Market Overview: The total number of new vehicle registrations in October was 34,511 units, showing a 7.1% increase compared with September and a 3.9% increase compared with October last year. Although the number of working days was fewer this month due to consecutive holidays such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Tenth Day, and Restoration Day, these holidays also stimulated consumers to visit showrooms for car viewing, test drives, and purchases, resulting in growth for almost all major brands. Among them, Toyota posted the highest growth at 28.1%. The brand with the smallest increase was Mazda, mainly because the CX-5 is about to undergo a full model change, leading to a significant 37.2% decline in registrations compared with last month and a 19.9% decline year-on-year. As of the end of October, the cumulative number of registrations this year reached 330,648 units, representing a 12.4% decline compared with the same period last year. This month, it was observed that cars with engine displacements under 2,000cc enjoyed stronger sales momentum thanks to the excise tax rebate policy. In addition, sales competitions and promotional campaigns launched by various brands also boosted consumer purchasing willingness. October, being the first month of the fourth quarter, serves as a key checkpoint for automakers to assess performance and prepare for model-year transitions. Consumers planning to buy a car may take this opportunity to visit showrooms for consultation, as they might find favorable offers. Our site maintains the view that the overall market this year will decline by around 10% compared with last year, and the probability of a major market shift in the final quarter of 2025 remains relatively low.

"Weekly car news " is a recap of some of the major stories in Taiwan car market last week.

The Netherlands-based semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia has recently become entangled in multiple political and regulatory crises. Its parent company, Wingtech Technology, was placed on the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List at the end of 2024. Subsequently, in September 2025, the U.S. expanded its export control measures, restricting subsidiaries that are more than 50% owned by listed entities from accessing U.S. technologies. Although Nexperia was not directly named, it has nonetheless been affected — with the repercussions rippling across the automotive supply chain.

"Weekly car news " is a recap of some of the major stories in Taiwan car market last week.

The European Union’s plan to ban all new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales from 2035—once seen as a landmark step toward a zero-carbon transport future—has now met fierce opposition from Germany. Following a meeting with auto industry representatives in Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly declared his intention to push for amendments that would allow carbon-neutral fuels (e-fuels) to remain in use for ICE vehicles. This debate has evolved beyond environmental and energy policy—it now touches the very heart of Europe’s automotive competitiveness and consumer freedom of choice.

"Weekly car news " is a recap of some of the major stories in Taiwan car market last week.

Most mainstream autonomous driving and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) architectures today rely on a “modular sensor fusion” approach, in which multiple cameras, radars, and LiDAR sensors collect data that are processed through several algorithmic layers for object recognition and environmental modeling, followed by decision-making and control. While this structure offers high controllability, it also entails lengthy development processes, high labeling costs, and accumulated errors between modules that often lead to less natural and consistent driving responses. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. recently announced an additional investment in California-based AI startup Helm.ai, aiming to shift its autonomous driving and ADAS development strategy from “sensor-oriented” to a new era of “AI End-to-End (E2E)” learning architecture.

The Netherlands-based semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia has recently become entangled in multiple political and regulatory crises. Its parent company, Wingtech Technology, was placed on the U.S. Department of Commerce Entity List at the end of 2024. Subsequently, in September 2025, the U.S. expanded its export control measures, restricting subsidiaries that are more than 50% owned by listed entities from accessing U.S. technologies. Although Nexperia was not directly named, it has nonetheless been affected — with the repercussions rippling across the automotive supply chain.

The European Union’s plan to ban all new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales from 2035—once seen as a landmark step toward a zero-carbon transport future—has now met fierce opposition from Germany. Following a meeting with auto industry representatives in Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz publicly declared his intention to push for amendments that would allow carbon-neutral fuels (e-fuels) to remain in use for ICE vehicles. This debate has evolved beyond environmental and energy policy—it now touches the very heart of Europe’s automotive competitiveness and consumer freedom of choice.

At this year’s IAA International Auto Show in Munich, Germany, six exhibition halls were almost entirely occupied by technology companies and startups, with cars themselves seemingly relegated to the background. This arrangement reflects the fact that the automotive industry is gradually transforming into a “mobile technology industry,” where electrical engineering, semiconductors, and display technologies are becoming deeply integrated with vehicles. Two technologies in particular deserve attention: the iBEE motor jointly developed by Valeo and Mahle, and Samsung’s new OLED smart cockpit display concepts.

Most mainstream autonomous driving and ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) architectures today rely on a “modular sensor fusion” approach, in which multiple cameras, radars, and LiDAR sensors collect data that are processed through several algorithmic layers for object recognition and environmental modeling, followed by decision-making and control. While this structure offers high controllability, it also entails lengthy development processes, high labeling costs, and accumulated errors between modules that often lead to less natural and consistent driving responses. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. recently announced an additional investment in California-based AI startup Helm.ai, aiming to shift its autonomous driving and ADAS development strategy from “sensor-oriented” to a new era of “AI End-to-End (E2E)” learning architecture.

The electrification of mobility is undeniably one of the most crucial elements in achieving net-zero emissions, serving as a central pillar of the automotive industry’s current transformation. Yet, after driving itself becomes carbon-free, a key question remains: can the act of charging also become part of sustainable transformation? Recently, Mercedes-Benz unveiled the ELF (Experimental-Lade-Fahrzeug) experimental charging vehicle—an integrated research platform that combines ultra-fast, bidirectional, solar, inductive, and conductive charging technologies. Acting as a mobile charging laboratory, ELF explores how “sustainability” can evolve from a conceptual goal into a tangible, testable, and applicable technological reality.

Although demand for electric vehicles in the U.S. has recently cooled, battery technology development has not slowed down. Recently, Cambridge-based startup 24M Technologies unveiled a new battery architecture called “SemiSolid” and ETOP (Electrode-to-Pack). Originating from laboratory research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), this design claims to increase energy density within the same space, shorten charging times, and even reduce battery production costs. If successfully commercialized, it could become the next major breakthrough after Cell-to-Pack (CTP).

Following the earlier discussion of how the 2025 IAA Munich Auto Show reflects the auto industry’s transition toward becoming part of the broader mobility technology sector, it is also clear that batteries were another highlight worth paying close attention to. Several battery makers and automakers chose this stage to showcase their latest achievements. Rimac, in collaboration with ProLogium, introduced a prototype of its next-generation solid-state battery, while China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL) presented an ultra-long-life LFP battery designed for the European market, as well as a “dual-chemistry” concept. These innovations target different aspects of performance, cost-efficiency, and flexible applications.