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Dec 26
Samsung's Lee Jae-yong doubles down on auto electronics with ZF ADAS deal
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, having cleared major legal overhangs, is accelerating the group's strategic reset. Months after completing its acquisition of Germany's FläktGroup, Samsung announced another landmark deal: the purchase of ZF Friedrichshafen's advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) business for EUR1.5 billion (US$1.8 billion).

In recent years, Foxconn has steadily expanded its ambitions in electric vehicles, moving beyond its traditional role as a platform provider and contract manufacturer toward the consumer-facing end of the market. Through its subsidiary Foxtron—operating under the formal name Hon Hai Advanced Industry—the group has begun directly running an EV business in Taiwan. Earlier this month, Foxtron hosted an online launch event, unveiling three new EV models simultaneously.

According to Nikkei, although electric vehicle (EV) demand has been below expectations, weighing heavily on Rohm Semiconductor's SiC power semiconductor equipment investments, the company has decided to expand applications into the AI server sector. Rohm's annual revenue from server-related fields is only around JPY10 billion (approx. US$64 million), but it has already started supplying new products in collaboration with Nvidia.
Chinaese semiconductor supplier Guoxin Micro has moved to spin off its automotive controller chip business into a new company. It has brought in a CATL subsidiary as a strategic shareholder in a step aimed at strengthening funding capacity and positioning for rising demand from electric and intelligent vehicles.
As demand for electric vehicles cools in the United States, Honda Motor of Japan and LG Energy Solution of South Korea are making a significant course correction in their North American electrification plans.
After attending the 2025 Guangzhou Auto Show, DIGITIMES analyzed the latest strategies unveiled by leading automakers and suppliers in two pivotal areas: energy replenishment technologies and advanced intelligent driving. The conclusion was hard to miss. Chinese carmakers have accumulated deep technical capabilities in both domains and are moving steadily toward a long-held ambition: making electric vehicles refuel as quickly as gasoline cars, while bringing high-level autonomous driving into everyday use.
Yulon Nissan Motor Co. on December 23, 2025, held a preview event ahead of the 2026 Taipei New Car and New Energy Vehicle Show, unveiling several high-profile models making their Taiwan debut. Among them were the Nissan Formula E GEN3 Evo—an ABB Formula E World Championship title-winning race car—and the Nissan Qashqai, a compact crossover equipped with the brand's third-generation e-POWER hybrid system.
Waymo's fleet of Jaguar I-Pace-based robotaxis experienced a widespread shutdown during a recent major power outage in San Francisco, leaving multiple vehicles stalled and blocking roads. The incident has raised questions about the autonomous cars' ability to handle unexpected disruptions, with experts attributing the problem to operational and management shortcomings rather than software faults.
Innolux subsidiary CarUX has merged with Pioneer, with chairman and chief executive Jim Hung saying the new CarUX will deliver post-merger synergies through three 100-day phases and stressing that it is not designed as a place to coast.
Beijing authorities have officially issued the city's first license plates for Level 3 (L3) autonomous vehicles, marking the first such approvals in China for highway-capable self-driving cars. Three smart, connected cars received the plates, signaling a shift from pilot testing to conditional commercial deployment and representing a milestone in the country's push toward intelligent vehicles.
As the global auto industry accelerates its shift toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs), Samsung Electronics is moving to strengthen its position through its wholly owned subsidiary, Harman. The company announced it will acquire the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) business of Germany's ZF Group for EUR1.5 billion (approx. US$1.77 billion), marking one of Samsung's most significant automotive investments in years.

As trade tensions between the US and China intensify, accompanied by tighter technology restrictions, Wanshih Electronic says it is doubling down on precision manufacturing as the cornerstone of its innovation strategy while reshaping its global footprint to navigate mounting geopolitical risk.