Foxconn, the Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer best known for manufacturing Apple’s iPhone has automotive ambitions and recently revealed its direct rival for the Tesla Model Y and other similar models like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or the Volkswagen ID.4. It’s called the Foxtron Model B and it will be revealed in full on October 18 when we hope to also learn more about its specs.
In fact, other than knowing that it’s built on Foxconn’s own open-source MiH (short for Mobility in Harmony) electric car platform (which the company believes will allow it to be “the Android of electric vehicles”) details are sparse. More will probably be shared in just over a week’s time when the official reveal is planned. What we now know for a fact is that the plan is to begin manufacturing this vehicle in 2024 the Ohio factory it purchased from Lordstown GM.
The plant is designed for a production capacity of 500,000 vehicles per year, and just like it has done in the electronics manufacturing segment, Foxconn plans to offer its manufacturing services to third parties that don’t have their own facilities and are looking to outsource. The Foxtron Model B won’t just be built in the United States, though, as it will also roll off a production line in China one year ahead of the US, in 2023.
Gallery: Foxtron Model B
The Foxtron Model B looks very of-the-times, with its sharp Pininfarina-designed details, as well as the crossover and hatchback mix that blurs the lines between these two traditional body styles. It’s certainly eye-catching, with its full-width front light bar and unusual looking headlights, meaning it really doesn’t deviate from what has become the norm.
Foxtron has already unveiled two additional models, both of which are also designed by Pininfarina, the Model C and Model E. Designed to be built on its MiH platform, they are available with either single- or dual-motor powertrains. The Model C is has more traditional looking SUV body shape, while the Model E is a sleek sedan designed as a Tesla Model 3 rival.
All three vehicles are currently branded as concepts, but they all look like production vehicles to us, so it's unlikely they will change much for production.
