Foxconn: the road from desktop PCs to mass-market EVs

Foxconn joined forces with Taiwanese automaker Yulon to form the joint venture Foxtron in March 2021. Under the new JV, production of EVs is planned for Taiwan.

The company has rolled out a number of prototypes to demonstrate what is possible with the MIH architecture.

Joining the growing field of electric crossovers, the Foxtron Model C made its debut in October 2021. Stretching 4,640mm long and riding on a 2,860mm wheelbase, the Model C seats up to seven across three rows. Its all-wheel-drive powertrain harnesses 300kW of power and 700Nm of torque to launch the CUV to 100km/h (62mph) in 3.8 seconds. Plans for production to begin in Taiwan in early 2023 followed the expected opening of order banks late this year.

Alongside the Model C was the debut of the Model E (above). Ford Motor Company already had an issue with Tesla using this name and obviously won’t allow Foxconn at it either, but the sedan looks primed to take on the Tesla Model S. The company’s flagship sedan features 560kW of power, a 0-100km/h time of 2.8 seconds and a range of up to 750km (466 miles) on a charge. 

The third model in Foxconn’s EV debut was the Model T. Again, Ford will not like the name. However, this vehicle has very little in common with Henry’s “Tin Lizzy.” An intercity bus, the Model T would look right at home on the streets of any major American city, which is probably the point. With a top speed of 120km/h (75mph), the Model T will travel up to 400km (249 miles) on a charge.

Troubled Lordstown Motors became the latest company to provide fodder for Foxconn’s growth. In May 2022, Foxconn purchased the physical assets of the budding electric truck maker, primarily its factory in Lordstown, Ohio. With an initial infusion of US$230 million, Lordstown could continue development of its pickup truck while Foxconn acquired an automotive factory and would, under contract, assemble the upcoming Lordstown Endurance EV. With a factory of its own, Foxconn’s march toward an EV brand could continue full strength.

In October 2022, the company followed up its initial wave of vehicles with more products. The smaller Model B sports a Pininfarina-designed four-door hatchback body. Looking like a direct competitor to the Tesla Model Y, the Model B is smaller. The nearly production-ready concept has a 2,800mm wheelbase with a 4,300mm compact body, about 350mm shorter than the Tesla. Its range is 450km (280 miles) on a charge.

On the stage next to the Model B was the Model V, an all-wheel-drive pickup with a five-passenger, four-door cab. With its payload capacity of “up to one ton” and towing capacity of “three tons,” the Model V would intrigue pickup-hungry Americans. Few concrete details were provided about production plans for any Foxtron models. However, the Model V has been earmarked for assembly plants in Taiwan and the US.

A solid-state battery is under development. Foxconn expects to have the new battery ready for production by 2024. Foxconn is making moves to reach a targeted 5% share of the global EV market by 2025. In early November, it invested another US$170 million for a 18.3% stake in Lordstown, becoming the startup’s largest shareholder. After reporting a loss of more than US$154 million in the third quarter, Lordstown is looking to revise its future product plans and will rely on Foxconn’s MIH platform for the next generation of vehicles it develops.

Launching the Foxtron brand introduces a potential problem for the company’s other businesses. A new EV brand will be competing with potential clients for Foxconn’s assembly and engineering services. Established global automotive suppliers have viewed this problem in the past and found it to be detrimental to their core business of supplying parts and services to OEMs. Foxconn, however, believes it can do both and, so far, potential partners see no issue there.

A joint venture with state-owned PTT has been created to develop and produce EVs for Thailand. The PTT energy group started working with Foxconn in 2021 to harness the MIH architecture and create a supplier base in the country to support local production.

With the chip shortage slowing production of vehicles around the world, Foxconn’s experience in semiconductors will be beneficial in the near term for automotive production. After a deal between Foxconn and Stellantis, announced in late 2021, the two companies are developing “flexible semiconductors” dedicated to automotive use. Stellantis is developing the “STLA Brain” architecture as a base for its upcoming vehicle platforms and these new chips will play a key role in the strength of this new design. The first STLA Brain vehicles will begin production in 2024 with the hope that this new dedicated supply will ensure a steady stream of chips.

Announced in early 2022, Foxconn’s Lordstown plant will produce vehicles for Fisker. Sharing the MIH platform, the Fisker Pear follows the Austrian-built Ocean as the brand’s second EV model. With a target starting price below US$30,000, the Pear will be the high-volume model for Fisker, with announcements of highly optimistic plans “to build a minimum of 250,000 Pear vehicles a year once the plant ramps up production”. Production is scheduled to begin in mid-2024.