Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) has agreed to produce a new electric vehicle (EV) model for Mitsubishi Motors Corp of Japan, a source within the industry said on Sunday.
Hon Hai, also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), would start initial production of the new EV model at a plant in Miaoli County owned by its partner Yulon Motor Co (裕隆汽車), said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The vehicle would be a modified version of Hon Hai’s Model B prototype, first unveiled in 2022, the source said, without giving a date for the expected start of production.
Photo: CNA
The new urban EVs are expected to launch in Australia and New Zealand next year, with potential rollouts in Taiwan and Japan to follow, the source said.
Hon Hai chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) oversees the company’s EV development, while chief strategy officer Jun Seki, who previously spent 33 years at Nissan Motor Co, manages operations related to the Japanese market, the source added.
Hon Hai declined to comment on the reported partnership with Mitsubishi Motors.
At an earnings conference last month, Hon Hai said it planned to sign contract design and manufacturing agreements with Japanese clients as part of its EV development strategy.
Foxtron Vehicle Technologies Co (鴻華先進), a joint venture between Hon Hai and Yulon Motor, is expected to unveil a new EV model codenamed “n5” later this year, which is also based on the Model B prototype, the source said.
The n5 is being assembled at Yulon Motor’s plant in Sanyi Township (三義), Miaoli County, the source added.
Meanwhile, demand has been steadily increasing for the n7 EV model, which is based on Hon Hai’s SUV Model C design, the source said, adding that deliveries for the first three months of this year reached 1,120 units, following total sales of 7,121 units last year.
EVs based on the Model C design are set to enter mass production in North America in the fourth quarter of this year, Hon Hai said.
NEW MARKET: The partnership opens up India to the Dutch company, which already has a strong hold in the semiconductor market of South Korea, Taiwan and China ASML Holding NV entered into a partnership agreement with Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd aimed at ramping up India’s goal to develop domestic chip-manufacturing capabilities. The Dutch company’s technology would help power Tata Electronics’ planned 300 millimeter (mm) semiconductor foundry in Gujarat, according to a joint statement from the two companies on Saturday. The signing of a memorandum of understanding coincides with a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Netherlands, which is looking to deepen bilateral relations with New Delhi. ASML, whose top customers include Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) and Samsung Electronics Co, makes lithography machines that can print
PORTFOLIO REBALANCING: The adjustments in three global equity indices reflect rising investor appetite for semiconductor and artificial intelligence-related stocks Taiwan’s weighting in major global equity indices compiled by MSCI Inc is to rise modestly following the latest quarterly review, underscoring the market’s expanding role in emerging-market portfolios, as global investors continue to favor the nation’s technology sector. Taiwan’s weighting in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index is to increase by 0.30 percentage points to 23.76 percent, after the changes take effect at the close of the May 29 session. Its weighting in the MSCI All-Country Asia ex-Japan Index is to rise 0.37 percentage points to 27.16 percent, while that in the MSCI All Country World Index is to edge up slightly to
The Hsinchu County Government’s Labor Affairs Department yesterday said that it has received a plan from cosmetics brand Taiwan Shiseido Co (台灣資生堂) detailing mass layoffs at its plant in Hukou Township (湖口). While the labor authorities did not disclose the number of employees to be laid off, Japanese news media earlier in the day reported that the closure of the company’s factory in Hukou would result in 170 employees losing their jobs. Shiseido followed the law by reporting its layoff plan, the department said, adding that authorities would closely monitor negotiations between the management and affected employees and step in if any
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) on Tuesday confirmed a cyberattack targeting some of its North American facilities, but said the affected factories were gradually returning to normal. The company, known globally as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), said that its cybersecurity team “activated the response mechanism and implemented operational measures to ensure the continuity of production and delivery.” “The affected factories are resuming normal production,” the company said in a statement. Hon Hai had previously described it as a “technical issue,” when news of the cyberattack first surfaced. The confirmation followed media reports of a large-scale information technology system incident that broke out at