Hon Hai Technology Group (鴻海科技集團) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with US-based INDIEV Inc to build the first INDI One prototype electric vehicle (EV) at Hon Hai’s Ohio facilities, the company said yesterday.
The deal is the latest progress made by Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), to expand its electric vehicle businesses after assuming manufacturing at its Ohio facilities upon completion of an asset purchase agreement with Lordstown Motors Corp in May.
An electric pickup truck production line has started production, while a tractor production line is expected to start production in the first quarter of next year, Hon Hai said in a statement yesterday.
Photo courtesy of Hon Hai Technology Group
“Our MOU with INDIEV marks the beginning of many more discussions to come regarding the future of EV manufacturing in Ohio,” Foxconn chief product officer Jerry Hsiao (蕭才祐) said in the statement.
“Throughout this process, Foxconn is confident that its Ohio workforce will manufacture quality prototypes that help INDIEV achieve future success,” Hsiao said.
Details of the potential collaboration beyond the prototype would be disclosed at a later date as negotiations continue, the statement said.
This MOU serves as the first step toward delivering vehicles to customers for INDIEV, the statement said.
The Los Angeles-based vehicle vendor began developing the INDI One in 2017 and revealed the vehicle to the public in October last year, it said.
Separately, Hon Hai demonstrated its second new electric vehicle, dubbed Model B, in a 28-second teaser yesterday. The red battery-powered sport utility vehicle (SUV) targets female drivers, with a young woman carrying a piece of luggage shown in the video posted on Hon Hai’s Facebook page.
The video was the second teaser after Hon Hai unveiled its Model V electric pickup truck in a video on Friday last week.
More details about Model B and Model V would be unveiled during the Hon Hai Technology Day on Tuesday next week, the company said.
Last year, Hon Hai announced its first batch of electric vehicles, including an SUV dubbed Model C, a sedan dubbed Model E, and a bus dubbed Model T at the annual event.
Foxtron Vehicle Technologies Co (鴻華先進) helps develop the electric vehicles based on the MIH open platform backed by the iPhone assembler. Formed in November 2020, Foxtron is a joint venture with Yulon Motors Co (裕隆).
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