From iPhone to Electric Car: Foxconn’s Big Statement
The Taiwanese manufacturer that builds some of the most advanced electronic devices in the world has stated that it will soon introduce the production versions of three of its vehicles. The data is surprising
Blurring the boundaries between the traditional and old car industry and the technological worlds that open up with the move to electric vehicles, new manufacturing techniques and lots of technology spilling into cars, bring manufacturers from very far-flung areas interested in car manufacturing, where profit margins per unit are much more generous than electronic components. .
This is exactly the move that Foxconn is now targeting, the Taiwanese company that is most identified with Apple as its mobile phone maker the iPhone and other products with the Apple logo.
The first of three electric vehicles — a city bus and two cars (sharing a platform) will be the Model C, of course it is a crossover, the hot segment of the automotive industry for more than a decade is often the main gate through which new manufacturers enter the world of electricity. This is how it is with all of them except for really unusual cases like Tesla for example.
Its overall length stands at 464 cm, which means it is similar in size to the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai, etc. However, its wheelbase is significantly larger than them with 286 cm, which should imply a generous interior space. What’s more it will come in a 5 + 2 seating configuration, meaning with two child seats in the back, a pretty rare business right now in the tram market.
The performance, at least sounds absolutely fantastic, 3.8 seconds per 100 and a declared range of 700 km is currently much more than what the industry offers. But more fantastic than the performance is the statement that the vehicle will enjoy “reasonable” pricing relative to an internal combustion car. What does that mean? Not much .
The second model presented is the Model E, which is supposed to be the manufacturer’s luxury flagship. In order to design it, the manufacturer has collaborated with the Italian design house Pininfarina which is responsible for some of the more beautiful cars in previous decades.
The Model E is built in such a way that the rear seat area can be converted into an office work environment, with dedicated connections for laptops, computers, tablets, webcams and laptops. In addition, the car will include some advanced technologies such as opening doors in interior recognition and air purification systems for the passenger compartment.
Of course, the performance is not far behind either, and Foxconn claims that the car will have a power of 750 hp, acceleration to 100 in just 2.8 seconds and a declared official range of 750 km.
With such data it will feel comfortable in the environment of luxury performance cars like Mercedes EQE, Tesla Model S, Audi e-tron GT and others. The question of whether the product will be comparable …
The third product is the Model T, a name with historical significance in the automotive industry, but this time it is not the one that heralded the transition to car production on the Ford production line, but a stylish city bus and as the company describes it as an “intelligent transportation solution”.
It is supposed to be used as a city public transport vehicle, and in any case most buses are limited in their speed, so that its maximum speed is 120 km / h and for some reason the manufacturer states that it is capable of climbing at slopes of up to 25 degrees. On an average working day and stands at about 320 km. According to the manufacturer, the model is already after more than 200,000 km of driving tests and more than 1,000 hours of rigid testing of the vehicle.
Its first entry into use will already be next year under one of the public transport companies in the country.