Taiwanese tech big Foxconn – finest identified for being one of many makers of the Apple iPhone – will reportedly produce an electrical car (EV) to be bought in Australia as a Mitsubishi.
Automotive Information studies Foxconn govt and former Nissan worker Jun Seki confirmed the transfer earlier this week, because the tech agency gears up in direction of EV manufacturing.
Seki-san mentioned the model’s Foxtron Mannequin B – positioned as a crossover hatchback – might be constructed for an unnamed Japanese model and bought in Australia in the course of the first half of 2026.
In accordance with the publication, Japanese media had beforehand reported Mitsubishi because the Japanese model.
“Concerning the associated articles, we chorus from making any feedback,” a spokesperson for Mitsubishi mentioned. “We’ll proceed to discover collaboration alternatives with varied companions to attain sustainable development.”
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The automotive govt reiterated his firm’s plans to companion with each Mitsubishi and its part-owner Nissan sooner or later – one thing which has been on the desk within the wake of a proposed merger between Nissan and Honda collapsing – however didn’t present additional element.
If the studies are true, Foxconn’s Mannequin B would give Mitsubishi a much-needed EV in Australia.
Regardless of being an early adopter with the low-volume i-MIEV, Mitsubishi has since pivoted to plug-in hybrids, with PHEV variations of its Outlander and Eclipse Cross SUVs being among the many hottest proponents of the powertrain expertise in Australia.
Nonetheless, the Eclipse Cross has been axed, as has the ASX small SUV and the Pajero Sport massive SUV, successfully leaving Mitsubishi with simply the Outlander and Triton, at the least for now.
This leaves the carmaker comparatively weak, particularly with the federal government’s New Car Effectivity Commonplace (NVES) penalties coming into impact from July 1.
Whereas the ASX will return as a rebadged Renault Captur and new-generation variations of each the ASX and Pajero Sport are on the horizon, Mitsubishi hasn’t introduced plans to launch an EV in Australia.
The Mannequin B is analogous in dimension to inexpensive EVs such because the MG ZS EV and Kia EV3, measuring 4.3m lengthy on a 2.8m wheelbase.
Styled by Pininfarina, it has a claimed driving vary of greater than 500km on the lenient NEDC cycle from a 60kWh battery pack.
Primarily based on the Automotive Information report, it’s unclear if any of Foxconn’s different EVs – such because the Tesla Mannequin Y-sized Mannequin C and the smaller Mannequin A – will come to Australia, and even be supplied to Mitsubishi.
As reported in February, Foxconn chairman Younger Liu advised reporters it “did have talks about buying a stake in [Nissan]”, however the firm’s “major aim is co-operation”.
On the time, Mr Liu mentioned such co-operation might see Foxconn contracted to provide automobiles for Nissan and even Renault or Honda – however no point out was made on the time of Mitsubishi.
Since then, Ivan Espinosa has changed Makoto Uchida as Nissan CEO, doubtlessly placing the Honda merger again on the desk, and pushing Foxconn additional away from a deal.
