The 2025 Shanghai Auto Show has drawn nearly 1,000 automakers and component suppliers from around the world. Chinese manufacturers continued to lead in presence, but a strong group of companies from Europe, the US, and Japan also presented their latest innovations. Notably, Tesla was absent for the third consecutive year. South Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia were also missing, underscoring shifting dynamics in the world's largest auto market.

As the global automotive industry continues to shift toward connected, autonomous, shared, and electric (CASE) vehicles, Taiwan's three major mobility industry trade shows—the Taipei International Automobile and Motorcycle Parts and Accessories Show (Taipei AMPA), E-Mobility Taiwan, and Autotronics Taipei—have increasingly been held as joint events, highlighting the influential roles Taiwanese companies play on the global stage.

The 2025 Shanghai Auto Show has become a focal point for technological competition, as chip manufacturers present advanced platforms that significantly enhance vehicle intelligence. Industry titans such as MediaTek, Nvidia, Intel, and leading domestic IC design houses including Black Sesame Technologies and SemiDrive are forging strategic alliances, signaling the end of solitary competition and the dawn of a new era defined by collaborative innovation.

Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry) has announced that it is currently working with overseas customers on three electric vehicle (EV) models using its contract design and manufacturing service (CDMS) model.

The list of donors for US President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony has been released, with South Korean conglomerates Samsung, Hyundai Motor, and Hanwha making large donations through US subsidiaries. Observers interpret the donations as an attempt by South Korean companies to proactively seek favorable outcomes related to US tariff policy.

Chinese cars have established a significant presence in Southeast Asia and started to make inroads into Europe, thanks to their attractive price-performance ratios and smart cockpit features. The fast rise of China's home-grown car vendors has come as a threat to their European competitors in the Chinese market. Japanese automakers, who have dominated the Southeast Asian car market for decades, are also coming under pressure.

Tesla is actively exploring entering the burgeoning Indian automotive market, but significant hurdles remain, primarily due to the country's steep tariff structure. During a recent earnings call, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja addressed a question regarding geographic expansion, specifically mentioning India as a key target for a potential launch in the coming years.

Tesla may be stacked with strategic assets—from EV dominance to AI-driven autonomy and advanced energy systems—but 2025 is shaping up as a year of friction. Mounting delays, shifting priorities, and regulatory headwinds are complicating its ability to deliver on expectations.

Chinese EV maker BYD plans to enter Japan's insular kei (mini) car market by developing a vehicle specifically designed to meet the country's unique light vehicle standards, with a launch expected in 2026.

According to Economic Times, XPeng vice chairman and president Brian Gu has acknowledged India's promising potential in the EV sector while cautioning that the market remains complex and challenging, adding that the company is closely monitoring India but has yet to set a timeline for entry.

On April 23, 2025, at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, MediaTek unveiled its Dimensity Auto series flagship smart cockpit platform C-X1 and in-vehicle communication flagship platform MT2739. The company showcased cutting-edge GenAI technology and Agentic AI cockpit applications, driving a comprehensive upgrade of AI-defined cockpit experiences and spearheading new directions in intelligent driving experiences.

Tesla's steep profit decline and withdrawal of its 2025 sales forecast mark a major turning point for the EV giant, underscoring mounting pressures from tariffs, supply chain constraints, and leadership controversies as it navigates slowing growth and intensifying global trade tensions.

As the global automotive sector advances rapidly toward electrification and autonomous technologies, Taiwan is establishing a significant presence through steady and deliberate progress. The simultaneous opening of major trade exhibitions on April 23 emphasizes this trend, with Taiwan hosting e-Mobility, Taipei AMPA, and Autotronics Taipei, while China welcomes the 2025 Shanghai International Auto Show. These concurrent events illustrate a clear contrast in the pace of development between the two areas.

China has halted autonomous driving promotions at the Auto Shanghai, forcing automakers to revise marketing strategies just as the exhibition opened.

On April 22, the Shanghai municipal government and Toyota officially held a strategic cooperation agreement signing ceremony, announcing that Toyota's wholly-owned Lexus battery electric vehicle (BEV) and battery R&D company will be established in Jinshan District, Shanghai. This signing marks an important step for Toyota's high-end new energy brand layout in China, which will help accelerate the upgrade of the new energy vehicle (NEV) industry in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta region.

Tesla has recently shown strong interest in India, with CEO Elon Musk announcing plans to revisit the country later in 2025. Tesla is also reportedly exploring potential suppliers in India.

The US's sweeping tariffs—including a 25% levy on steel and aluminum imports—are drawing widespread frustration from American importers. The measures have introduced a maze of regulatory complexity, particularly around calculating the origin and value of metal components embedded in finished goods.

Japanese automaker Honda Motor is ramping up its efforts in India's two-wheeler market, announcing the construction of a new electric scooter manufacturing facility in Bangalore. Scheduled to begin operations in 2028, the plant is part of Honda's broader strategy to turn India into a key global export base for its electric motorcycles and meet rising domestic demand.

Huawei and SAIC jointly unveiled a new electric vehicle (EV) brand, SAIC Shangjie, at the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) new product event on April 16. SAIC Shangjie becomes Huawei's fifth automotive brand under its Harmony ecosystem, with its first mass-market model slated for launch in fall 2025, according to Yicai, Sina, and CnEVPost.

China's leading EV upstarts—Nio, XPeng, and Li Auto—delivered strong sales in 2024. Li Auto stood out as one of just three profitable NEV makers nationwide, alongside BYD and the rising Seres. Despite the momentum, a stark warning has emerged from academia. Zhu Xichan, a professor at Tongji University's Intelligent Vehicle Research Institute, predicts that all three firms could disappear within three years.

In the face of rising global tariff pressures and an increasingly volatile automotive market, Chinese automaker Xpeng Motors is bucking the trend, actively accelerating its expansion into overseas markets. Xpeng's Co-founder and Chairman of the Board, Xiaopeng He, stated that over the next decade, competition in the automotive industry will be fierce, and only 5 to 7 electric vehicle manufacturers will ultimately survive.

Aeon Motor has expanded internationally by opening a new manufacturing plant in Vietnam despite rising tariff challenges. The company noted that the 10% tariff applies worldwide, except Chinese vehicles, which face tariffs of up to 145%. This gives Aeon Motor a cost advantage in key markets like North America. Coupled with its vertically integrated ODM model, Aeon Motor offers comprehensive vehicle development and production, boosting its appeal to global clients.

Xiaomi has postponed a major product launch event that was expected to unveil a new smartphone, AI glasses, tablet devices, and the YU7 electric vehicle, according to industry sources. No new date has been announced for the rescheduled event. The delay follows growing concerns tied to a fatal crash in late March involving the company's SU7 model in Anhui Province, which resulted in the deaths of three students.

On the evening of April 15, XPeng held a global strategic launch event in Hong Kong to announce its automotive strategy for the AI era and unveiled the 2025 XPeng X9. Chairman and CEO Xiaopeng He stated that the 2025 X9 sets a new benchmark for smart mobility with 496 technical upgrades and 35% new components.