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.
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