European luxury automakers are pulling back from China's plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV) market after Beijing tightened eligibility requirements for new-energy vehicle incentives starting in 2026. The policy raised the minimum all-electric range for tax incentives from 43 kilometers to 100 kilometers. The threshold sidelined many European PHEV models and prompted a shift in market strategy, according to executives and foreign media reports.
India sees rising global tech investment as Meta, Reliance and Anthropic deepen AI ties, while EV firms expand, Starlink faces delays, and semiconductor and tablet markets show steady structural growth.
During a panel discussion between executives and research experts from Bosch, Infineon, Rohm Semiconductor, Nexperia, Wolfspeed, and Omdia at PCIM Europe 2026, one reality was made clear: frictionless, globalized chip manufacturing is ending. While the conversation reflected industry enthusiasm for new applications such as AI servers and industrial motor drives, it was tempered by macroeconomic realities of international trade protectionism, regional resilience mandates, and aggressive tariffs.
Shin-Etsu Chemical plans to build a new rare earth production facility in Fukui Prefecture, aiming to expand domestic smelting capacity and reduce Japan's reliance on China for materials critical to electric vehicle and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, according to Nikkei and Kyodo News.
Qualcomm recently held its 2026 Automotive Technology and Cooperation Summit in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, marking the fourth consecutive year it has hosted a China-focused automotive industry event. At the main forum, Frank Meng, chairman of Qualcomm China, said: "2026 is the year of the agent."
