Taiwanese electronics giant Hon Hai Precision Industry Company Ltd, also known as Apple’s main iPhone subcontractor Foxconn, has agreed to produce battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for Japanese automaker Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, according to local reports citing a source close to the company.

The deal would represent a major step forward for Hon Hai’s strategy of becoming a major global BEV contract assembler. In 2020, the company unveiled its MIH (Mobility in Harmony) in-house BEV platform, designed to provide automakers with a fast, low-cost entry strategy into the BEV segment – backed by a ready-made supply chain.

In 2022, Hon Hai acquired a former General Motors vehicle assembly plant in Ohio from Lordstown Motors and has since unveiled a number of concept vehicles based on its modular MIH platform. But the company has struggled to move its automotive strategy forward in the last couple of years, with just a handful of niche vehicle producers signing up to its programme – mainly a few small-scale Taiwanese vehicle manufacturers and US sportscar maker Fisker Motors, which filed for bankruptcy in 2024.

Reports suggest that Hon Hai has agreed to produce BEVs for Mitsubishi in Taiwan, which will be sold locally and exported to other markets in Asia as well as to Australia and New Zealand. It was not confirmed when production would begin.

Mitsubishi is facing growing uncertainty following the collapse of merger talks between Honda Motor and Nissan Motor earlier this year, as Mitsubishi had agreed to collaborate in future product development with the enlarged company.

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