Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn) unveiled three new electric vehicle models at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall on Monday, marking their global debut.
Hon Hai Group Chairman Liu Young-way (???) presided over the event, in which the prototypes of the Model C, Model E and Model T electric vehicles developed by Foxtron Vehicles Technologies — a joint venture between Hon Hai Group and Yulon Motor — were unveiled on the annual Hon Hai Tech Day.
Describing the three new models as the result of the efforts of Hon Hai and Yulon, Liu said the Model C and Model E will initially be sold under the Yulon-affiliated Luxgen and China Motor Co. brands after hitting the market.
The Model C, a sport utility vehicle, will be priced under NT$1 million (US$35,700), while the Model E is Foxtron’s flagship luxury sedan and the Model T is an electric bus, he said.
According to Hon Hai, the 4.64-meter long Model C, the first electric car built on its MIH Open Platform for EV production, features a sleek, spacious and power-saving design.
The Model E, jointly created by Hon Hai and Pininfarina S.p.A., an Italian car design firm, is targeted at middle to high-end consumers with smart features like facial recognition to unlock the car, electric drive impulsion, and advanced skyactiv-vehicle dynamics.
At the same time, the transit-oriented Model T, equipped with a rigid body and a 400Wh battery, fully meets the standards set by the U.S. Federal Transit Administration and has passed the 200,000-km accelerated durability test and more than 1,000 hours of the body rigidity test conducted by Taiwan’s Automotive Research & Testing Center, according to Hon Hai.
Of the three new models, the Model E has the highest horsepower of 750 and a full range of 750 km. Liu noted that the two groups will continue to develop software and semiconductors for electric vehicles.
Yulon Motor Chairperson Yen Chen Li-lien (????), who appeared on the stage in a Model C, said the three advanced electric vehicles were built in just one year, a display of Taiwan’s potential and strengths in automobile research and development.
The event climaxed with the appearance of Hon Hai Group founder Terry Gou (???), who personally drove a Model E on to the stage.
“This is the best gift that I’ve ever got for my birthday,” said Gou, who turned 71 on Monday, when speaking of the new-generation, environmentally friendly and power-efficient vehicle.
Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (???) also spoke at the event, saying the Model T is likely to start service in Kaohsiung next year once it passes the quality and safety test of the transport ministry, paving the way for it to break into overseas markets.
Hon Hai has set a goal of grabbing a 5 percent share of the global electric vehicle market by 2025 and is expecting to generate US$30 billion in EV sales, with self-made components to account for 40 percent of Hon Hai’s EVs by that year.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel