Monday marked a big shift for Taiwan’s Foxconn. The company best known as an iPhone supplier revealed three electric vehicles it plans to bring to market through partnerships: an electric SUV, a flagship sedan and an electric bus. The debuts took place during the company’s Hon Hai Tech Day 2021, which adopted an overarching tone of becoming a “global next-generation automotive manufacturer.”
Electronics manufacturer Foxconn may be best known as an Apple iPhone supplier, but the company is getting into the car business — and it’s starting off with plans for multiple electric cars (and a bus). On Monday, the company shared a teaser video for its Oct. 18 Hon Hai Tech Day 2021, where it plans to reveal a “slate of electric vehicles” that seems to include E- and C-segment vehicles. And that bus.
These cars won’t wear the Foxconn name but a new badge: Foxtron. It’s a properly futuristic title for what will likely be a tech-filled vehicle lineup. The company previously announced its intentions to enter the auto sector last year when it revealed a new EV architecture. However, it sounded like Foxconn wanted to supply the bones for other companies, not start its own brand
Beginning with the Model C SUV, pictured above, it uses the company’s new open platform as a starting point to build electric vehicles. With a wheelbase just shy of 10 feet long and overall length of 15 feet, the vehicle seats seven and boasts a drag coefficient of 0.27. Foxconn said the SUV is meant to provide the space of a large luxury car, but keep a smaller footprint for city living. As for mechanicals and specs, Foxconn didn’t share much, but this EV should do almost 700 Kilometers on a single charge and go from 0-100 Kmph in 3.8 seconds.
The company did not mention when it plans to sell it but said it would have “a reasonable price, comparable to a fuel-powered car.” Asia Nikkei went to the event and got the information that the Model C should be for sale by 2023. The source also revealed that Foxconn plans to sell this vehicle for less than 1 million New Taiwan dollars (Kshs. 3,500,696).
The Model E, pictured above was indeed developed with Italian coach builders Pininfarina. The E-segment sedan did not have its dimensions revealed, only its performance numbers. According to Foxconn, it could reach 100 kph from a standstill in 2.8 s thanks to 750 hp, all that with a 750-km range, also under an undisclosed test cycle.
The Model T, pictured above – the electric urban bus – has already run 200,000 km (124,274 mi) in acceleration endurance tests and undergone 1,000 hours of rigid strength tests. The company did not reveal how big its battery pack is – nor how big are those in the other two EVs – but said it could resist 400ºC (752ºF) and offer a range of 400 km. Its top speed is 120 kph (75 mph).
Hon Hai’s automotive partner was also present at the HHTD21 (Hon Hai Tech Day). Yulon’s CEO, Lilian Yen Chen, said that the first partners to use the MIH Open Platform would be its brands Luxgen and CMC. That suggests that the first vehicles to be sold with it will be those from Foxconn’s automotive brand, Foxtron.
