If we can make iPhones we can do anything, including cars. This is probably what they must have thought (and how to blame them) at Foxconn, the Taiwanese company, also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, which also has the largest factory on planet earth where half a million people work on an area of three square kilometers.
Foxconn launches into the world of cars
The car, as we know, is a complex object, consisting of about 20 thousand pieces, subject to very complicated regulations and unheard of safety standards, but FOxconn is the largest manufacturer of electrical and electronic components for OEMs all over the world and works under contract for Amazon, Apple, Dell, HP, Microsoft, Motorola, Nintendo, Nokia, Sony, BlackBerry and Xiaomi. Just to name the main partners… “The car – explained the visionary issue of Foxconn Hon Hai – is the largest and most expensive intelligent electronic device in the world. And with our strong capabilities in electronics manufacturing, including semiconductors, modules and precision operations, we can play a key role in the development of electric vehicles. ”
In short, this explains why the electronics giant Foxconn has thrown headlong into the auto sector. It signed a $ 280 million deal a few months ago with US electric vehicle startup Lordtown Motors, which includes the acquisition of a manufacturing plant in Ohio and a 4 percent stake. The 575,000 square meter plant, formerly owned by General Motors, continues to produce the Lordtown Endurance electric pickup. And Foxconn acquires its first manufacturing plant in the United States, and will also take over land, machinery and an unknown number of employees from the US startup. Engine production lines and battery packs, some intellectual property rights and some other assets are excluded from the agreement.
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Foxconn could thus start production of the Endurance pickup by April 2022. And the plant in Ohio could also become the basis for the launch of the second electric car developed by Lordtown, the “Fisker”, by the fourth quarter of 2023. Foxconn has in fact the construction of a plant for the production of electric vehicles in Thailand by 2023 is also in the pipeline, in collaboration with the Thai oil giant PTT which will certainly have a not secondary role …
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The Thai state oil giant will in fact invest over 16 billion dollars in this project over the next decade. So, with their backs covered by these deals, Foxconn announced a plan to make electric cars for several automakers, under a contract model similar to the one they make phones. And we start with the most iconic brand in the world: Pininfarina. The flagship Model E sedan, developed with the Italian design house, is expected to be launched in 2023. The Model E is known to have five seats and a range of 750 kilometers on a single charge. And this is just the beginning: models for Fisker (as we have said) and Taiwan Yulong Group (unknown to us, but very famous in Asia) are already in the very advanced stage.
And then the big leap: a model with its own brand. Indeed the models because with the Foxtron brand, three electric vehicles will immediately debut, born from the joint venture between Hon Hai (the Chinese name of Foxconn) and Yulon Motor. The reveal took place during the Hon Hai Tech Day event organized every year to demonstrate the group’s research, development and production capabilities.
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At the Hon Hai Tech Day, the Foxtron Model C SUV, the Foxtron Model E sedan and a Model T electric bus were presented which – it was underlined in the event by Young Liu, president of Hon Hai Technology Group – support the vision of the agency. Also present was Terry Gou, the founder of Foxconn – Hon Hai who made a surprise appearance driving the Model E electric car in the big theater.
In turn, Lilian Yen Chen, CEO of Yulon Motor Group, stated that in less than a year from its foundation, the Jv with Foxtron has now successfully demonstrated the ability and speed of implementation of Hon Hai. The Luxgen and CMC brands owned by Yulon Group will be the first key partners to adopt the Foxtron product platform which, it was reiterated, will play a key role in the transformation of the automotive industry by leading production in Taiwan. The Model C electric suv is 4.64 meters long and with a wheelbase of 2.86 meters offers seating for 5 + 2 people and ample space for luggage. Thanks to a low drag coefficient (0.27) it boasts excellent performance and accelerates from 0 to 100 km in 3.8 seconds, with an electric range of 700 km. All this was reiterated, with a reasonable price (corresponding to about 30 thousand euros) therefore comparable to a petrol model.
The Foxtron Model E, developed with Pininfarina, is instead a technologically innovative luxury flagship capable of meeting the needs of high-end consumers. Also designed to meet the needs of companies, with a rear seat that converts into a dedicated mobile office, with personal mobile devices perfectly integrated into the car, Model E offers high performance and advanced dynamic control technology. With a power of around 750 hp it accelerates from 0 to 100 km in just 2.8 seconds, with a range of 750 km.
The third protagonist of the Hon Hai Tech Day is the elegant Model T city bus with electric operation that complies with the regulations and standards of the Federal Transport Administration (FTA). The battery offers a range of over 400km and reaches a top speed of 120km / h, providing the driver and passengers with a relaxed and smooth travel experience. And that’s just the beginning. Over the next five years, in line with its strategic vision, electric vehicles will become another billion-dollar business for Foxconn – Hon Hai.
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