Earlier this week, Hon Hai Technology Group, also known as Foxconn, the manufacturer best known for making mobile phones like Apple’s iPhone, introduced its first in-house developed electric vehicles (EVs). The announcement of the Model E sedan, Model C sport-utility vehicle, and Model T electric bus was made during the live-streamed Hon Hai Tech Day 2021 event, underlining the company’s commitment to becoming a global next-generation automotive manufacturer.

Th tech day kicked off with Young Liu, Chairman of Hon Hai Technology Group, introducing the three vehicles. Lilian Yen Chen, CEO of Yulon Motor Group, appeared alongside a Model C, and Terry Gou, Founder of Hon Hai, made a surprise appearance by driving out in a Model E electric car on his birthday. Gou, who looks to the EV as the world’s largest and most expensive smart electronic device, thinks that strong capabilities in electronics manufacturing will enable Taiwan to play a key role in EV development.

Yulon’s Luxgen and CMC brands will be the first key partners to adopt the EV product platform from Foxtron, the joint venture between Hon Hai and Yulon Motor. Chen believes that, with support from Hon Hai, Foxtron will play a key role in the transformation of the automobile industry, leading the advancement of the production value chain in Taiwan.

Liu added that since Hon Hai announced its EV strategy during last year’s Tech Day, the company has announced, on average, one partnership per month. It is creating a Hon Hai EV supply chain and distribution network, and in the next two years it will allow the development of easy-to-use, highly efficient, and high-performance EVs.

“Hon Hai is ready and no longer the new kid in town,” he said.

In the coming five years, in line with its strategic vision, the establishment of the global network together with the accumulated knowledge, EVs will become another Hon Hai trillion Taiwan dollar business, added Chi-Sen Tso, Vice Chairman of Foxtron.

 

The Model E

The most significant of the three vehicles is the Model E, the luxury flagship sedan jointly developed by Hon Hai and Italian design firm Pininfarina SpA. Aimed at middle and high-end consumers and businesses, the sedan is designed to be easily connected to personal mobile devices. Smart applications include face-recognition door opening, smart windows, and vehicle and environment interfaces. The rear-seat space can transform into a dedicated mobile office.

In addition to luxury and comfort, the car is said to feature high performance and advanced dynamic control technology. The output of about 750 hp (559 kW) enables 0-100 km (0-62 mph) acceleration in a very quick 2.8 s, better than most comparable models on the market. The car gets a 750-km (466-mi) range to address range anxiety.

The car “represents the best of Pininfarina’s expertise and marks the first step of an important strategic collaboration that will continue for the future between the two companies,” said Silvio Angori, CEO, Pininfarina. “With Foxtron we share the same values, such as the propensity for innovation and the attention to environmental sustainability, as their commitment to new energy vehicle design and production testifies.”

The Model E was entirely built in the Pininfarina atelier in Cambiano, where over the years unique models, small series, show cars, and prototypes have been hand-built by its skilled team.

“Our design team was responsible for defining the style of both the exteriors and the interiors of the Model E, including the experience that the user will live inside the car,” explained Kevin Rice, Chief Creative Officer, Pininfarina. “One of the main features is the smart surfaces on the front, side, and rear of the vehicle, which demonstrate the way the vehicle communicates with the outside world. Also in the interior, you see a combination of classic, advanced, state of the art technology to create something absolutely unique.”

 

Model C and T

The Model C, the first model built on Hon Hai’s EV open platform, is designed to be focused on four core features: shape, space, power, and energy consumption. The open platform sharing advantages are said to be high efficiency, high intelligence, low energy consumption, and large space at a reasonable price compared to a “fuel-powered” car.

The SUV’s “minimalist appearance” goes along with significantly minimized mechanical components for maximized seating space. Within the 4.64 m (183 in) long car with a 2.86-m (113-in) wheelbase is seating for 5+2 people and the storage space for “the luxury of a larger car.” Performance specs include a 0.27 drag coefficient, 0-100 km acceleration in 3.8 s, and a top range of 700 km (435 mi).

The Model T urban bus is positioned as an intelligent transportation solution. Performance specs include a range of more than 400 km (248 mi), a maximum climbing capacity of 25%, and a maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph).

It has a rigid body design and protection features to meet FTA (Federal Transit Administration) standards. The bus has completed 200,000 km of endurance testing and more than 1000 h of rigid strength tests at Taiwan’s ARTC (Automotive Research & Testing Center) to ensure the safety of drivers and passengers.

 

Driving software ecosystem

In support of its vehicle initiative, Hon Hai Technology Group announced a plan to establish a software research & development center with over 1500 staff across Hon Hai, with the intent to recruit over 1000 more software development engineers in the next three years. The company says that this announcement demonstrates the determination of the group to become a software-defined business in the future.

Hon Hai also announced the launch and partner details around planned software innovations for the smart gateway, smart cockpit, smart autonomous driving, and other applications. Partners shared more on the nature of the collaboration, as well as their views on the role of the platform, shared data, computing, and applications in EV software development.

Dr. Xu Hongmin, CTO of Mobile Drive, the Hon Hai/FIH Mobile/Stellantis joint venture, shared his views on smart cockpit development and how to integrate AI technology into core services to provide a safe and advanced driving experience. Dr. Zhang Yang, Founder of AutoCore.ai, shared his insights into automobile software and how his company’s EV computing platform can provide low cost, low power, scalable, and reliable systems development with safety. Dr. Shinpei Kato, Founder and CTO of Tier IV, delivered a keynote discussing smart autonomous driving and showcased how his company uses the Autoware Foundation to drive autonomous vehicle commercialization and industry verification.