimed at meeting rising North American demand for lithium iron phosphate materials used in energy storage and electric vehicles, with broader implications for markets worldwide.

Surging prices for automotive memory and lithium carbonate, a key upstream material for lithium batteries, have become a challenge regarding Chinese automakers' profit margins this year. Industry sources say that after BYD took the lead in raising prices in May, fifteen other automakers followed suit. However, the move was met with Tesla's effective price cuts and brands maintaining their pricing, attracting consumers away from competitors and forcing many automakers that had raised prices to quickly reverse course through various forms of disguised discounts to calm market concerns.

ProLogium, a Taiwanese battery maker specializing in next generation lithium ceramic cells, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Elysian Aircraft, a Dutch aerospace startup developing large battery-electric aircraft.

Power-Win Technology Co. Chairman Lin Pei-yi said following the company's June 23 shareholders meeting that its core battery recycling and processing business has benefited from process improvements, equipment-efficiency upgrades, and enhanced production management, driving growth in both processing volumes and revenue.

Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) is reducing its reliance on CATL and broadening its EV battery supply chain, a pragmatic reset driven by cost pressure, delivery targets, and supply risk in China's electric vehicle market.

CATL has launched CATL TENER Sodium, a utility-scale sodium-ion energy storage system aimed at moving the technology from pilot projects into commercial grid infrastructure.

CATL chairman Robin Zeng said on June 23 at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dalian that many electric vehicles (EVs) in China could be turned into computing infrastructure for the large-scale production of AI tokens by using their onboard batteries and AI chips.

Lithium titanate oxide (LTO) batteries are emerging as a promising solution for industrial electrification and critical energy infrastructure, where safety, rapid charging and long service life outweigh the priorities of cost and driving range. As demand grows for high-reliability power systems, companies in Taiwan and South Korea are accelerating overseas expansion, positioning LTO technology for broader adoption in sectors ranging from robotics and mining to AI data centers and defense applications.

In China's new energy vehicle (NEV) market, industry leader BYD introduced megawatt-level (MW) flash charging technology more than a year ago and further enhanced its fast-charging capabilities with the launch of its second-generation Blade Battery in March 2026. Now, major competitors, including Geely and CATL, have also entered the space. Flash-charging technology remains in a stage of extensive validation and limited pilot deployment, but Chinese automakers and battery manufacturers are already engaged in an intense marketing battle, reflecting the intensifying competition in the NEV market.

South Korean battery equipment maker A-PRO says robot battery design differs sharply from electric vehicles (EVs), with hot-swap battery replacement, dual-battery setups, and autonomous energy management emerging as key solutions for keeping machines running longer and reducing downtime. The company outlined its strategy at the Korean Institute of Electric Vehicles (KIEV) 2026 summer seminar.

Nio founder and chairman William Li warned at the 2026 China Auto Chongqing Summit that China's auto industry has entered its "most brutal final stage," saying 2026 passenger-vehicle retail sales in China could fall 15% to 20% from last year. He urged the industry to prepare early as the Chinese new energy vehicle market enters a more severe phase of competition.

Although BMW's Neue Klasse BEV lineup is receiving strong market feedback and demand, it is also facing challenges due to weakness in the Chinese auto market and the conflict in the Middle East. It has lowered its financial outlook, cutting its automotive business margin forecast from the original 4-6% range to 1-3%.

Semiconductor manufacturers, market analysts, and engineering departments have long tracked the clean energy transition through siloed vertical markets. For example, they will calculate individual EV sales on one spreadsheet while tracking hyperscale data center deployments on another. However, during PCIM Europe 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany, industry leaders and experts discussed and dismantled this flawed strategy.