Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) on Tuesday said that more than 400 firms have joined its platform for electric vehicles (EVs) that is open to outside developers.
The company’s promotion of the platform, dubbed the MIH Open Platform, has attracted more than 400 participants to collaborate on resolving potential bottlenecks in the development of the emerging technology, Hon Hai chief technology officer William Wei (魏國章) told an economic forum in Taipei.
Hon Hai in February last year announced a joint venture with automaker Yulon Group (裕隆集團) to manufacture EVs in two years’ time.
Photo: CNA
Under the venture, Yulon subsidiary Hua-chuang Automobile Information Technical Center (華創車電) is focusing on vehicle design and use of the MIH Open Platform, which would provide hardware and software to other EV developers.
Hon Hai reported that it is investing NT$7.94 billion (US$279.43 million) for a 51 percent stake in the venture, while Yulon is investing NT$7.63 billion for a 49 percent stake, with its funds being spent on the open platform.
The venture integrates Hon Hai’s device design and manufacturing expertise to accelerate EV development, the company said.
Supervising the development of the open platform, Wei said that he envisions building the “Android of the EV industry,” adding that it would ensure timely applications and security.
The platform would first work on the “EV kit,” or drive-by-wire technology for EV and component developers, Wei said, adding that platform participants would discuss establishing standards for EV specifications.
The company is also working on a solid-state battery for EVs, which is to be released in 2024, Wei said.
Hon Hai in January last year said that it was planning a 50-50 venture with Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV to manufacture EVs and expand into the Internet-of-Vehicles market.
Hon Hai said that it aims to have a 10 percent share of the global EV market by 2025 to 2027.
As it plans to produce EVs, Apple Inc is looking to Hon Hai to provide components, including the chassis, given its efforts in EV development, industrial sources said on Tuesday.
Hon Hai’s flat-panel subsidiary, Innulux Corp (群創), has started to supply screens to Tesla Inc, the sources said.
Hon Hai founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) has previously said that the group supplies more than 100 components for Tesla’s EVs.
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