Volkswagen Group and US-based Rivian announced on June 25 that the former will invest up to US$5 billion in the emerging EV maker. The pair will also establish a joint venture focusing on software-defined vehicle (SDV) platforms.
Japanese motor manufacturer Nidec is shifting its growth strategy to focus on cooling devices for Generative AI (GenAI) servers, anticipating this business will grow to an annual scale of JPY 1 trillion (US$6.4 billion) in the future.
Nissan Motor recently announced that Dongfeng Nissan, its joint venture in China, had shut down production at a facility in Changzhou last week. The act was part of Nissan's efforts to optimize its performance in the world's largest car market.
The global rare earth supply chain is undergoing a restructuring as countries actively invest in the sector to reduce their reliance on China, especially for permanent magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and drones.
US-based Onsemi seizes the business opportunity of smart mobility, stepping up investments in the silicon (Si), silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN) process development. The semiconductor company last week announced its expansion of SiC production in the Czech Republic to supply EVs, renewable energy, and AI.
Energy saving and carbon reduction are pivotal trends in today's automotive industry, encompassing both four-wheelers and two-wheelers. Ching-Yue Lee, senior project specialist in the Power and System Business Group at Delta Electronics, shared his insights on the impact and development trends of carbon neutrality on electric two-wheelers at the "D Forum 2024" smart vehicle forum hosted by DIGITIMES.
The US-based Avnet, a distributor of IC products and electronics components, is supporting Taiwan's Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) in venturing into the global automotive market through a comprehensive global alliance.
Tesla recently achieved a weekly production capacity of 1,300 Cybertrucks, but customers have not received their vehicles on schedule due to problems with their windshield wipers.
LG Electronics took another step forward to grow its EV charging business. The South Korean company has become a strategic partner of ChargePoint, a US-based EV charging solution provider. The pair will first collaborate on commercial EV charging in the US.
Silesia, a region in southwestern Poland, is long renowned for its industry. Back in the middle of the 18th century, the region became an economic powerhouse due to its burgeoning coal mining and metallurgy industries, and as the government plans to gradually cease coal mining, Silesia's rich reserve of copper ore - 7th largest in the world - gives Poland a foothold in the electromobility industry. In fact, Silesia is also the base of Europe's largest lithium-ion battery production, and the combination of these advantages make Poland among the world's top ten exporters of automotive components. Overall, the auto industry accounts for 8% of Polish GDP and approximately 13.5% of the country's exports value, according to data from the Polish Investment & Trade Agency,
Taiwan-based TYC Brother Industrial held a shareholder's meeting on June 18. The leading manufacturer of vehicle lights shared its plans for new energy vehicles (NEVs) and some highlights of its operations in 2024.
China might move closer to retaliating against the European Union following the bloc's tariff increase on EVs. In a recent closed-door meeting, Chinese automakers pushed its government to raise tariffs on EU-made gasoline cars with large-displacement engines.
After identifying 30 critical minerals essential for national security, India intensified its efforts to secure cobalt, given its increasing importance in the global shift towards EVs and green energy initiatives.
Taiwan-based automotive power and safety parts manufacturer Global PMX disclosed its plans for EVs, hybrid vehicles, and fuel-cell EVs at a recent shareholders' meeting. The company also said it has seen the rebound of order pull-ins from major electronics customers as demand for AI takes off.
Quanta Computer is generating record-high profits amid a sharp decline in staff count. From the high of 112,000 employees by the end of 2018, Quanta's workforce has decreased by 49.1% to around 57,000 by the end of 2023.
Chinese EV makers continue to enhance smart vehicle technology. As an emerging automotive tier-1 supplier, Huawei's car business profited in the first quarter of 2024. However, concerns about Huawei threatening automakers' authority are also growing.
Several China-based EV makers have used Nvidia's car chips in their vehicles. As Chinese automakers' reliance on US companies increases, the question of how US-China tension will affect the dynamic is drawing attention.
