manufacturers

Chinese manufacturers are launching electric cars at a hellish pace. Toyota’s response: Kaizen philosophy

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Two years ago, Tesla was advancing at a dizzying pace. Their sales were growing and they were putting all their machinery in motion to maintain an advantage over competitors. Its production process allowed it to manage such high profit margins that later they could push hard on the price end. Part of his secret was machine called Giga Press. The we could see in their Berlin factory with our own eyes. Huge, imposing. With it, the company produces larger chassis parts more quickly. That allows you manufacture much faster than the competition because for rivals that same piece consists of many other smaller pieces that must be assembled. The revolution is such that large companies They seemed determined to get theirs own to be able to stand up. Tesla also announced that I was ready to create larger pieces and, therefore, further reduce times manufacturing with a larger Giga Press. Time has told us thatElon Musk’s are having problems to carry out this evolution of the Giga Press. And that the machine, no matter how much it can make copies at a great rate, also has its counterpart as very long machine breaks when you want to modify the part in question. But speed up development times seems to be the focus of large companies. Chery assured a long time ago that chinese rule It was kind of inevitable. For them, Europe has lost the battle because the development of their vehicles is much fasterresponding to public demands at a frenetic pace. And although we are talking about a Chinese brand defending its business formula, the industry does seems to be moving in that direction. Honda and Nissan explored a merger to save this second one from bankruptcy. One of the objectives to be exploited with this possible merger was to be more agile in the development of automobiles. Renault boasted just a few days ago that your Twingo has been developed in record time. In China, of course. But faced with the infernal pace and a frenetic launch number, Toyota seems to be opting for the complete opposite. Pause and perfectionism. In short: philosophy kaizen. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? Kaizen philosophy or how to perfect a product A good example of how the Chinese industry pushes to launch models on the market at a frenetic pace is that of BYD. The Chinese company is experiencing first-hand the dangers of following the devilish pace of less powerful startups when you aspire to manufacture more than five million cars a year. And 2025 has been marked by the announcement that they would incorporate their most advanced driving systems into all their cars in China. To all, without exception, including the BYD Seagull (BYD Dolphin Surf in Europe). A car that sells for less than 10,000 euros in the Asian market. This has become obsolete of their own cars and has had an immediate consequence, with customers waiting for the new and more advanced models, the units that do not incorporate this technology have accumulated in their dealerships waiting for a possible buyer. That strategy, that of launching a product on the market in the shortest possible time and fixing its possible defects on the fly, relying on a adaptive capacity Extraordinarily fast, it plays against what the Japanese philosophy has always been. In Japan they have made philosophy kaizen its greatest exponent. Guillermo García Alfonsín explains in this documentary on YouTube how Japan has built a car empire from nothing. One of the great secrets has always been to study to the point of exhaustion how to improve an existing product, paying obsessive attention to the smallest detail. The result is that Japanese companies are always at the top of the reliability tables. Chinese manufacturers are choosing to reduce development times to a minimum. Toyota bets on the opposite The culture shock is evident. Faced with companies that develop their products at a dizzying pace and apply all kinds of improvements in the shortest possible time, Japanese perfectionism prefers to play it safe, with lead feet but with the guarantee that what they put on the market is the best result they can achieve. a few months ago From Toyota itself it was implied that the rush had reached the heart of the company, that they felt they were missing the train of the technology of the future. To this narrative, it is now assured Nikkei, The conservative vision has prevailed: a generation of cars that will last up to nine years to safely face the leap to electric cars. Until now, each generation of Toyota lasted between five and seven years, moving at the same times as the rest of the industry. The Japanese newspaper assures, however, that Toyota is betting on renewals of the models that will approach the decade and that it will be the remote updates that keep the car up to date. Of course, in Nikkei They point out that the models for China will follow their own rhythm, with more constant launches. The decision also seems a response to a complicated regulatory market. Toyota is one of the few companies that has renounced the electric car As the only solution, he has been defending for some time that each market requires different cars and that it is necessary to adapt to them. And in that context, it is the automotive group that more cars sold by far. The Japanese are treading carefully before making the leap to electrification. He Toyota bZ4X It was a sales failure and aspires with its latest update to boost the units it has put on the market. High consumption, equally high price and an improvable production process They put an end to the company’s first electric model. The jump to the electric car is also a challenge for the company, according to the consultants employed by the same company. The reverse engineering company Caresoft Global It already alerted Toyota that its production process … Read more

Chinese electric car manufacturers opted to develop their own chips. He already plans to sell them to others.

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In 2024, Nio advertisement the world’s first 5nm chip for autonomous driving, being an important step towards technological independence from a Chinese manufacturer of such caliber. A year and a half after its announcement, the company is now beginning the external marketing of that chip, according to they count from Latepost. In this way, Nio is on the eve of transforming one of its most expensive investments into a potential source of income. Just like point The electric vehicle maker has already begun providing technology licenses to an automotive chip company. A multimillion-dollar project that seeks profitability. The development of Shenji NX9031 It has involved an investment of billions of yuan. William Li (Li Bin), CEO of Nio, revealed that the R&D expenditure on this chip was equivalent to the cost of building 1,000 battery exchange stations, which would place the investment above 140 million dollars. The project, started in 2021, has involved more than 600 professionals covering front and back design, verification and testing. What makes this chip special. Made with automotive-grade 5-nanometer technology, the Shenji NX9031 promises approximately four times the computing power of Nvidia’s Orin-X. Zhang Danyu, head of Nio’s chip division, pointed out in May that in some of their specifications they even surpass industry-standard chips and that their mass production began several months before Nvidia’s latest smart driving chip, the Thor-U. It is currently integrated into models such as the ET9, ES6 2025 and EC6. How much does a technology license cost?. According to share From Latepost, the value of these license agreements varies significantly depending on the type of authorization. An individual intellectual property license could be worth several million dollars, while a technical authorization at the system-on-chip (SoC) level could reach hundreds of millions of dollars. A new source of income. That the Nio chip begins to be marketed externally comes at a great time for the company, especially now that the manufacturer faces pressure significant from investors and has promised to become profitable in the fourth quarter. The company has intensified its efforts this year to reduce expenses and explore new sources of income. In March, Li Bin already advertisement publicly at the China EV 100 Forum that Nio chips and operating systems would be open to the industry. “If they want to buy the best chips, they can contact Nio,” he said then. What it means for the future of Nio. According to Li Bin, the chip provides a cost optimization of approximately 10,000 yuan ($1,400) per vehicle in the brand’s own models. Now, with the external license, Nio not only recovers part of its investment, but also positions itself as a technology provider for other manufacturers in the automotive sector. In Xataka | The longest straight road in the world is a mental challenge: 240 km without curves, in the middle of the desert and with truck traffic

The EU is beginning to suspect manufacturers’ plants

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The Chinese automotive industry has set out to conquer Europe. He is doing it bringing your cars directly from the factories in China, partnering with European groups and also in the most optimal way for the market: opening factories in our territory. It is the optimal way to avoid tariff packagesyes, but there is a problem: there are companies assembling their cars with removable kits. And that is not liked in Europe. Recently, Stéphane Séjourné, Vice President of Prosperity and Industrial Strategy of the European Commission, commented to the Italian media La Stampa who are attentive to the situation of some Chinese manufacturers. The focus, in fact, is on those who have settled in Spain. “Currently, there are manufacturers in Europe who assemble chinese cars with Chinese components and Chinese personnel. It’s happening in Spain and Hungary, and it’s not right”. It’s not the first time he says it. A little over a year ago, tariffs on electric cars coming from China came into force. They don’t have to be Chinese (the Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai are included in those tariffs, for example), but the Asian country has designed a way to assemble cars in foreign countries with a double objective. These “removable” kits They are parts of cars that are manufactured and assembled in China to later dismantle them when they see that everything works, send them in pieces to the destination country and, on the new floor, the workers assemble them again. It’s not like building a car, but like rebuilding a giant LEGO. Ebro is an example. Assembly plant or manufacturing plant? a few months ago we already have that this “void” was something that they already contemplated from Europe, but there was a second reason. In July, China’s Ministry of Commerce held a meeting with a dozen domestic manufacturers who were given a maxim: the secrets of the electric vehicle industry must be protected as much as possible. That means key vehicle systems would be made in China, where it’s easier to maintain control. Valdis Dombrovskis is the executive vice-president of the European Commission and has already expressed his doubts about the value that will be created in the European Union with this way of proceeding. “What part of know-how Will it be stored here? Is it a simple assembly plant or an automobile manufacturing plant? “There is a substantial difference,” he said. Returning to Séjourné, he assures that he does not believe that tariffs are the answer because “they destroy the value chain and create trade tensions.” He does not give an answer about what should be done, but comments that we Europeans “need to be less naive and put ourselves back to the standards of all the major economies in the world.” The Chery factory in Barcelona, ​​for example, is one of the Chinese factories that have operated in SKD, or Semi Knock Down, mode. As our colleagues point out Motorpassionfrom China the car is sent half disassembled, without elements such as the steering wheel or wheels, and then they are assembled again on European soil. The idea is that pass to the CKD or Completely Knock Down mode. This implies that They will arrive completely disassembled and will be assembled in Barcelona completely, including welding, painting and there will be an integration of local suppliers that will improve that value chain and create wealth in the surroundings of the factory. What they criticize from Europe is that the operators are, sometimes, workers who come directly from China. An example, also on Spanish soil, is the CATL gigafactory in Zaragoza. They will create batteries to supply the Stellantis plant in Figuerelas and it is expected to generate 3,000 direct jobs. But, when it came time to build the factory, There will be close to 2,000 workers from China those who do the work. One eye on removable kits, another on hybrids Because the objective of the European Union is for the brands that reach our territory to generate wealth in the countries in which they are established. There are relevant examples of this. SEAT gives direct work more than 15,000 people between the Martorell plants, but indirectly generates thousands of other jobs. Similar happens with Toyota in Valenciennes. In the French plant they employ about 4,000 people, but they generate thousands of indirect jobs in the surrounding area because logistics, auxiliary industry, local suppliers, etc. come into play. In fact, they point that Toyota in Europe directly and indirectly employs 94,000 people. But although Europe’s focus on protecting community interests is focused on the electric car, we have already said on occasion that hybrids and plug-ins are the real threats. In May 2025, Chinese brands reached 5.4% market share, with more than 60,000 cars sold compared to 3% in the previous period. In that same time, the European market only grew by 1.3%. These figures were achieved thanks, above all, to the hybrids that brands like MG or BYD have brought to our territory. And this success does not come from nowhere: Chinese hybrids offer a good price-power-design ratio, with attractive and very competitive prices against which European and Japanese manufacturers barely compete. The solution? Complex. Séjourné also commented that Europe is “the only continent that lacks strategic thinking in terms of industrial policy”, and the solution may be to apply something similar to what, precisely, China did in the past. When foreign brands wanted to establish themselves in the Asian giant, they had to partner with local companies so that there was a transmission of knowledge and wealth. And, perhaps, that is the way for foreign brands to establish themselves in Europe. In fact, this is exactly what Josep Maria Recasens, president of Renault Spain, is asking for, who has also stated that Europe “cannot allow them to make four plates with wheels.” Images | Ebro, BYD In Xataka | Chinese cars are “indistinguishable in quality” from European ones. We don’t say it, the industry itself says it

Mobile phone manufacturers first stopped including the charger with every purchase. Your next threat is clear: the USB cable

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There was a (wonderful) time when when you bought an iPhone, Apple not only included the cable and charger, but also included EarPods headphones. In 2020 the iPhone 12 arrived and They broke that tradition: that box It included the phone and the charging cable, but nothing else. All manufacturers released following that trail with the same speech from Apple: at that point, users they used to tell with their own headphones and some charger, so what they were doing was protect the environment although that argument was not particularly convincing. Of course, they did something else: first They saved money by not including those elementsand then they earned it when you bought them official headphones and adapters if you ended up needing them. Of course one could resort to third-party accessories, although Lumafield CT scans have been demonstrating for some time that cables, chargers and headphones from companies like Apple are expensive because they are small works of art of engineering. In fact, those same images reveal that the same you shouldn’t trust of “strange” cables, lest they be tools to hack your computers. The truth is that Apple’s decision – which other companies such as Fairphone had previously made – made a deep impact on the industryand nowadays it is very rare to find a mobile phone whose box includes a charger, much less headphones. But the thing is can go further. USB charging cables may also be about to disappear from those boxes. Do we really need the USB cable to be included with our devices? A Reddit user revealed recently how when buying his Sony Xperia 10 VII he had found a surprise: in the box There was no charger, but there was no charging cable either.. In the photo included in the post it was clearly seen how this absence was made evident on the back of the box. The Sony Xperia 10 VII does not include a charger or charging cable. It is true that Sony is no longer a major player in the field of mobility, but these types of decisions are what can begin to establish an important precedent that other manufacturers end up adopting as well. At Xataka we have contacted those responsible for Sony to try to find out the reasons behind that decision. In the absence of confirmation, it seems clear that the environmental protection and the reduction of electronic waste may once again be the clear argument, although obviously the savings for Sony may also be relevant. The European Union precisely wanted mitigate the problem of electronic waste years ago. He did it at set the USB-C connector as the standard connector to charge mobile devices, something that for example forced Apple to ditch your Lightning connector. In these years it seems clear that users We have ended up accumulating a good number of USB-C cables to charge our devices. It is something similar to what happened with chargers: a priori we all have one at home, so the need to include them in the box, as is now the case with cables, is debatable. Of course, it also happens that over time mobile phones tend to allow charging at higher power or transferring data at higher speeds, and this makes it necessary to use chargers and cables specially prepared to take advantage of these options. But even in those cases, including the charger or cable doesn’t seem to make much sense. Especially because Those accessories that manufacturers include are the “basic” models that allow you to upload or transfer data, but not at maximum speed. The usual thing here for years is that manufacturers offer that option on the mobile, but we have to buy the specific charger and cable separately, which imposes an extra cost. Will we therefore see fewer and fewer USB cables included in mobile phone boxes? It seems quite possible. Now all that’s left is for the manufacturers of those USB-C cables to solve their big problem: label them well so that we know which one to use at all times. Image | Zana Latif In Xataka | The USB-C standard promised to solve the connector chaos. The situation is worse than ever

China is building more electric cars than you can sell and that announces something dramatic: a manufacturers bleeding

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For years, China has cooked its assault on the electric car. As in other sectors, the country has put a cooked pot and has been done with all the ingredients. Little by little, it has been heating the water, browning the sauce and, with everything ready, the fire has risen. The time has come to get the dishes. And it doesn’t matter if someone stays along the way. A huge market. China is the largest electric car market. Not only that, by volume, it is the country in which more cars are bought if we add all kinds of technologies. His market is gigantic. To the point that In it, 23.5 million cars were sold In 2024. To get an idea, in the United States 16 million cars were sold and around 12 million cars. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than the announcing According to data from Carnewschinasales were slightly lower (22.9 million) but the International Energy Agency (IEA, for its acronym in English) and the specialized medium in the Chinese market agree that the barrier of more than 11 million vehicles of new energy sold (category in which plug -in and electric hybrids are included) was broken). Over low heat. Until last year, European manufacturers had been leaders in the Chinese market. Little by little, local manufacturers have gained ground … until Byd rolled Volkswagen. Among new energy vehicles, more than 60% of sales They are electric cars. And there, Chinese manufacturers have passed over Westerners. They have achieved it with a determined policy. European manufacturers were offered land and labor at balance prices. Of course, they had to associate with local manufacturers. These manufacturers have learned from the West and, in addition, They have received subsidies from the Chinese governmenteither with the creation of state companies (or partial participation in them), almost free land and facilities and soft loans. And, at the same time, the State has been taking strategic positions. China controls the supply chain of semiconductors But also the production of Rare earth and of batteries. All this has caused that the cost of producing in China for the Chinese market is much cheaper for its local producers, which has resulted in a better product at a better price than foreign competitors. Fearless. Once the State has been done with the ingredients and has put the cooker, it has not been afraid to climb the fire with the intention that their marks will eat the western ones in the country. The purchase subsidies have been focused on maintaining a constant sales yield of electric cars and new energy, where China has managed to get ahead. At the same time, a wave of nationalism well aimed from the State (for the interests of its manufacturers) has moved the purchase interests of consumers. They already see Western brands as a thing of the past. Companies that previously positioned themselves as a luxury product today are obsolete in a market that bets on a type of car without barriers. A car that is the object of mobility but is also karaoke or interactive center where to take a while surrounded by screens. Overcapacy. Or overproduction, so that we all understand each other. According to data from the Chinese Association of Automobile Manufacturers, In 2024 there were 31,282 million vehicles and 31,436 million were sold. Keep in mind that much of that production, obviously, was sent outside the borders. In fact, already in 2023 The country beat Japan as the largest car exporter in the world. The problem is that the formula has begun to give symptoms of exhaustion in this 2025. O, as little, of a certain stagnation. Last August, Byd confirmed that he had to redirect your sales prospects. The company I planned to produce 5.5 million of vehicles but its new objective is on the border of the 5 million. With 80% of its sales in China, which by the brake begins to give an idea of ​​the difficulty finding the market to absorb all the cars that are producing. An unexpected war. That difficulty in putting cars in the market has been the manufacturer himself in his meats. They explain in Reuters That in the Chinese city of Chengdu it is easy to find cars with discounts of 50%. Some of them, the Audi that are manufactured in collaboration with FAW, are sold with up to 60% discount. That war is dilapidating the margin of benefits of brands such as byd that have more muscle than rivals to lower prices and reduce stock. Because that is another of the obvious symptoms that point to a slowdown in the Chinese market. A few months ago, The concessionaires themselves asked that manufacturers stop sending cars because they were having problems selling them despite the attractive discount. In fact, The State itself has brought together manufacturers To deal with the topic of kilometers 0, which add up as a sale but then are forgotten in stores in the absence of a buyer. A private market. When China lived its previous price war, we already commented that it was a fire test for some companies. The problem of this wild competition is that manufacturers enter a downward price wheel where cars are ended up without taking out enough benefit to it. So, Tesla and Byd They were the ones that had the entire muscle to destroy the rivals. But, in addition, two peculiarities in the Chinese market must be taken into account. The first is that the launch rhythm is very high. That makes the companies themselves leave the cars they have launched just a few months or a year ago with their own innovations. This is the case of byd And the announcement that His eye of God would reach all his cars From now on. The client observes that the models and prices are renewed with each launch. Conclusion: delays the purchase, the stock accumulates and the cars are outdated. But, in addition, manufacturers … Read more

The USB-A ports are not going to disappear so please, manufacturers, stop eliminating them from their equipment

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My Logitech keyboard has a wireless receptor in the form of USB-A adapter. The same goes for the Anker webcam that I use, which is great and that connects to my equipment with its cable with a USB-A connector. The wired mouse I use to play, surprise, also uses that port. In fact, the Mac Mini M4 that I use daily to work has a great paste: It has no USB-A connectors. On its front there are two great USB-C ports, but I do not use them as such: I have long bought two USB-A (female) adapters to USB-C (male) to be able to use my peripherals easily in that equipment. That has long been the constant appearance of the front of my Mac. It is no longer as stylized as they conceived in Apple, but I don’t care, because what is is practical. I have some USB-C peripherals, yes, but they are the least, and despite the advantages of the USB-C connector, the reality is that today many peripherals-trays, keyboards, webcams, pendrives, etc.— They are still betting on the well-known, old and good USB-A connector. The dichotomy of the industry: do we kill the USB-A, yes or no? It doesn’t matter if it is more speaking, more rough and zero reversible. In his favor he has played the fact that he is recognizable and that he managed to give a simple answer to the problem of differentiation. In USB-C there is no easy way to know if a cable offers better transfers and supports better load capabilities than another. In USB-A connectors, look if The inner color of the connector. Color Standard Speed Special characteristics White USB 1.x 1.5 – 12 Mbps None Black USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 480 Mbps None Blue USB 3.0 Superspeed Up to 5 Gbps None Red USB 3.1 Gen 2 & USB 3.2 10-20 Gbps Always on Yellow USB 2.0 & USB 3.0 480 – 5 Gbps Always on, Power Liabilities Delivery Orange USB 3.0 Up to 5 GPBS Always on, Power Liabilities Delivery The connector USB-C has been imposed In the mobile devices segment. The same European Union chosen it as the standard of iure that They had to use all manufacturersincluding an Apple that surely did not like the idea. The funny thing is that this same company has been an ultranza defender of the USB-C connector in its Mac and MacBooks. Apple went through a terrible stage in which the number of connectors minimized to the maximum –The infamous MacBook He only had a USB-C port— and that made many complain about The #Donglelife condemnation although in the end it was not so much. The funny thing is that Apple ended up reconciling with connectivity, and both the Mac Studio and the MacBook Pro are an example of it. The first to They tell With USB-A ports (surprise!), While the latter include SD card reader and HDMI port but, pity, no USB-A ports. The laptops loved (alone) to the USB-C connectors That unique obsession with not including USB-A ports in laptops is common in the segment and is not limited to Apple’s MacBook. You have to search well among the available models of HP, Lenovo or Dell to find equipment that has USB-A ports. Even “big” teams like the Dell XPS 16 They pass olympically from that port. The manufacturer goes further and, anticipating the complaints, gives us the option of buying a USB-C adapter to USB-A (additional 25 euros) to be able to connect peripherals of this type to their laptop. Arch. Fortunately those ports Yes they are available For example, in its gaming laptop alienware range, something logical if we consider that it is much more normal to connect gaming peripherals that usually use the USB-A connector. There is no doubt that the USB-C connector has important advantages. Murphy’s law is usually complied with the USB-A connectors: We often try to connect on the side that is not. That does not happen with the USB-C connectors, wonderfully reversible, but it is also possible to combine data transfer with the video signal. But with everything and with that, the USB-C connector and those cables have their own problems, among which it stands out the chaos of variants that exist. That is a separate problem that does not especially affect that other reality we are talking about: the USB-A connector is still used by all types of manufacturers for all types of peripherals. And that is why it is striking to see how most portable manufacturers (and some desktop equipment, such as the Mac Mini) continue to be obtained with a forced update that has not been produced. Some brands have been trying to forget the port and USB-A connectors, but again and again the peripheral market prevents it. It is true that adapters and the Dongles They solve the problem acceptably. But it would not be to see from time to time no gaming teams that recovered those ports. That, I’m afraid, it’s going to be difficult. Image | Bram van Oost In Xataka | Clariating with USB-C ports is an impossible mission. A new labeling system wants to end the mess

Latin America and Africa are a juicy caramel for car manufacturers. And the Chinese industry is already moving file

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The Chinese automotive industry has launched to the ambitious adventure to conquer the world. Yes last year We were talking about tariffs And both the United States and Europe looking for trying stop the expansion of the Chinese electric carnow we talk about huge ships from the main companies bringing their cars. But China Not only is your eye on Europe. It is already moving towards Africa and Latin America. Restrictions. Apart from bringing their cars to our borders, Chinese companies are moving forms for expand your dealer network in Europeas well as They operate their own factories. To ‘skip’ tariffs and restrictions, instead of manufacturing cars in the usual way, they do so by removal kits and put. But it is evident that these tariffs imposed on the electric car have been the trigger for the export to the West to cover other territories. In fact, brands such as ByD came to rethink their international strategy in some markets, and those alternative destinations outside the traditional axis are those that have lower commercial protection and greater growth potential. Africa (the north, especially) and some Latin American countries stand out for their lower customs obstacles and local policies that encourage the industry.

It will impose tariffs on all chips manufacturers that do not produce in the US

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Donald Trump has been threatening semiconductor manufacturers for almost a year with imposing tariffs if they do not produce their chips in the US. At the end of last January and just a week after returning to the White House, the US president He made this statement: “In the very close future We will impose tariffs to the foreign production of computer chips, semiconductors and pharmaceutical products to return the manufacture of these essential goods to the US (…) went to Taiwan; Now we want them to return. We do not want to give them billions of dollars in The ridiculous Biden program. They already have billions of dollars. “ The “ridiculous Biden program” referred to by Donald Trump is The Chips Law approved in July 2022 by the government of Joe Biden. It is evident that Donald Trump doesn’t like this plan at all. Three months before, in October 2024, I had already charged ferocity against this program of the previous administration In Joe Rogan’s podcast: “We put millions of dollars on the table so that rich companies came, they borrow the money and build chip companies here. And they will not give us the best companies.” At that time the possibility that Donald Trump Unmaved the Chips program If he arrived at the government he was on the table. Chips tariffs are imminent In the middle of last April, integrated circuit manufacturers were able to sigh relieved. The US Customs and Border Protection Office He published a statement in which he officialized that some electronic devices and strategic components, such as chips, were temporarily exempt from tariffs. Of all of them. Of 10% global applied to most of the planet’s countries, and also of the very tariff that penalizes Imports that come from China. It is important that we do not overlook that at that time this office of the US administration warned that the exemption was temporary. “We will put tariffs on the companies that do not come. Very soon we will put a tariff for all of them” And it seems that its end comes. According to ReutersDonald Trump has confirmed just a few hours ago that his administration will impose tariffs on semiconductor imports of those companies that do not transfer their production to the US. And also has specified that they will arrive soon. “Yes, I have discussed it with the people from here. Chips and semiconductors: we will put tariffs on the companies that do not come. Very soon we will put a tariff for all of them,” The US President has asserted before a dinner with the executive directors of the main technology companies. Donald Trump has not anticipated what amount will these tariffs have, but Your statements They are nothing reassuring: “We will put a very substantial tariff, not exaggerated, but substantial with the conviction that if they come to the country, if they are coming, building or planning to come, there will be no tariff (…) but if they do not come, there will be. For example, I would say that Tim Cook would be in a very good shape.” The Director General of Apple was with Donald Trump when he delivered these words, and it is evident that the US president was hinting without any dissimulation that he expects Apple and the large technology companies in the country to manufacture their integrated circuits in the US. They are not going to have another option if they do not want their products to be substantially underwent. More information | Reuters In Xataka | The US will not be able to contain the technological development of China. Experts from the chips industry forecast it

More than half come from four Chinese manufacturers

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In the aspirating robots segment, THE ROOM They seemed to dominate everything with iron hand. However, in recent times the situation has changed radically, and the protagonist of that revolution is China, which does not stop conquering more and more segments that seemed untouchable before. What happened. The Last data From the IDC consultant they reveal that in the first quarter of the year, the first four world vacuum robots manufacturers come from China. All of them have ended up unseating the traditional market leader, Irobot, a company known for developing the Robot Roba Robots Family. Chinese robots conquer the world. Chinese manufacturers who have broken the market are Beijing Roborock Technology (19.3%market share), Ecovacs Robotics (13.6%), Dreame Technology (11.3%) and Xiaomi (9.9%). Together those four companies managed to monopolize 54.1% of the total units distributed in that period, when the previous quarter that percentage had been 47.2%. Source: IDC Irobot sinks. Meanwhile, the Roomba falls significantly. A year ago they were in the first position in number of distributed units, but their current market share is only 9.3%, and their global sales have fallen 30.6% compared to the same period of 2024. Recall that Amazon was about to buy Irobot for 1.4 billion dollars, when the company today It is worth seven times less. Source: IDC. The aspiring robot are fashionable. Chinese firms have benefited in addition to a positive trend in this segment. At the global level they were distributed (not necessarily the same as “sold”) 5.09 million units in the first quarter, 11.9% more than in the same quarter of 2024. And the commercial war, what? China benefited especially from a curious fact: its best client is none other than the United States, and it seems that commercial war and tariffs are not significantly affecting this market. As indicated In Nikkeiexport tariffs of this type of products have been reduced to 30, although both countries must continue to negotiate since this tariff truce has the expiration date on November 10. In China the competition is fierce. Claire Zhao, an analyst at IDC, highlighted how these Chinese manufacturers face “fierce” competition in China, and there they barely manage to get benefits. New competitors also appear everywhere. DJI, known for his drones, has entered this segment with his family of Romo aspiring robots that adapt technologies of their air navigation systems. Meanwhile, Narkal Robotics, a Shenzhen startup, built 100 million dollars in April with investors such as Tencent. There were few … Roborock, for all. The market leader, Roborock, indicated that he has achieved “a significant increase in income in our business abroad” thanks to the development of new sales channels and expansion to new markets. The company’s revenues in the first half of 2025 are 79% higher than those of the same period last year, and have reached 1,100 million dollars. Ecovacs follows closely. Second is ecovacs, whose sales have grown by 86.5% in the second quarter with respect to the same period of 2024. Again the reason is in the Sales of your robots Outside China, in addition to the opening of new production lines to meet the growing demand that comes from the United States. China does not stop innovating. Chinese manufacturers do not stop launching new models and innovations, such as vacuum robots with arms and pier. The new X11 ecovacs have a new mop and new elements to clean corners more effectively. The model, which in Shanghai costs $ 840, costs $ 1,500 in the US, a price clearly affected by the sarancels. Roborock is, like its competitors, insatiable in terms of innovationalready end of June had increased the template of its R&D division by 73.5% compared to the previous year: it has 1,364 employees thinking how to improve its devices. In Xataka | Mopa is one of the skinny points of vacuum robots. Dreame’s proposal: change it for a roller

Europe wants to end combustion cars in 2035. Manufacturers have their own plans

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Europe has been, without any doubt, the most restrictive and ambitious region with the jump to the electric car. Theirs are the policies that point to a prohibition in the sale of cars with combustion engines (with nuances) from 2035. Now, the same manufacturers who said they wanted to hug the electric car are pressing to skip them. “It is not viable”. It is the last message released by manufacturers. This time it has touched the turn to aceawhich encompasses European manufacturers under the same association. Not much less, the first time That this group throws messages along the same lines but the first that formally asks regulators through a letter. The letter is signed by Ola Källenius (president of Acea at the moment and CEO of Mercedes) and Matthias Zink (president of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers CPA). It indicates that the objectives are unrealistic and emphasize their frustration for the absence of a comprehensive policy plan that facilitates the transition. What do they defend? In the letter, manufacturers say they have invested 250,000 million euros in investments until 2030 with the aim of putting cleaner vehicles on the market. However, they ensure that times have changed and that there are important obstacles that have to solve. They give as an example the 15% tariff with which the United States will tax vehicles from Europe (which supposes A true dart for German manufacturers But also for him auxiliary market). They also point out that the numbers do not lie and that the electricity quota shows that the hug to this technology is costing more than expected. Solutions? The usual: less taxes, more subsidies and flexibility in the standards that allows to sell all types of technologies, including cars with combustion engines. Once again, manufacturers are pressing so that the standards are flexible. What does EU have in hand? Two important phases that manufacturers want to skip or, at least, make the standards more flexible. There are three key dates throughout this matter: 2027: It is the first milestone. Between 2025 and 2027the average emission of the different car fleets should not exceed 93.6 gr/km of CO2. If exceed, the manufacturer must pay a fine of 95 euros per gram of CO2 exceeded and car sold. 2030: The maximum emission limit is reduced to 49.5 gr/km of co. That implies that a car with gasoline engine cannot exceed a consumption of 2.1 liters/100 km of fuel and a diesel cannot exceed 1.8 liters/100 km 2035: Forbidden to sell cars with combustion engines that are not neutral carbon. Has the European Union achieved anything? Yes, obviously the regulations and the threat of millmillionary fines have shaken the industry. It is no accident that the launch of vehicles of all types of brands have been condensed in electric cars or highly electrified, with plug -in hybrids that already exceed 100 kilometers of electrical autonomy. Regulatory pressures have always led to greater investments of manufacturers and new developments. In recent times we have seen evident efforts with investments in renovation of plants to produce electric cars and factor construction for battery production. They even announced jumps to the electric car exclusively that, yes, have been diluted over the years. Have manufacturers achieved anything? Yes, although the results could be defined as “fled forward.” The first great milestone has been postponing the fines for emissions until 2027. This year 2025 Europe I should have started fine to those who exceed the limit of 93.6 gr/km of CO2 but Milmillionaire fines were expected. Finally, Regulators have yielded pointing out that the fines will be based on the average CO2 emissions sold between 2025 and 2027. That is, if a manufacturer exceeds 10 grams in 2025, it has two more years to be below the limit. That will force you to sell many More electric cars and plug -in hybrids between 2026 and 2027. Subtle but key. Also, after multiple Pressures led by Germany and Italy It was achieved that the 2035 prohibition would change subtly but decisively. First there was talk of combustion engines “Neutral in emissions” But the new wording already spoke of combustion engines “neutral in carbon emissions”. This small change is essential to guarantee the sale of combustion engines that use synthetic fuels either hydrogen. These options are not neutral in emissions since they launch very harmful fine particles for health. It is a problem produced by the burning of the fuel and has no viable solution. By introducing that nuance of “neutral in carbon emissions”, manufacturers can develop propellants of this type since they can emit these particles but the development of synthetic fuels and the use of hydrogen make these “neutral” cars in this type of gases. However, they are cars that They should be the absolute exception If European plans are fulfilled. What future awaits us? It is difficult to ensure. European industry is extremely powerful and has a lot of pressure in countries such as Germany, Italy, France or Spain where very high volumes of vehicles are produced. Aware of this, manufacturers have always tried to press in their own way, either to delay regulations or Receive more subsidies. If the plans are fulfilled, we should see a huge increase in sales of electric cars. It is the fastest formula to lower consumption since plug -in hybrid The method to count emissions has been changed and consumption. Therefore, we are facing a new movement of manufacturers to press regulators and try to make the standards more flexible. That they get it or not it is something that only time will say. Photo | Red Dot and European Commission In Xataka | European car manufacturers faced milmillionaire fines in 2025. They have postponed them thanks to fear

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