Foxconn car

[pip bip]

https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/iphone-manufacturers-first-car-leaked

More vapourware?

[MUSASHI66]

@pip-bip Why?? Why would you make a sedan form scratch when you have an option of making a 5 or 7 seat CUV which sells in superior numbers?

[nth256]

@pip-bip - In the midst of a chip shortage no less.

[pip bip]

@musashi66 geniuses

[siennaman]

@musashi66 I love a sedan, and the aero is better (which matters for advertised range), but that is a glaring question here..

[phenotyp]

@pip-bip If that's what they're saying is gonna happen at the Wisconsin facility, yeah. More vapor than a Subaru meet.

[HoustonRunner]

@musashi66 They need something for “one more thing….”

[MUSASHI66]

@houstonrunner I don’t get it 🥸

[ranwhenparked]

@pip-bip So, basically, they want to become a contract manufacturer for EV companies - move the auto industry to the same virtual manufacturing business model as electronics. Welp, that's probably going to happen, whether Foxconn is the one to dominate remains to be seen, but I can definitely see automakers wanting to outsource to low cost outside manufacturers instead of continuing to run their own factories in the future.

Soon, you might see off-brand electric cars displayed at Sam's Club with "Pinnacle Motors" or "Teslar" badges on them that look suspiciously similar to, but somewhat distinct from, the real thing, but nonetheless have mostly the same guts.

[Manwich]

@ranwhenparked said in Foxconn car:

So, basically, they want to become a contract manufacturer for EV companies

So basically they want to do what Magna is already doing.

[ranwhenparked]

@manwich And others, but, correct me if I'm wrong, Magna does assembly of vehicles largely designed and engineered by others, not generic models that anyone can slap their names on and sell, like those overhyped, ovepriced faux luxury Chinese wristwatches that make the rounds on social media, and are obviously stock designs from Alibaba ordered with someone's custom logo.

[GrindIntoSecond]

@ranwhenparked Foxconn is already that component partner in motherboards, and iPhones. Just broadening what they do today.

[Manwich]

@ranwhenparked said in Foxconn car:

@manwich And others, but, correct me if I'm wrong, Magna does assembly of vehicles largely designed and engineered by others, not generic models that anyone can slap their names on and sell, like those overhyped, ovepriced faux luxury Chinese wristwatches that make the rounds on social media, and are obviously stock designs from Alibaba ordered with someone's custom logo.

Magna can design and build any part of a vehicle for anyone. The electric motors in the Ford Mach E for example... designed and built by Magna.

[ranwhenparked]

@manwich Designing and building components to a customer's specification seems like a pretty normal thing for a parts supplier to do, Foxconn seems to want to design and building entire generic vehicles from the ground up, and selling them to "automakers" at wholesale prices, to slap their own badges on

[RallyDarkstrike]

@pip-bip In a way I hope this isn't vapourware, if they are making everything open source to manufacturers and using off-the-shelf parts, I really hope that can bring EV costs down to a price most people can afford because most EVs are over $35k still unless you include incentives....and not everywhere has incentives that are worth much or has any at all.

Something like this plus solid-state batteries when the time comes would go a long way to opening EVs up further as transports for the masses aside from the folks who have enough money to afford them now!

[Jarrett]

@musashi66 Best thing I can think of is aero to boost that range.

[RacinBob]

@pip-bip Here's my take; Foxconn is making the car to demonstrate the platform. Their real game is to make or source the battery packs, motors, steering and braking systems as generic parts and get such scales that its cheaper to buy vs make for the OEM's.

I think this electric car thing is terrifying for the OEM's in that IC drive trains gives cars personality and differentiation. If there is no differentiation with an electric drive system, their products become commodities just like laptop computers and phones.