Hon Hai's Foxtron signs MOU with Mitsubishi Motors for EV development

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) Foxtron Vehicle Technologies Co., an electric vehicle developing subsidiary of Taiwan-based manufacturing giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Japan's Mitsubishi Motors Corp. for EV development.

Under the MOU, Foxtron Vehicle will develop and supply an EV model to Mitsubishi Motors on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis, the company said in a statement.

In a separate statement, Mitsubishi Motors said the two sides have decided to proceed with further discussions for the cooperation toward a definitive agreement.

According to Mitsubishi Motors, the EV model to be supplied to the Japanese auto brand will be developed by Foxtron Vehicle and rolled out in Taiwan by Hon Hai's EV partner Yulon Motor Co.

The new model, to be introduced in Australia and New Zealand in the second half of 2026, is part of a product plan announced in 2024 highlighting "excellent driving performance as an EV and an advanced infotainment system, making it optimal for the Oceania region," Mitsubishi Motors said.

Foxtron Vehicle said it looked forward to working with Mitsubishi Motors and echoed the vision of company Chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) of "share, collaborate and thrive" to accelerate EV development.

Liu also serves as the chairman of Hon Hai.

The MOU signed by Foxtron Vehicle and Mitsubishi Motors came after an industrial source who asked not be named told CNA in April that the production of an EV model for Mitsubishi Motors will start at a plant in Miaoli County owned by Yulon Motor.

The source said Liu is in charge of the company's EV development, while its chief strategy officer (CSO) Jun Seki, who worked at Nissan Motor for 33 years, handles relevant issues in Japan.

At an investor conference in March, Hon Hai said it was planning to sign contract design and manufacturing services (CDMS) agreements with Japanese clients, under its EV development business model.

Hon Hai, known primarily as a contract assembler of iPhones, has been making significant efforts to diversify its portfolio into electric vehicles.

Hon Hai heads the Mobility in Harmony (MIH) Consortium, an EV open platform that was launched in 2021 as part of the company's efforts to enter the EV market and is now central to its goal of becoming the "Android of the electric vehicle industry."

So far, the MIH alliance has 2,781 members from 76 countries or regions around the world.