Hon Hai-led EV alliance to unveil new development platform in November

Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) An alliance led by Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. is preparing to soon unveil a new platform for the development of electric vehicles, as part of its wider goal of creating an open EV ecosystem that fosters collaboration in the industry, its CEO Jack Cheng (鄭顯聰) said Tuesday.

The new EV platform, which will be launched in early November, is expected to attract more partners to MIH Consortium, as the alliance is called, Cheng told CNA on the sidelines of the Taiwan-Japan EV forum in Taipei.

In particular, MIH is seeking more partners in the fields of EV hardware and software, as it will soon start supplying its products to manufacturers of electric pick-up trucks in the United States, Cheng said.

He also noted that China and Europe are racing to make the switch to EVs, which he said is an irreversible trend.

EV sales in China are likely to top 6 million units this year, accounting for 25 percent of the country's total car sales, and that ratio is expected to top 50 percent by 2030, Cheng forecast.

Meanwhile, MIH is also eyeing the Japan market and has teamed up with more than 100 Japanese partners to develop critical EV technologies, particularly for self-driving vehicles, he said.

The MIH consortium became operational in July 2021, as part of Hon Hai's efforts to enter the EV market and transform from a pure contract manufacturer into a company that integrates hardware and software capabilities.

The efforts are being carried out under a "3 plus 3" initiative, which focuses on the development of EVs, robots, and digital healthcare, through the application of artificial intelligence, semiconductor, and communications technologies, according to Hon Hai, which is also known as Foxconn in the global market.

As of the end of August, the MIH consortium had more than 2,400 members, including software giant Microsoft Corp. and IC designer NXP Semiconductors.

With 30 percent of them being software companies, artificial intelligence development was in focus, as that will give EV manufacturers a greater chance of meeting the goal of green sustainability, according to MIH.