Honda Manufacturing Ghana Limited (HMG) recently held a ceremony to mark the commencement of automobile production at its facility in Tema, Ghana. This plant is Honda's second in Africa, following one in Nigeria. With an initial capacity of just 500 units, the operation suggests SKD assembly from imported kits, beginning with the HR-V small SUV in December 2023. Honda views West Africa as a key growth market and operates in Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, and Cote d’Ivoire. Since establishing a local subsidiary in 2013 and starting assembly in 2015, Honda has been active in Ghana through distributors since 1997, with a local office established in 2019.

The Ethiopian government has announced significant progress in its electric vehicle (EV) market, reaching over 100,000 EVs in just two years. The ten-year target has been raised to 500,000 vehicles. With plans to ban internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle imports, Ethiopia aims to save foreign currency and promote EV adoption. The country's low electricity costs are conducive to EV proliferation. Additionally, tax incentives for EVs are provided to boost local assembly and component manufacturing.

After rapid development, the micro and small electric vehicle market has entered a phase of transformation with reduced market dividends and intensified competition. Over 60% of brands have exited the market, and the remaining automakers need to continuously innovate to maintain competitiveness. The user base is predominantly young women who prefer personalized designs. The market is now sinking into fifth and sixth-tier cities, where sales volume continues to grow. New entrants to the market should focus on high-sales, high-growth cities and cities with potential for growth to seize market opportunities.

TT Electronics, a global provider of engineered electronics, has launched the LRF4W SMT shunt resistor for current sensing in automotive and industrial applications. Utilizing low resistivity thick-film materials, the product offers resistance values from 3 to 100 milliohms at 1% tolerance and a TCR down to 100ppm/°C. Capable of withstanding a 100% over-current for 5 seconds, the LRF4W features excellent surge performance, enhancing reliability in high-load designs and saving PCB space.

The electric vehicle (EV) market in Indonesia is growing with the presence of various new brands enriching the nation's automotive industry. The government allows the import of electric vehicles with certain conditions, requiring manufacturers to commit to investing in local assembly or production facilities. Deputy for Infrastructure and Transportation at the Coordinating Ministry for Investment and Maritime Affairs, Rachmat Kaimuddin, stated that each manufacturer must adhere to the agreement on the number of vehicles imported. Companies with production capacity in Indonesia can import freely without import duties and luxury goods tax (PPnBM), but the import quantity must match the production volume until 2025 and meet the Domestic Content Level (TKDN) by 2027. Several manufacturers are currently investing in Indonesia by using existing facilities and planning new factory constructions, which is believed to be crucial for Indonesia to strengthen its position in the EV industry. Rachmat ensured that if a manufacturer fails to produce the same number of vehicles, the brand will be fined. Currently, Hyundai, Wuling, MG, and Chery have been assembling in Indonesia, while Chinese automotive giant BYD has promised to build a factory in Subang, West Java. Manufacturers are allowed to import electric vehicles but are required to balance the number of imported and produced vehicles.

Xpeng Motors has entered into a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Volkswagen to jointly develop a new generation of electronic/electrical (E/E) architecture based on Xpeng's current system. The collaboration aims to integrate the advanced E/E architecture into Volkswagen's electric vehicle models produced in China starting from 2026, marking the beginning of a "technology charging" business model for Xpeng and accelerating the market penetration of its intelligent driving technology.