The trade environment for US businesses operating in or trading with China deteriorated sharply between 2025 and 2026, according to a comparative analysis of the latest National Trade Estimate (NTE) Reports, underscoring a widening gap between high-level diplomacy and on-the-ground economic realities.
MG, the European arm of China's SAIC Motor Group, confirmed that its upcoming MG4 Urban will feature semi-solid battery technology to address the range loss issues of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in cold climates. LFP batteries are known to lose significant performance in high-latitude, low-temperature environments, drastically reducing driving range. By adopting semi-solid batteries, MG aims to limit range loss even in extreme conditions from -20°C to -40°C, offering European drivers more consistent EV performance.
In a breakthrough that could redefine electric vehicle (EV) battery technology, a research team led by Professor Yu-Sheng Su at the International College of Semiconductor Technology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), has developed a lithium-titanate (LTO) battery design that increases capacity by 167% while offering greater safety than conventional automotive lithium-ion batteries.
Sony Honda Mobility, the joint venture between Sony and Honda, has scrapped the two "Afeela"-branded electric vehicles it had been developing, citing Honda's recent strategic shift that canceled three planned US EVs—moves that could cost the automaker nearly US$16 billion. The decision leaves the joint venture's hundreds of employees in Tokyo and California facing uncertainty, as the companies evaluate the venture's future.
US government disclosures have cast rare light on one of the electric vehicle (EV) industry's most closely guarded supply chains, confirming that LG Energy Solutions (LGES) signed a battery supply agreement worth about US$4 billion with Tesla in July 2025.
Recent reports suggest that Volkswagen may move away from relying on Nvidia's automotive computing platforms, instead increasingly integrating Chinese-made chips into its vehicles.
Buffeted by a slower-than-expected shift toward vehicle electrification and electronic architectures—along with the crosscurrents of tariffs and inflation—the global auto market turned in a muted performance in 2025. Yet even as layoffs and restructuring swept through many Western suppliers, Europe's and America's legacy Tier 1 manufacturers managed to hold margins steady, revealing a survival strategy built on internal austerity and external reinvention.
As Formula One (F1) prepares to introduce new power unit regulations in 2026, the sport faces its most dramatic technical transformation in decades. Recent reports also suggest that Chinese automaker BYD is considering an entry into F1, adding fresh intrigue to the ongoing shift. If confirmed, it would mark the first time a Chinese car brand has formally challenged the "pinnacle of motorsport," and further signals the sport's changing focus, going from raw engine output to sophisticated energy management.
The Formula One (F1) season opened in Australia with a spectacle that was meant to inaugurate a new technological era. Instead, it quickly became a showcase of dominance by one team.
