CONNECT WITH US
Jul 15, 11:50
Auto supply chains brace for tariffs and inflation bite
The global automotive supply chain is under growing strain amid a turbulent macroeconomic environment. As pressure mounts, Chinese automakers are passing rising costs onto suppliers, prompting government intervention. Foreign media reports that Western carmakers—including Ford and Stellantis—have also begun tightening contract terms with their suppliers in response.
A flash fire at Taiwan Cement's lithium battery subsidiary Molicel threatens to derail the company's pivot away from traditional cement operations, highlighting risks as Asian manufacturers rush into the electric vehicle supply chain.
With autonomous vehicles and service robots ushering in a new era of "physical AI," the spotlight is once again on core sensing technologies. While Tesla CEO Elon Musk has famously championed vision-based systems over LiDAR, South Korean startup SOS Lab believes laser-based sensing is poised for a comeback, thanks to breakthroughs in size, clarity, and safety.
SK On signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with South Korean battery cathode materials company L&F to promote its lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery business targeting the North American energy storage system (ESS) market.
On July 8, 2025, Gogoro announced its new zero monthly rental plan, stirring considerable discussion. However, every coin has two sides - what exactly is Gogoro offering with this move?

Below are the most-read DIGITIMES Asia stories from July 7 to July 13, 2025. This week's top three highlights include China’s semiconductor ambitions facing setbacks as Jiangsu Advanced Memory Semiconductor cancels its restructuring amid investment delays. Meanwhile, MediaTek gains ground on Qualcomm in China’s premium smartphone market, signaling a notable industry shift. The US-China semiconductor standoff shows signs of tactical maneuvering, with both sides testing political and economic limits.

South Korea's autonomous driving technology has entered the proof of concept stage. Their PanTa-G self-driving bus operates in Pangyo and has so far served over 55,000 passengers and accumulated over 52,000km of travel. Moving forward, South Korea plans to focus its research more on driving risk prediction and safety management, aiming to build a data-based intelligent traffic safety network.
Taiwan's Changs Ascending Enterprise Co. (CAEC) posted June revenue of NT$48.6 million (approx. US$1.5 million), up 877% from a year earlier, as semiconductor manufacturers adopted its lithium iron phosphate battery systems for uninterrupted power supply applications.

Hyundai Motor, South Korea's largest automaker, has announced plans to release its first production vehicle equipped with end-to-end (E2E) autonomous driving technology by 2027. The company also aims to launch a fully integrated software-defined vehicle (SDV), powered by artificial intelligence and cloud-based services, by 2028.

Despite foreign exchange fluctuations and seasonal factors decreasing June revenue, LED automotive lighting module manufacturer Laster Tech still achieved a record-high consolidated revenue for the first half of 2025.
President Donald Trump unleashed his latest tariff ultimatums, declaring a 30% rate for Mexico and the European Union, as his trade agenda continues to keep allies off balance and inject uncertainty into global financial markets.
Hyundai Motor is considering the construction of a third electric vehicle (EV) plant in Europe as part of its broader strategy to capitalize on the region's EV recovery and offset potential risks from rising US trade barriers. The automaker sees Europe as both a strategic growth market and a manufacturing base to navigate tariff-related headwinds through localized production.