The annual "360°MOBILITY Mega Shows," a major gathering for the auto parts and mobility industry, opens on the 14th, drawing heightened attention to the growing role of Taiwan's suppliers in next-generation automotive technology. As software-defined vehicles (SDVs) emerge as a central industry direction, the share of automotive semiconductors and software in vehicle development is rising rapidly, according to a DIGITIMES Research report.
Qualcomm said it was expanding its partnership with Bosch in automotive electronics, broadening a collaboration that had previously focused on in-vehicle cockpit systems to now include advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).
China's auto market entered the year with a sharp jolt. In the first quarter, the long-dominant new energy vehicle (NEV) segment saw its market share slip to 45.1%, down from 47.7% in 2025, while sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) also contracted. The shift suggests that as Beijing scales back subsidies and tightens oversight to curb dumping, the market is reverting to more disciplined commercial dynamics.
As companies like Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and Waymo begin rolling out autonomous vehicles across Europe and the US, the bottleneck facing robotaxis has shifted. No longer defined primarily by technological breakthroughs, the industry is now constrained by regulatory approval and the ability to operate reliably in complex, real-world conditions.
The choice of sensing architecture and the efficiency of data iteration have emerged as decisive factors in the competitiveness of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and higher-level autonomous driving. Increasingly, they shape not only technological leadership but also brand perception and sales performance.
The competition in robotaxis is expanding beyond the US and China into Europe, where 2026 is widely seen as the first year of commercial deployment. As domestic automakers and global players enter the market in tandem, a new contest is taking shape, one defined not just by algorithms, but by operating models and the path to profitability.
Tesla is developing a new, smaller and lower-cost electric sport utility vehicle, according to people familiar with the matter and the industry, marking a notable shift in strategy for CEO Elon Musk.
Foxconn and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus have forged a strategic partnership aimed at exporting Japanese-made electric buses to Southeast Asia and Australia by 2030, combining Foxconn's rapid EV development capabilities with Mitsubishi Fuso's established brand and sales channels. The move addresses shrinking domestic demand in Japan and growing competition from Chinese manufacturers.
Driven by the rapid shift toward automotive electronics and electrification, Europe moved earlier than the United States to localize lithium battery production. Yet the region's ambitions have been sharply scaled back. Plans unveiled in 2023 projected battery manufacturing capacity of roughly 2,000 gigawatt-hours by 2030, but current estimates have been revised down to about 1,200 gigawatt-hours, effectively cutting the original blueprint nearly in half.
The global adoption of advanced driver-assistance systems, or ADAS, and autonomous vehicles is expected to rise from 66 percent in 2025 to 94 percent by 2035. Within that growth, Level 2 systems are projected to reach a 65 percent penetration rate. But the technological path toward higher levels of autonomy is beginning to diverge.
China's auto market showed a notable shift in the first quarter of 2026, with Volkswagen, Geely, and Toyota returning to the top of the sales rankings in the first two months of the year. BYD, long the market leader, slipped to fourth place, drawing widespread attention.
