Elon Musk said Apple's failed attempt to develop an electric vehicle underscores a broader misconception in the technology industry: that recruiting high-profile talent from established companies is a guarantee of success.
Electric vehicle (EV) charging company U-Power is targeting growing opportunities in the market, with chairman Bob Chen noting that the company has already installed roughly 60 charging stations across Taiwan, and is aiming to increase this number to 100 by the end of 2026.
CATL and Changan Automobile, on February 5, 2026, launched the world's first mass-produced sodium-ion battery EV. According to IT Home and The Beijing News, brands including Avatr, Deepal, Qiyuan, and UNI will gradually adopt CATL's sodium-ion batteries, marking the technology's commercial rollout.
Infineon's first quarter of fiscal year 2026 showed that strong demand linked to artificial intelligence (AI) can cushion cyclical weakness in other markets, reinforcing the company's medium-term growth narrative while also bringing higher investment needs and cash flow pressure into focus.
Tesla, a company that straddles autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence-driven robotics, and the global energy transition, has long insisted that its future would hinge on its ability to reinvent the battery. For years, that bet appeared shaky. The company's homegrown, large-format 4680 battery—once touted as a breakthrough—became a source of doubt, with critics questioning whether Tesla had quietly abandoned the effort.
In an earnings call held on February 3, NXP Semiconductors NV reported fourth-quarter revenue of US$3.34 billion, representing a 7% increase year-on-year and a 5% sequential rise. Management characterized the 2025 fiscal year as two distinct halves: initial demand weakness, followed by an acceleration in the second half. The company indicated that its performance in the latter part of the year has allowed it to return to its long-term financial model, leading to an optimistic outlook for 2026.
Samsung SDI, one of South Korea's three major battery makers, posted a steep operating loss in 2025 as the global market for electric vehicle batteries slumped. The company reported an operating loss of more than KRW1.7 trillion (US$1.17 billion) for the year. However, it is betting that a shift in strategy—anchored by local production of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in the United States and an expansion of its energy storage systems business—will return it to profitability in 2026.
After Huawei transferred the "Aito" brand and related patents to Seres for CNY2.5 billion (approx. US$359 million), Seres has rapidly consolidated its position in China's fast-growing new-energy vehicle (NEV) market. While Huawei no longer owns the brand, it continues to provide Seres with technical and marketing support, including smart cockpit systems and advanced driver-assistance technologies.
Despite delivering solid earnings, Japan's TDK Corporation warned that China's tighter rare earth export controls are heightening supply chain risks, placing growing procurement pressure on manufacturers dependent on critical minerals and pushing geopolitical tensions into the electronic materials sector.
China has stepped up electric vehicle safety regulation, with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approving a new mandatory national standard, Technical Requirements for Automobile Door Handle Safety (GB 48001-2026). The rules require all EVs sold in China to feature independently operable mechanical door-opening mechanisms on both the inside and outside, banning designs that rely entirely on electronic systems or concealed handles.
Lunar New Year 2026 is approaching. So is the outcome of tariff negotiations between Taiwan and the United States. Few issues are being watched more closely than the potential opening of Taiwan's market to American-made cars.
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