Apple Supplier Foxconn Signs Deal to Manufacturer Electric Vehicles for Byton [Report]
Apple supplier Foxconn has signed a deal to manufacturer electric vehicles for Chinese startup Byton, reports Bloomberg.
The companies, aided by the Nanjing Economic and Technological Development Zone, aim to start mass production of the Byton M-Byte by the first quarter of 2022, according to a statement Monday. Foxconn, whose main listed arm is Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., plans to invest around $200 million in the venture, a person familiar with the matter said earlier, declining to be identified discussing information that isn’t yet public.
Byton’s M-Byte has a top speed of 190km/h, a 0-100km/h time of 5.5s (AWD), a range of 430 – 550 km, and can fast charge to 80% in 35 minutes.
The Foxconn Byton deal is notable because recent reports suggest Apple is once again focused on building a passenger vehicle. According to Reuters, Apple is targeting 2024 to begin production of a vehicle with ‘next level’ battery technology. Perhaps Foxconn plans to gain car manufacturing experience with the M-Byte which could then be used to make a vehicle for Apple.
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